By Aaron Buzek | Project Leader
In the most recent project updates we have focused on the origins and progress of Amún Shéa's aquaponics program so--save for a short update on our second greenhouse--this report will detail the future of the program with a special focus on our goals, our hopes for the project, and what you can do to get involved.
Our team of students have done a wonderful job with the second greenhouse which is now almost fully complete, just lacking the inner PVC pipes and planters as well as the crops themselves. In addition to an internal pond for shrimp farming, we now have an external tank (separate from the pond) for tilapia farming. Using tanks separate from the pond itself allows us a greater degree of control over the environment so hopes are high for successful and productive futures for both of these tanks. We anticipate that the greenhouse will be fully functional sometime in early 2017.
As a reminder, our first greenhouse is focused on producing food for internal consumption at the school and our second greenhouse is set to be both a space for experimenting with growing techniques and maximizing production and as an alternative business model for agricultural production that we can develop even further in the future. Although both greenhouses have economic interests as an obvious focus, their true focus is on being a resource for the students. One of Amún Shéa's guiding principles is that education be both pertinent to the children's world and that it be applied, not solely theoretical. Both of our current greenhouses offer an indispensible resource for all of our students and can help them learn about agriculture, aquaculture, business, and serves as a constant reminder for everyone at the school of how connected we can be with our food and that we must be mindful of the environmental impact that our food production has on the world around us.
Although we are very happy with our greenhouses (and even more grateful for all of those who helped to make them happen), this is not the time for us to rest on our laurels. An incredibly generous donation from our friend Brendalyn and her local Iowan church has gotten us nearly half of the funds required for what will be our third greenhouse and we have already begun the planning to get the project off the ground. A third greenhouse will allow us to expand our entrepreneurial enterprise and allow even more involvement from the student population at both Amún Shéa and in the surrounnding Perquin Integrated School System. We hope that you can see the huge potential that this project holds for both our school and the surrounding area and can find it in your heart to donate something, no matter how small, to making this project a reality.
By Aaron Buzek | Project Leader
By Aaron Buzek | Project Leader
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