CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 12/09/14

UGA student Amanda Miller educates her community about sustainability through aquaponics system

By Jordan Hill

University of Georgia Tifton Campus student Amanda Miller is educating her community about sustainability through aquaponics one homegrown meal at a time.

Miller constructed an aquaponics system to demonstrate that such a system, based in the home, could feed a small family. The project was funded by a $500 grant from the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

“The actual research involves empowering people to make their own food and demonstrating that a family is able to do this,” she said.

Miller built the aquaponic system as part of the Tifton Campus’ Future Farmstead program in January, with the support of Jason Peake, director of academic programs, and Gary Burtle, an aquaculturist on the UGA Tifton Campus.

The system includes a small garden of vegetables and a tank of fish, including bluegill sunfish, channel catfish and carp. Through the aquaponics process, the fish consume food and excrete waste in the tank. Bacteria in the tank convert the toxic ammonia in fish feces into nitrates, which are then used as nutrients to help the plants survive. The fish tank is connected to the bed of vegetables by pipes that deliver water and nutrients in one pump and flow back to the bed with another pump, creating a constant flow.

The $500 grant was used to design and set up the system, but families don’t need that much money to run a successful aquaponic system, according to Burtle.

“They can do it for a lot less than $500. There are things a person can do to minimize the cost,” said Burtle, who added that changing the size and quality of the parts needed for the system can reduce costs. “Vegetables and greens can be selected for each season. Fish can be fed all year, and the species changed to include those that will grow in cool water. Catfish grow better in warm weather, bluegill sunfish grow in warm-to-cool weather and rainbow trout and carp grow in cold weather.”

Miller plans to educate and train individuals in the community how to build their own low-cost aquaponics systems. She hopes to have a workshop in the spring or summer.

“That’s where the empowerment aspect is going to come in. We want to see how many people would do this in their own homes if they knew they could,” Miller said.

According to Miller, the number of people who construct their own system will depend on what they believe is valuable. If homeowners value homegrown food, they are more likely to take part and build their own system. Miller, an agricultural education major, has one more year at the UGA Tifton Campus as she completes her master’s degree.

The system that she helped put in place on campus will remain at its location, and Miller hopes another student will continue and expand the project.

(Jordan Hill is an intern on the UGA Tifton Campus.)

Authors:
Jordan Hill
Experts/Sources:
Gary J. Burtle
Amanda Miller sits next to her aquaponics system located behind the Future Farmstead on the UGA Tifton Campus. Pictured is Amanda Miller, right, working with Gary Burtle in constructing the aquaponics system located at the Future Farmstead on the UGA Tifton Campus. Pictured is the aquaponics system located behind the Future Farmstead located on the UGA Tifton Campus.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
HurricaneHeleneGreenhouseDamageCropped CAES News
UGA Extension supports resilience in Georgia farm communities after Hurricane Helene 12/19/24 Emily Cabrera
Hurricane Helene wrought sweeping devastation across Georgia’s agricultural sector in late September, leaving an indelible mark on both the land and the people who tend it, bringing focus to vulnerabilities in Georgia’s farming industry and the need for more robust safety nets. In addition to the physical destruction, the hurricane took an emotional toll on Georgia’s farmers. In response, UGA Extension has prioritized mental health support.
In Georgia alone, there are nearly 400,000 individuals employed in some segment of hospitality. With the unique mix of leisure travel in coastal Georgia and convention travel in Atlanta, HFIM students have a wealth of opportunities to choose the area that suits them best. CAES News
UGA redefines Southern hospitality through a thriving degree program 11/27/24 Claire S. Kinnard
There are nearly 400,000 individuals employed in some segment of hospitality in Georgia. With the unique mix of leisure travel in coastal Georgia and convention travel in Atlanta, University of Georgia hospitality and food industry management students have a wealth of opportunities to choose the area that suits them best. This versatile experience — with its focus on quality curriculum, meaningful interaction with local and national business, and experiential learning — has already begun graduating the next generation of hospitality leaders.
Conner Hall CAES News
CAES welcomes 2024 cohort of Rural Scholars 11/20/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences welcomed its fourth cohort of students chosen for the CAES Rural Scholars Program this fall just weeks after celebrating the program's first graduation. Georgia Orman, one of four inaugural Rural Scholars in CAES, graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education. The new scholars for 2024, all from Georgia, are Ela Ash of Ocilla, Lauren E. Coley of Cochran, Amelia Housley of Canon, and London O’Steen of Ambrose.
TiftonCampusSunset2 CAES News
CAES Transfer Pathways Program expands enrollment access for rural students 11/12/24 Emily Cabrera
The Transfer Pathways Program is opening new doors for rural students who dream of attending the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES). In partnership with Wiregrass Georgia Technical College and Southern Regional Technical College, students who complete required coursework at these institutions can transfer to CAES to complete bachelor’s degrees in one of three majors — agribusiness, agricultural education, and agriscience and environmental systems. 
Georgia is consistently one of the top five states to use the H-2A visa program and depends on H-2A workers for 60% of agricultural jobs. CAES News
Journey to work 10/14/24 Emily Cabrera
On a farm in southwest Georgia, the rising sun is just beginning to shine upon acres of lush fall crops growing in neat rows. Migrant workers are hunched over, quickly picking the dew-covered leafy greens destined for grocery stores throughout the country. At the end of a hard day, they head home to a shared house that has been provided to them for the duration of their employment. The next morning, they will wake and return to the fields for another day of work in the elements and finish with a shared evening in the communal housing.
Helenedamage web CAES News
Hurricane Helene: Preliminary damage assessment on Georgia agriculture and forestry industry 10/10/24 Claire S. Kinnard, Matthew Agvent
Today, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, in coordination with Governor Brian P. Kemp, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and the Georgia Forestry Commission, announced the preliminary estimate of Hurricane Helene’s economic impact on Georgia agriculture is $6.46 billion. This figure represents the sum of direct crop losses, losses to businesses that support agriculture and forestry, losses to workers in those related industries, and estimated recovery and restoration costs that agricultural businesses will face.