快猫app短视

Unique farm-to-table program rolls out on Georgia Southern鈥檚 Armstrong Campus Fall 2018

 

(L-R) Heather Joesting, Ph.D., Georgia Southern’s FORAM Sustainable Aquaponics Research Center (SARC) senior scientist, Ryan Bryzcki and James Morgan from Eagle Dining Services on the Armstrong Campus and SARC Director Brent Feske launch a farm-to-table program with a planting in the greenhouse.

Select dining options will be just-off-the-farm fresh on 快猫app短视鈥檚 Armstrong Campus in Savannah beginning Fall 2018, thanks to a unique in-house partnership. Employing aquaponics, a method of soilless farming that cultivates produce and fish simultaneously, the FORAM Sustainable Aquaponics Research Center (SARC) and Eagle Dining Services have joined to introduce the University鈥檚 first farm-to-table program. Armstrong鈥檚 Galley Dining Commons and other campus venues, including the University鈥檚 food truck, will have the opportunity to feature dishes crafted with fresh vegetable offerings grown on campus. I believe this will be a powerful partnership that will have a positive impact on our students, campus, sustainability and both of our departments,鈥 said Michael Morgan, director of Dining on the Armstrong Campus. 鈥淚t is my long-term goal to have at least one of our Dining concepts’ to be fully supplied by this partnership as long as growing seasons and weather permits.鈥 In April, associate professor of chemistry and SARC Director Brent Feske, Ph.D., invited Morgan to take a tour of the aquaponics program and greenhouse, located in the field off of Arts Drive. 鈥淭his meeting led to talks of a partnership where we could commit staff to assist in the planting and harvesting of the produce grown in the Aquaponics Center, in lieu of produce bought off-campus to be used in our Dining facilities,鈥 he said. 鈥淩yan Bryzcki, assistant director of Dining on the Armstrong Campus, and I felt it important that we be the first to volunteer to assist in the planting to show the aquaponics program directors and our dining staff our commitment to this partnership.鈥 Last week, Heather Joesting, Ph.D.,聽assistant professor of biology and SARC senior scientist, led Morgan and Bryzcki through a kick-off planting of Red Noodle Beans, deep-hued, nutrient-rich stringless Chinese beans popular in stir fry dishes or as steamed stand-alones, in the Aquaponics Lab.                 They then transferred the seedlings to the greenhouse, which is home to four 800-gallon aquatic tanks brimming with Nile and Blue tilapia that grow from fingerlings to adult-sized fish.聽Within the modern ecosystem, evolved from an ancient Chinese aquaculture practice, plant and aquatic life thrive as bacteria introduced into the system converts fish waste into nutrients, which then fertilize the plants and filter the water. 鈥淭he process is really amazing,鈥 noted Joesting. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really nice to watch your food go from a seed to a sprout that then comes out to the grow beds into a vegetable that can then be consumed. I鈥檝e had some of our produce and it is amazing.鈥 The hope is to harvest the Red Noodle Bean crop, along with many others, which may include arugula, basil, cabbage, cilantro, collards, kale, lettuces, mustard, sage, spinach and thyme, as well as various types of peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and squash, for debut menus filled with pizza, pastas, salads and other dishes crafted with the just-picked items by mid-fall. 鈥淗ere we have the security and the pride to know that the produce came from this very campus and we鈥檙e supporting the campus in the process,” said Morgan. For more information on the FORAM Sustainable Aquaponics Research Center, visit . Georgia聽Southern聽University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research institution founded in 1906, offers 141 degree programs serving more than 27,000 students through nine colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast聽Georgia, the聽University聽provides a diverse student population with expert faculty, world-class scholarship and hands-on learning opportunities.聽Georgia Southern聽creates lifelong learners who serve as responsible scholars, leaders and stewards in their communities. Visit聽.