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.
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.
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