RB Russell aquaponics initiative explores the future of food production

When it comes to nutrition, communities in Canada’s Northern communities face major challenges. The high cost and logistics associated with transporting fruit, vegetables and other foods to these remote communities has a direct impact on residents.

At R.B. Russell Vocational High School, Horticulture students are learning about a growing alternative that has the potential to alleviate this problem. Students are studying aquaponics and how it can be beneficial in extreme climates with short growing seasons. Aquaponics is a form of agriculture that combines raising fish in tanks (aquaculture) with soilless plant culture (hydroponics).

The school had one major multi-tank aquaponic system set up last year, with plans to install two more large systems on site. The systems were funded in part through the Province of Manitoba’s Skills Strategy Equipment Enhancement Fund.

Christine Rhodes, the WSD Director responsible for career and vocational education, said the R.B. Russell project was anticipating the future of food production.

“It’s all based around the idea of how we will produce food in the future, and the skill sets and careers that will be required to achieve that,” Ms. Rhodes said. “With urbanization in general, and the limited window we have for growing food in Manitoba year-to-year, we have to look at the best options to produce nutritious, healthy food. R.B. Russell’s Horticulture Teacher, Louise Shachtay, has a real vision in terms of how their school can play a role in that future.”

Aquaponic systems use fish (such as koi or tilapia) or shellfish to provide nutrients to the water and in turn, the plants.

“For places where there is little access to healthy produce, you can provide that food with aquaponics systems in a faster and more sustainable way. If you can have a controlled environment indoors, you can do this year-round and be growing healthy organic food,” said Ms. Shachtay, who has trained extensively in the United States in this field. “A lot of my northern students are saying they would love to take this back home to their communities. It can be used to raise fresh fish and vegetables for a family or for a community and can also become a business farming venture.”

The soilless systems operate on a closed loop that recirculates water. It uses a minimum of water and space and utilizes waste, resulting in an end product of organic, healthy fish and vegetables.

“You basically are farming fish, plants, and beneficial bacteria, all of which you need to have a successful system,” Ms. Shachtay said.  

The system at R.B. Russell includes various biofiltering tanks to capture wastes and clarify healthy bacteria and nutrients to benefit the plants.

“You can use up to 90 per cent less water than what you’d use in regular gardening,” Ms. Shachtay said. “What’s great about this system is you don’t have pesticides…and you don’t have soil so there are no soil-borne diseases.”

A thriving aquaponics system draws upon several different schools of knowledge—horticulture, marine biology, chemistry, marketing, math, and hydrology, as well as skill sets such as plumbing and carpentry. Students are learning valuable job skills and a sense of responsibility, as the system has to be closely monitored for the health of both the fish and plants.

“You always have to check on ammonia levels, the temperature of the water and other conditions. The fish and plants that you select for your aquaponics system should have similar needs as far as temperature and pH.  You have to understand fish biology, their needs and behaviour and how that impacts the plants,” said Ms. Shachtay. “Nitrifying bacteria, which naturally live in the soil, water and air, convert ammonia first to nitrite and then to nitrate which plants consume.  And if you don’t have proper biofiltration, it doesn’t work.”

The school has installed a biology laboratory so students can study and monitor the fish closely.

“You want to make sure you have the proper ratio of fish, and know how much ammonia they are going to produce, which will eventually be a fertilizer to the plants we are growing,” Ms. Shachtay said.

Much like people, the fish require nutrient-rich food.

“If you put in poor-quality food, you’ll get poor results. You want high nutrient levels to be passed on to the plants.”

Students at R.B. Russell are embracing the concept of aquaponics and are eager to share that knowledge with communities where traditional farming is not an option.

“This is sustainable living. It uses a lot less resources and power than traditional farming,” said Justice Cook, who graduated from the program in 2019. “And the growth is incredibly quick.”

R.B. Russell Horticulture graduate Crystal Irwin (Class of 2004), who now works in the program as an Educational Assistant, is also a firm believer in the concept.

“When you’re up North, a head of lettuce is $20. If you were to have a system like this up there, it would be so much cheaper.”

An aquaponics system is a perfect way to illustrate the connectedness of the land, the water, animals and the food we grow to eat.

“This is one of the best ways to teach sustainability,” Ms. Shachtay said, adding that R.B. Russell is exploring offering aquaponic courses to other visiting school groups. “The students have embraced it. They’re always reading up and wanting to learn more.”

Educational Assistant Deanna Docouto said that while the system takes work to set up, there is enormous satisfaction in seeing the plants and fish flourish.

“Seeing everything you put into it—the building the system, testing the water, making sure the fish okay…when you start seeing it all grow, it’s an amazing feeling.”

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