What began as a ninth-grade science fair project has turned into an all-consuming father and son enterprise in the Frazier household.
KARI DEQUINEBrad Frazier inspects the roots of his sweet basil plants grown hydroponically in a raised bed in a greenhouse in his back yard. He sells them at the Gretna Farmers Market.Last fall, Brad Frazier, 14, set out to prove that tomatoes grown using a hydroponic (cultivating plants in water) system would out-perform tomatoes grown in soil.
Six months later, the experiment, which won third place at the regional science fair, has expanded into an innovative and impressive growing operation at their St. Rose home and a subsequent stand at the Gretna Farmers Market.
A 20-by-40-foot greenhouse, built by the duo during the Christmas holiday, sits in the corner of their yard, bursting with leafy vegetables and herbs. Brad Frazier and father, Lonnie, built everything themselves -- from the elevated water beds to the water circulating system using automatic timers, 55-gallon drums, water bottles and PVC pipe.
While they occasionally top it off, the water is recycled through the system.
Brad Frazier's first gleam of inspiration into the world of hydroponics and aquaponics began with a newspaper article about two culinary students who built a small aquaponic setup in their backyard.
It was his introduction into the world of aquaponics, a symbiotic system that links hydroponics with aquaculture (raising aquatic animals in tanks).
Brad Frazier sells his home-grown hydroponic lettuce and herbs at the Gretna Farmers Market.Instead of adding nutrients to the water, the plants are able to derive the necessary nutrients from fish waste, which is pumped from the fish tank through the hydroponic system. The water, cleansed of toxins by the plants, is circulated back to the fish.
Brad Frazier was intrigued by the idea.
"It's as organic as you can get," he said. If anything is out of balance, he said, either the plants or the fish will die.
Visits to the Land Pavilion at Walt Disney World's Epcot Center also helped in the Fraziers' inspiration and education. Ideas and information can be found in the attraction's large gardens and accompanying demonstrations.
Another source of vital information for the construction process was a manual called "Barrel-ponics," a how-to guidebook by the concept's inventor, Travis Hughey, on using common household plumbing fixtures and plastic barrels.
For about $50, the Fraziers were able to build a mister that would have cost $500, said Lonnie Frazier, and a raised bed for about $400, that would have cost close to $5,000. "It's not as nice looking, but it's functional," he said. To build the frame of greenhouse, they found a "pipe-bender" on eBay.
The Fraziers successfully found sources for obtaining the barrels from local businesses -- the clear ones once held soap, while the blue ones were filled with hot sauce. The vendors at the Gretna Farmers Market, Lonnie Frazier said, have been another much-appreciated resource
The plants in the Frazier greenhouse use a variety of material for stability in the water, from burlap for the microgreens and rocks for the bell peppers, to a specially designed foam for the lettuce and coconut shells for the tomatoes.
To battle the pests without pesticides, the Fraziers are experimenting with an idea gathered at Epcot Center: ladybugs. So far, they said, the results are promising, and the plants have fared much better since introducing the ladybugs to the problem areas. Without bees, Brad Frazier demonstrated his technique: pollination via electric toothbrush.
Already, Brad Frazier said he has plans for expansion. They want to build a new greenhouse, he said, at twice the size, and a pond for goldfish, coy and perch. So far, Brad Frazier said his lettuce is his "prized-possession" and hopes to devote an entire greenhouse to it. He grows butterhead, oakleaf and baby romaine. He's found the "baby" or miniature varieties -- like his baby cucumbers, are popular among buyers.
For Brad Frazier, part of the driving force is simple. "I need money," he said. "I need a car."
But looking at the bigger picture, he is becoming increasingly interested in the field and science of agriculture. He foresees a need for a new generation of farmers and recognizes the current popularity in urban and community gardening. He said he is pushing for his school, John Curtis High School, to develop an agricultural department.
"I've learned as much as he has," Lonnie Frazier said, adding that a lot of the fun comes from the trial-and-error process.
They've had their share of challenges to overcome, like the right timing for planting, the aphids on the eggplants, the winter freezes, a flooded yard that displaced the fish tank and the two pet Springer spaniels who like to steal tomatoes. But both Brad and his father are eager to continue their quest on figuring out what works best.
"I feel if people found out how easy it is you'd find more people doing it," Lonnie Frazier said. "It's not as expensive as people believe. It just takes a little time and a little ingenuity."
As for the science fair project: "Fish, Dirt, or Water: Which grows tomatoes best," Brad's hypothesis that aquaponics would come out on top was close to correct.
His dad's bet was on the hydroponics, which did emerge victorious, but the aquaponic set-up was close behind. Using graphs that tracked plant height and fruit productivity, Brad's experiment showed that the hydroponic plants produced 30 tomatoes, the aquaponic produced 23 and the soil-grown plants produced six.