Cincinnati, Ohio (PRWEB) August 10, 2011 A Cincinnati aquaponics prototype built to bring fresh fish and vegetables to underserved Nigerians has potential commercial applications in greater Cincinnati.
Chuck Proudfit, president of SkillSource business consultancy and At Work on Purpose, the nation's largest city-wide, faith-at-work ministry, said the prototype is really a "big science project" that can serve both the first and third worlds.
Proudfit, also CEO of Self-Self-Sustaining Enterprises(SSE) at Grace Chapel in Mason, Ohio led 11 AWOP and SSE members and local business owners to Nigeria in March to install an aquaponic test operation capable of providing a sustaining source of fish and produce for the people of Kisayip village near Jos, Nigeria.
The 700-gallon cinderblock fish factory is now up and running, with the capacity to produce 1,000 pounds of catfish and a ton of fresh produce a year. Cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce are growing at the Nigeria site, and fish and vegetable crops are maturing at the prototype in Cincinnati.
"We are not only excited that we're working toward providing a self-sustaining food and income source for the people of Nigeria," said Proudfit, "but we're also very encouraged about the possibility of expanding the project locally to provide fresh, local fish and vegetables for restaurants, food co-ops, greenhouses, neighborhood co-ops, and farmers here in Cincinnati."
SSE is working with Xavier University's X-LAB entrepreneurship program to develop a business plan. This month volunteers will move the prototype from H.J. Benken's Florist and Greehouse in Silverton, Ohio to Grace Chapel. The group plans to pursue investment capital of about $20,000 to expand the project into a viable BizNistry-- a for-profit business that donates excess profits for ministry needs.
An aquaponics tank creates a river ecosystem. Fingerlings are placed in the tank, and their waste products-- mostly nitrogen and ammonia-feed plants on the water's surface. The plants, in turn, soak up nitrogen and purify the water.
The project merges aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (raising plants in non-solid mediums) into a closed-loop system, said Pete West, a P&G engineer who donated funds, helped build the Cincinnati prototype and led the Nigerian installation.
"This high-yield production system is perfect for Nigeria, which suffers from over-fishing and an often-contaminated water supply," said Proudfit. "But ironically, this is also perfect for the provision of fish and vegetables for greater Cincinnati, too."
If successful, the Nigerian aquaponics model can be scaled up to a level which can provide food for the local community as well as employment and income opportunities to meet ministry objectives. Nigerian profits will be reinvested in further community development projects such as the installation of wells in neighboring villages, where the availability of clean water is limited.
The project was sparked by the Rev. Jeff Greer, pastor at Grace Chapel Church in Mason, Ohio. Greer heads both SSE, a nonprofit aimed to provide self-sustainable ministry to the world's impoverished, and Back2Back Ministries, which operates in Nigeria, Mexico and India.
While both nonprofits are independently funded and run, they work in partnership in Nigeria. SSE focuses on helping the underserved form microenterprises that create sustainable income streams and local jobs, while Back2Back concentrates on widow and orphan care.
Since 2007, the H20 Nigeria project, a freshwater drilling project operated by SSE and the Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati have increased the area's potable water supply by drilling over 100 freshwater wells in the plateau state of Jos.
SSE and AWOP have also guided Kisayip villagers to form and run poultry-raising, brick-making, dress-making, and well-digging enterprises.
Lobbyists get California schools to edit textbooks to include positive messages about plastic bags.
Comments & Replies (0)
Montclair home features a spiral staircase and an unusual layout.
Check out these forward-thinking Western cities where people aren’t afraid to try new things.
This four-story modern home features wood siding, hardwood floors and a contemporary staircase accessing each level.
Search Real Estate »
Charging stations that can fill the batteries of an electric car in 30 minutes or less are moving from the city to the country.
Search Cars »