Aquaponics in action (recirculatingfarms.org)

by Mary-Devon Dupuy

It won’t be long before New Orleans' fresh food fanatics have a new spot to make groceries. A pair of organizations announced plans this week to build an Urban Farming and Food Center in downtown New Orleans, combining aquaponics with traditional soil-based farming techniques to produce year round fruits, veggies, and fish.

Executive Director of the Recirculating Farms Coalition Marianne Cufone said the farm will be a perfect addition to the center of town, providing increased access to healthy food to many residents who are currently lacking in their food options.  

“Louisiana has one of the highest obesity rates in the country, and New Orleans is also one of the worst food deserts,” she said. 

The USDA classifies a given area as a food desert based on a particular population’s socioeconomic status, distance from supermarkets, and access to public or private transportation.

“(The CBD) is a kind of neutral area where a lot of people go for various reasons—for work, for services,” Cufone said. “Public transportation of all kinds runs (in the CBD), which is not necessarily the case throughout all of New Orleans. We thought that location specifically would be really conducive to widespread community participation.”

The exact location of the center and its grand opening are still to be announced, but Cufone said construction is set to begin within the next couple of weeks.

“Hopefully, we’ll have our groundbreaking by Thanksgiving,” Cufone estimated.    

The Center’s farm, which will also be run by the New Orleans Food and Farm Network, will be the main attraction, and it will implement sustainable growing practices such as aquaponics to grow fruits, veggies, and fish using self-cleaning, self-recycling processes. Aquaponics blends hydroponics (growing plants) with aquaculture (growing fish) to create a symbiotic relationship that leaves virtually no waste.

“We’re really excited, there are lots of new farming activities popping up all around New Orleans, and we’re excited about Roots on the Rooftop and this, too,” Cufone said.

Due to the cutting edge techniques, the Center will be capable of producing delicious fruits and veggies regardless of the weather. “The process is extremely conducive to growing almost anything, and you can grow all year round,” Cufone explained.  

Like the plants and veggies grown within it, the construction of the farm will be as green as possible, Cufone said.

“We’re building the farm using recycled materials that are easy to regenerate right there on the farm,” Cufone said. “We’re planning to use rainwater and renewable energy to run the farm.”

The Center will also have a community garden, farm-to-table cooking classes, programs for youth and seniors, and more community-driven activities.