Mardi

A.M.P.S. at Rouses Rooftop Garden

Over 4000 miles north of New Orleans, on the arctic coast of Alaska, New Orleanian and A.M.P.S. (Aquaponic Modular Product Systems) founder Doug Jacobs will be spreading his company’s sustainable model.

This past February, a farmer in Alaska contacted Jacobs about relocating for a month and a half to install an aquaponic farm and create an educational program manual after reading a syndicated press release.

But despite Jacobs’Alaskan outreach, A.M.P.S. is not looking to expand cross- country yet. “In terms of farms we operate and manage it is going to be regional for awhile,”Jacobs explained, “We’re a hybrid model still trying to figure out what we are.”

As urban farming has boomed throughout the country, New Orleans has kept up with our share of farmers markets and community gardens, a natural focus for a city with a year round growing season. A.M.P.S model factors in as a sustainable, efficient alternative to traditional farming methods.

“Compared to soil (aquaponics) has faster growth, uses less land and can be grown in places like a rooftop or a concrete lot,”Jacobs said, “Aquaponics reduces water consumption up to 90 percent.”

One of his company’s most recent projects is Rouses "Roots on the Rooftop" garden, earning national recognition for being the first of its kind in the country. A.M.P.S provides the physical system, consultation, design and maintenance for their clients, which range from community groups to schools to the most ubiquitous grocery store in southeastern Louisiana.

His original vision stemmed from a childhood trip to Disney World’s Tomorrow Land where he first saw an aeroponics garden. “My parents were gardeners and I was always fascinated by plants,”Jacobs said.

Jacobs seized the opportunity in a social entrepreneurship class at Tulane to expand on his dream. In the class he met cofounder Kevin Morgan-Rothschild, along with a few other students who worked to make the company a reality.

A typical day for Jacobs and Morgan-Rothschild brings them from twice a day maintenance of their client’s farms, to meeting with property managers and other potential clients, to making good use of the resources in New Orleans social entrepreneur community. Since that first class, they have received support from Tulane’s Changemaker Institute, The Idea Village’s 2012 IDEAxcelerator Programand are now 2012-13 Propeller Social Venture Accelerator Fellows.

In the future, they want to expand the educational programming, Jacobs’original concept involved teaching aquaponic farming to youth in his hometown of Miami, and also to bring that educational outreach work to Haiti. In New Orleans they are working to expand their commercial hydroponic farms, sell their own shipping containers and continue to consult for their growing base of restaurants, schools and community groups.

“I think it is necessary to integrate agriculture into our cities,”Morgan-Rothschild explained, “Instead of buying from a farmer in California, it help builds the local economy.”