Production and Consumption of Homegrown Produce and Fish by Noncommercial Aquaponics Gardeners
Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development ISSN: 2152-0801 online www.AgDevJournal.com Production and consumption of homegrown produce and fish by noncommercial aquaponics gardeners David C. Love,a,b * Laura Genello,a,b Ximin Li,c Richard E. Thompson,c and Jillian P. Fry a,b Johns Hopkins University Submitted May 22, 2015 / Revised August 18, 2015 / Accepted September 16, 2015 / Published online December 18, 2015 Citation: Love, D. C., Genello, L., Li, X., Thompson, R. E., & Fry, J. P. (2015). Production and consumption of homegrown produce and fish by noncommercial aquaponics gardeners. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 6(1), 161–173. http://dx.doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2015.061.013 Copyright © 2015 by New Leaf Associates, Inc. Abstract square meters) in size, and cost respondents Aquaponics is the integration of hydroponics and US$500 to US$999 annually. Respondents aquaculture into a single food production system. consumed homegrown aquaponics plants far more The aims of this paper are to describe production often than they consumed fish. The primary practices and costs among noncommercial factors that affected weekly homegrown plant aquaponics gardeners, and identify factors related consumption were location in warm climates, to homegrown food consumption using a survey. which allows for a longer growing season and likely The sample size was 399 respondents from 24 lower input costs; an interest in improving diet; countries. The median aquaponics system was 350 size of aquaponics garden; and years of experience. gallons (1,325 liters) in volume, 100 square feet (9 Respondents with high school or less education consumed homegrown fish and crops more often than those with college or graduate education, a Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland USA.
[Show full text]