An agriculture scientist turned urban farmer, teacher, and aquaponics entrepreneur in Phoenix, Arizona, Dr. George Brooks talks about aquaponics as a disruptive technology, and how we’re now at a tipping point in the "diffusion of innovation." Find out how aquaponics can and should be used as a disruptive technology to change the world! Listen in as Dr. George talks about how inspiration from his parents, a preacher and a scientist, led him to become a leading expert on fish farming for the University of Arizona, traveling widely throughout the state showing people how to grow fish. He also talks about participating in a program called The O’odham Oidak Demonstration Fish and Prawn Farm on teaching kids how to grow food in a juvenile correction facility in 2001. Listen to his opinions on the cost of aquaponics technology and how it should be cost-effective as well as how aquaculture and aquaponics are really the same, giving us a closer perspective on what aquaponics really means and how similar they are to wetland filtration systems. Find out how Mesa Community College got the grant for environmental stewardship from the EPA where they are partnering with the Roosevelt School District and RighTrac for growing healthy food and using aquaponic techniques as a foundational model for STEM education. Also check out the different kinds of systems at the college including NFT, media bed, and deep water culture systems. See how aquaponics is helping these students not only learn about growing food, science, math, technology, and engineering, but also the business aspect of aquaponics so they can literally go and create small businesses in the future. Learn why we need to find a simpler and less costly way to build aquaponics systems on a larger scale while still being able to produce an abundance of food to supply the demand, and how generating more public data is essential to bringing about aquaponics as a disruptive technology that will change our food marketplaces, water consumption, health, transform food deserts, and re-skill jobless people! Lots of awesome resources for you in this episode! Please visit http://nxthorizon.com for more info on Dr. George Brooks.
