US (NC): Asheville Aquaponics offers another way to grow
"When they come in here and see it live, it's like, 'Wow, this is really cool!'” Jagger said.
Originally from New Jersey, Jagger moved to Western North Carolina from Florida nine years ago, worked in real estate, and then shifted his interest toward aquaponics after the economic collapse. He started out in Asheville, but moved his operation to Mills River and opened his store in June 2013.
Educating people on the subject has been Jagger's greatest difficulty, noting that for many, their first formal introduction to aquaponics comes from online videos.
“The mistake is they go on Youtube and they get totally turned off because they think this is a really expensive, crazy gadget, and it's not,” Jagger said. “It was done 10,000 years ago.”
The aquaponic process is simple, according to Jagger. At Asheville Aquaponics, he has tanks filled with water and fish, which are connected to upper beds filled with special gravel and plants. The water from the fish tank is pumped to the beds and the waste from the fish feeds the plants. The plants and gravel then purify the water, which drains back to the original tank, feeding and aerating the fish.
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