US: Aquaponics farming growing in popularity

Aquaponics is a sustainable way of growing food that many say could help combat global hunger, and one local couple is bringing freshly-farmed veggies to East Tennesseans' tables using this method.

It's a mix of aquaculture - or raising fish - and hydroponics, which is the farming practice of growing plants directly in water instead of soil.

Jeff Dean and his wife Trish own Eco-Rich Farms in Loudon County, just outside Greenback.

Starting an aquaponics operation has been Jeff Dean's dream since the late 90s.

"I just want clean food with no chemicals," Dean said Thursday evening in his Loudon County greenhouse. "Tennessee has given us the opportunity to set this thing up and make it happen and, yeah, I guess it's my dream!"

It's a dream he couldn't chase without the support of his wife.

"He just loves Mother Nature, and he's been seeking it," Trish Dean said. "He's started sharing his dream with me, and here we are today."

Trish is from New Jersey and Jeff is a Michigan native. The two fell in love with and moved to Tennessee to start this aquaponics operation.

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