Aerial view of the Forever Young Aquaponics facility in Atlanta, Georgia.
Photo: Innovasea / Forever Young Aquaponics
Aquaculture technology firm Innovasea has announced a new partnership with the Andrew J. Young Foundation to develop two integrated aquaponics facilities in the United States.
The initiative, Forever Young Aquaponics, is run by Forever Young Farms, a programme of the Andrew J. Young Foundation, founded by civil rights leader and diplomat, Ambassador Andrew J. Young. The project aims to tackle food insecurity by equipping farmers with the tools and knowledge needed to run sustainable aquaponics farms, with Innovasea providing the technical expertise and equipment required to make this possible.
The aquatech firm designed the recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) for both sites and supplied key equipment, while also advising on system design to ensure that the facilities meet local environmental and operational needs.
The first of the two aquaponics farms, located in southern Colorado, is already up and running, having been stocked with fish, Innovasea said. The facility, which comprises eight tanks, is expected to produce 20-30 tons of rainbow trout per year alongside baby spinach, on what the project partners describe as "previously unusable land located in the heartland of the deserts of southern Colorado, where freshwater is a premium resource".
Innovasea said the second site, in Georgia, will be about twice the size of the Colorado facility once construction is completed in 2026. This farm will focus on cultivation of tilapia, aiming to produce around 70 tons of fish per year and more than 10,000 pounds of fresh vegetables each week.
“We are proud to support this regenerative initiative and bring advanced, sustainable solutions to different types of land-based aquaculture,” said Marc Turano, Innovasea Vice President, via a press release. “It’s another way we’re using state-of-the-art technology to deliver operations that are responsible, scalable and profitable.”
Cultivation of baby spinach at the Forever Young Aquaponics facility in Colorado.
Forever Young Farms operates under a model designed to make aquaponics accessible to farmers who might otherwise be excluded by high start-up costs, the project partners explain. Farmers can host a facility without making an upfront capital investment, instead making monthly payments to eventually own the system, while Forever Young Aquaponics helps to run and manage operations in the meantime.
“Innovasea’s expertise was crucial in helping us design farms that could succeed in each unique location and meet the area’s specific operational demands,” said Arvind Venkat, Managing Partner of Forever Young Farms and Founder of Waterfarmers.
“These projects are centered around a holistic approach to aquaculture, supporting both environmental responsibility and the production of sustainable protein," he added.
"Forever Young Aquaponics' mission is to be more than just a farm - it's a living example of how we can grow fresh food year-round while protecting the natural resources that sustain us," said Ambassador Andrew J. Young.
"When done right, it holds the potential to be the true trifecta of food, water and community," Young added.