In association with the Desmond Tutu Programme to End Global Hunger, Fresh Ministries has designed and set up a standardized, fully functional, two thousand two hundred (2,200) square feet (204 square meters) vertical aquaponics farm. Aquaponics combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a symbiotic growing environment where plants and fish thrive. A well-managed vertical aquaponics farm can:
• Produce up to nineteen (19) times more heads of lettuce than a traditional farm of the same size.
• Consume ninety-five (95) percent less water in delivering its crop.
• Add zero (0) damaging pesticides to waterways.
• Eliminate adverse climate impacts via its solar power electrical deployment.
Accordingly, Fresh Ministries has built a support team based on quality, accuracy, and impeccable service. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, with regional offices in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Nairobi, Kenya, the support organization is enhanced by both technical support helpdesk software, with remote access options, and systems that provide visibility into the historical and current data related to each Partner installation. These facilities have an immediate, significant impact and create a sustainable platform for continuing well into the future. Further, these sustainable production systems directly benefit communities in four (4) ways:
• Direct consumption of high-quality organic produce. Each greenhouse will continuously feed almost two hundred (200) people for at least fifteen (15) years.
• Knowledge imparted via the extensive training program that will persist for generations.
• Direct employment by either participating in the initial construction or working to grow produce.
• Economic multiplier created by entrepreneurship.
By combining our resources, expertise, and shared commitment to sustainability, we can establish innovative and educational projects that empower the community with food security, economic opportunities, and environmental stewardship.
