The University of Connecticut's Spring Valley Student Farm is now home to a newly up-and-running aquaponics facility, a welcome addition to the farm, which already grows and provides fresh produce to campus.
The University of Connecticut's Spring Valley Student Farm is now home to a newly up-and-running aquaponics facility, a welcome addition to the farm, which already grows and provides fresh produce to campus.
The year-round means of growing vegetables is a source of pride for graduating senior Kelly Pfeiffer ’18 (CLAS), a psychological sciences major who has helped shape an idea into reality.
Starting out as a hope, then transitioning into a grant proposal, the aquaculture plan for Spring Valley Student Farm is now finally coming to fruition, through the tenacity of the students who work at the farm.
Former undergraduates Carl Underwood ’16 (CAHNR, CLAS) and Gabriel DeRosa ’17 (CAHNR) originally hatched the concept and were awarded an IDEA Grant to get it started. When they graduated, Pfeiffer took on the project and has carried it to completion as the current aquaponics plant care specialist.
“My goal was to have the aquaponics system up and running with fish by the time I graduated, and this is now happening, all in time for the summer growing season,” says Pfeiffer, one of 11 students who live on the farm.
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