SOUTHEAST BOISE, Idaho — Fresh vegetables are a summertime staple, but one Boise business is growing leafy greens indoors so you can get them year-round using aquaponics.
Greenscale Aquaponics in southeast Boise combines fish farming and hydroponic agriculture to grow pesticide-free produce with a low water footprint.
"You can think of Greencale and our objective is to try and re-create or manage a natural ecosystem," said founder Scott Meikle.
WATCH | See inside the Greenscale greenhouse
Meikle explained the facility is designed to produce healthy food in a closed-loop system, so they don't need to use pesticides or chemicals.
"This is sort of a way for us to all learn how to do agriculture in a way that doesn’t have to rely on the industrial chemicals and actually has an extremely low and efficient water footprint," said Meikle.
Essentially, the farm uses tilapia to help fertilize crops with the nutrients in the water. They grow everything from kale and lettuce to arugula and basil, with new offerings on the way.
"We harvest every single day, 365 days a year," said Meikle.
The system rotates plants sitting in plastic floats through large ponds until they are ready for harvest.
"If you look at the far end, the plant will go into the far end of this pond when it’s about 8 to 10 days old. In about 14 days later, it will come out here," said Meikle.
In addition to leafy greens, Greenscale also sells tilapia and is working to expand its partnerships with local businesses.
Their products can be found at local vendors like Reggie's Veggies, Town and Country Produce, and Old Fashioned Fruits and Vegetables.
