We have been so encouraged with the recent news that The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham has awarded Christian Service Mission a $25,000 grant to expand our sustainable community agricultural projects for alleviating food insecurity with aquaponics and hydroponics gardening. Aquaponics is a food growing method that produces both fish and plants in a complimentary closed-loop water system. Hydroponics is a gardening method using a mineral nutrient solution in water rather than soil. These aqua-garden methods allow us to explore the viability of urban organic farming in our city and surrounding areas, regardless of the season or the presence of soil toxins.This new funding from CFGB will allow the Garden Ministry to expand on our current research and development in successful and sustainable community agricultural applications with our aqua-gardening initiative.
With the success of our traditional gardens in our communities, as well as on-site at our Avondale location, we want to develop the ability to distribute fresh-picked produce all year-long with our Compassion Food Box ministry. Our goal is to create an aqua-garden model that not only sustains fresh fruit and vegetable production year-around, but can also be scaled, duplicated and serve as a teaching model for other organizations, community gardens, schools, and individuals.
Contact us for tours and volunteer opportunities in the fall: michael@csmission.org
