HE DOESN'T HAVE A TILLER OR WEEDS OR A HUGE WATER BILL.

INSTEAD HE QUICKLY HARVESTS ROBUST CROPS FOR THE MARKET IN AN AQUAPONICS GREENHOUSE.

HE'S LIVING HIS DREAM JOB. >> LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE MY SEVENTH YEAR AT

MY OFFICE JOB AT THE INSURANCE COMPANY, I DECIDED, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST NOT SOMETHING

I SEE MYSELF DOING FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. >> WENT FOR HIS PASSION, GROWING LOCAL FOOD

FOR FAMILIES. HIS AVOCATION LED HIM TO AQUAPONICS AFTER

11 YEARS WITH HYDROPONICS. IN 2012 HE BUILT THE FIRST OF TWO GREENHOUSES

ON ROCKY LAND THAT WOULD NEVER SUPPORT FOOD CROPS.

AN INNOVATOR HE GROWS TWO KINDS OF AQUAPONICS CULTURE, A WICKING BED AND SOME HYDROPONICS.

HE NAMED THE FARM HANNA LEIGH AFTER HIS DAUGHTERS HANNA AND RYELY.

HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTERS APPLAUDED THE MISSION FOR HEALTHY, LOCAL AND RESOURCEFUL FOOD.

>> I THINK IT'S NEAT. I TELL HIM ALL THE TIME YOU'RE THE NAME SAKE.

THIS IS YOUR FARM TOO. >> IT'S KIND OF FUN BECAUSE ALL MY FRIENDS

WHEN THEY ASK WHAT MY DAD DOES, I GET TO TELL THEM ALL ABOUT THIS AND THEY SEEM PRETTY INTERESTED

IN IT. >> WHAT IS AQUAPONICS?

ACTUALLY, IT'S A COMBINATION OF CULTURE, RAISING FISH AND HYDROPONICS, SOILLESS AGRICULTURE.

>> WHEN WE PUT THE TWO TOGETHER IN A CONSTRUCTED CLOSED LOOP ECOSYSTEM WE GET THE BENEFIT OF

NATURE'S BACTERIAL PROCESS. SO BY COMBINING FISH, PLANTS AND BACTERIA,

WE WIND UP WITH A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP WHERE THE FISH PROVIDE NUTRIENTS FOR THE PLANTS,

THE PLANTS FILTER THE WATER FOR THE FISH. >> THERE ARE TWO METHODS.

ONE IS MEDIA BASED WHERE ROB COMBINES LOCAL PINK GRANITE AND RIVER ROCK.

EVERY 30 MINUTES FISH TANK WATER PUMPS TO THE BEDS.

WORMS IN BACTERIA BREAK DOWN AMMONIA FROM FISH WASTE INTO NITRATES, A NATURAL PLANT

FERTILIZER. THE GRAVEL ALSO SEPARATES THE SOLIDS.

THE PROCESS RETURNS CLEAN WATERS TO THE FISH TANK.

>> ROB ALSO DIRECTS SOME OF THE CLEANSED WATER THROUGH AN EXTERNAL FILTER TO HIS RAFT BEDS.

THE SECOND METHOD OF AQUAPONICS CULTURE. >> SO NOW THAT THE WATER HAS GONE THROUGH

THE MEDIA BEDS AND THE ADDITIONAL FILTER, IT COMES IN HERE AND INTO THIS RAFT, WHICH

WE BASICALLY HAVE ABOUT 12 INCHES OF WATER, WHICH GIVES YOU PLENTY OF ROOM FOR THE ROOTS

TO GROW DOWN. WE RUN AIR THROUGH HERE SO THAT THIS IS HYPER

AIR RATED, WHICH GIVES THE PLANTS MORE VIGOROUS GROWTH.

AS YOU CAN SEE BY RUNNING IT THROUGH THE FILTER YOU KEEP THESE NICE CLEAN ROOTS.

>> HE STARTS ON FEED AND COIR FIBER TO REDUCE PATHOGENS, MATURE TRANSPLANT MOVE INTO NET

POTS FOR THE RAFT. >> WE ARE ABLE TO PRODUCE A LETTUCE IN 45

DAYS THAT WOULD TYPICALLY TAKE 60. HERE IS A LETTUCE THAT'S ONLY BEEN IN THE

SYSTEM FOR RIGHT AT 45 DAYS. AND IT'S READY TO HARVEST.

>> IN THE MEDIA BEDS HE TRANSPLANTS DIRECTLY. >> WITH AQUAPONICS WE'RE TYPICALLY ALLOWED

TO PLANT OUR PLANTS AS MUCH AS TWICE AS DENSE AS IN GROUND.

>> MULTI TASKING WATER AND SPACE, ROB PUMPS WATER FROM THE RAFT TO A HYDROPONIC TOWER

AND BACK TO THE RAFT. HE GROWS WITH WATER EFFICIENCY IN A WICKING

BED TOO. >> WICKING BEDS ARE A GREAT WAY TO GROW ORGANIC

PRODUCE WITHOUT THE ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS OF AQUAPONICS.

THE WICKING BED IS A BOX WITH A WATERPROOF LINER IN THE BOTTOM AND THEN WE WILL PUT A

MEDIA IN THERE SUCH AS GRAVEL SO THAT WE CAN FLOOD THAT BOTTOM SIX INCHES WITH WATER.

ON TOP OF THE GRAVEL WE WOULD USE A WEED BLOCK AND THEN PUT OUR CORE SOIL BLEND ON TOP OF

THAT AND THAT KEEPS THE ROOTS FROM GROWING DOWN INTO THAT WATER RESERVOIR.

>> THROUGH A PVC PIPE ROB FILLS IN WITH HOMEMADE COMPOST TEA.

HE TOPS IT OFF WITH WATER AND ORGANIC FERTILIZERS. >> WATER WILKS UP THROUGH THE SOIL AND THE

SOIL STAYS PERFECTLY MOIST WITHOUT YOU HAVING TO WATER IT DAILY.

>> ROB CHOSE TILAPIA FOR HIS FISH TANKS. >> THEY DO NEED THE WATER TO REMAIN WARM DURING

THE WINTER MONTHS. BY KEEPING THE WATER, 60, 65 DEGREES THE FISH

WILL CONTINUE TO METABOLIZE THE FOOD AT A USEFUL RATE.

THAT KEEPS THE PLANTS GROWING THROUGH THE WINTER, WHICH IS REALLY THE DEVELOPMENT.

>> AS ROB DEMONSTRATES IN CLASSES ON HIS PATIO FOR HOME GARDENERS, AQUAPONICS CAN BE DONE

OUTSIDE AS LONG AS FISH ARE PROTECTED FROM CRITTERS AND THE WATER TEMPERATURE KEPT WARM.

HE HAS ULTIMATE CONTROL IN THE GREENHOUSE, THOUGH, WHERE HE GROWS BASIL EVEN IN WINTER

AND CARRIES WINTER CROPS LIKE KALE AND LETTUCE THROUGH THE END OF JUNE.

>> IF I ADD A SMALL CHILLER WALL OR AN EVAPORATIVE COOLER AND SOME ADDITIONAL SHADE I SHOULD

BE ABLE TO GROW LETTUCE THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER. >> IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN A RATIO BETWEEN

FISH AND PLANTS. IT'S EASY TO TEST WITH A TYPICAL HOBBY AQUARIUM

KIT. HE ALSO TESTS PH.

>> IN CENTRAL TEXAS WITH OUR ALKALINE WATER, PH IS ALWAYS CONSIDERED AN ISSUE.

THERE IS A POINT AS YOUR SYSTEM MATURES AT, SAY, THREE TO SIX MONTHS, WHEREAS THE SYSTEM

WILL BECOME ACIDIC AND YOU WILL BEGIN TO HAVE TO RAISE YOUR PH AND HAVING A HIGH ALKALINITY

WATER IN CENTRAL TEXAS IS REALLY YOUR BENEFIT. >> THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE IS WATER CONSERVATION.

>> WITH AQUAPONICS THERE'S ABSOLUTELY ZERO WASTE.

THE ONLY WATER THAT'S ADDED TO THE SYSTEM IS DUE TO PLANT UP TAKE AND EVAPORATION.

ONE PERSPECTIVE IS IF YOU THINK ABOUT WATERING YOUR LAWN WITH A GARDEN HOSE FOR EVEN 30 MINUTES,

YOU CAN USE AS MUCH AS THREE OR FOUR HUNDRED GALLONS OF WATER JUST IN A SMALL THOUSAND

SQUARE FOOT LAWN. >> THE SAME THING WITH A GARDEN.

IF YOU RAN YOUR GARDEN HOSE FOR AN HOUR, IT COULD BE AS MUCH AS 600 GALLONS OF WATER.

IN THIS ENTIRE GREENHOUSE FACILITY WE USE LESS THAN 400 GALLONS PER WEEK.

>> ROB MARKETS TO RESTAURANTS THAT VALUE LOCAL FOOD PICKED JUST TODAY AND JUST FOR THEM.

YOU'LL ALSO FIND HIM AT THE LONE STAR FARMERS MARKET THANKS TO ASSISTANCE FROM INTERN JOHNNIE

WOHL. THE IT IS A FAMILY COMMITMENT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE,

LIVE HERE, EAT HERE. >> MOSTLY WE ARE ALL REALLY PROUD OF ROB.

ROB HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A LONG TIME, AND WE HAVEN'T EXACTLY BEEN ABLE TO BE A PART

OF IT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, BUT WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN THERE SUPPORTING HIM AND WATCHING HIM

MAKE THIS COME TO LIFE IS REALLY EXCITING. REALLY EXCITING FOR US.

WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF HIM.