Are you an expert in the ultra-eco-friendly agriculture method aquaponics? We aren’t, either. So, we found someone who is. Whatcom County’s own Barrett Lizza, owner and operator of Da’Vine Aquaponics, is a modern agriculturalist and creative innovator. The good news? He’s ready to teach you everything he knows.
Lizza specializes in aquaponic and hydroponic systems which use water, rather than soil, to grow plants.
Aquaponic systems raise fish alongside plants. Fish, like tilapia, provide essential nutrients and clean water to boost plant growth. Plus they, too, can be harvested for food.
Remove the fish and you’ve got hydroponics. Rather than obtaining nutrients from fish, these systems are fed manually, similar to a typical outdoor garden.
Aquaponic and hydroponic systems use 90 percent less water than traditional farming methods that rely on irrigation. They require minimal space to succeed and they mimic Earth’s natural water system – all while providing tasty fruits and veggies.
They’ll also shrink your carbon footprint. “Food miles,” the distance food travels to reach your plate, are significantly reduced with an aquaponic or hydroponic garden. Food miles are virtually eliminated with an on-site system as food can be harvested steps away from where it’s served.
Hydroponic and aquaponic operations can grow a variety of produce. Lizza points out that they are especially great at growing kale and other leafy greens, but can also produce tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, herbs and even corn. Aquaponic and hydroponic systems are far more productive than traditional farming methods. A small setup can grow a whopping three pounds of lettuce every two weeks – half the time traditional farming requires.
Lizza builds custom aquaponic and hydroponic systems for homeowners, restaurants and other businesses in Whatcom County from his shop in Blaine. As an installation artist, he puts an impressive amount of quality design and creativity into his work. Want live edge wood and a hand-carved squid on your unit? Done.
He uses mostly reclaimed wood for his projects, involving many trips to the RE Store, as well as dense foam for rafts that house the growing plants. Lizza is the second person in the U.S. to create his own custom foam rafts using a 3-D printer.
Units can be as small as three square feet, easily fitting into the average home kitchen. Of course, the systems can be larger. Lizza is happy to customize your unit to fit your needs.
Local favorite Goat Mountain Pizza is among Da’Vine Aquaponics’ customers, housing a wood slab aquaponics system measuring 16 feet long. For now, the restaurant utilizes their system to grow fresh herbs and flowers with future plans to expand to larger crops. Goat Mountain Pizza is Bellingham’s first “living restaurant.”
Da’Vine’s newest customer is Blaine’s Vault Wine Bar. Vault now has their own hydroponic garden growing tasty microgreens to use in their snacks and salads.
Lizza wants you to join them. Not only are aquaponic and hydroponic systems great for restaurants, they’re perfect for personal use – homeowners will love having in-home systems to feed their friends and family. There’s something special about serving home-grown produce for dinner. In minutes, you can harvest lettuce, whip up a fresh salad and treat yourself to a nutritious meal.
The kicker? You can grow fruits and veggies all year round, unlike in weather-dependent backyard gardens. Contact Da’Vine now and you can have your own self-sustaining aquaponic or hydroponic unit in just one to two weeks. Then, say “hello” to constant, fresh produce and “goodbye” to their expensive, plastic-packaged counterparts.
Lizza will even teach you to use and maintain your new system. He’ll hand you a list of what to keep up with and point you to the best resources. After that, Lizza is dedicated to providing six months of on-call support from Whatcom County’s resident aquaponics guru – himself.
Aquaponics and hydroponics have applications outside of Whatcom County too. Because these agricultural methods don’t need heaps of land and soil, they can be utilized in urban environments, allowing universal access to fresh produce. This form of agriculture could have a significant impact on the health and hunger issues our planet faces.
Da’Vine Aquaponics wants in. One of the company’s goals is to provide humanitarian aid in the form of functioning aquaponics systems designed to fit inside shipping containers. That way, those in need can grow their own healthy, organic foods.
If shipping the systems is not an option for those in need, Lizza is eager to teach them his ways in person. Ten percent of all Da’Vine Aquaponics’ proceeds go towards their humanitarian aid projects.
The company uses an open-source business model, encouraging open collaboration and peer production. Lizza points out he is “just one guy” and heftily encourages those interested to give him a hand. In turn, they will learn about these fascinating agriculture systems, gain hands-on construction knowledge and earn their share of the profits.
Students, business-owners and any other interested Whatcom County residents should reach out to Barrett Lizza directly at DaVineAquaponics@gmail.com.
Da’Vine Aquaponics
1910 Burk Road, Blaine
