By: Jack Finnegan
Before you are greeted by the dozens of neatly spaced beds, each containing various crops that are grown organically and through biointensive methods, you are welcomed by our small, self sustaining pond. This pond is home to a handful of small goldfish. These omnivores eat the plants, insects, zooplankton, and the detritus that is found in the pond. Due to the algae and plants in the pond, along with being instinctively scared of predators that hover above them (birds or racoons) these little fish are hard to find on most days, however when you are able to see them you can see that their small, 2-4cm body is covered in bright orange scales that shimmer in the sun. The plants in the pond do not just provide a pleasing visual aesthetic to the farm, but also, with the help of algae that is also found in the pond, provide dissolved oxygen for the ponds grilled inhabitants. The pond is a great addition to our farm for a couple reasons. Besides it being nice visual aesthetic and offering something unique to our farm, it also promotes biodiversity in and around the farm, along with providing residential birds and animals with a source of freshwater. This pond was created by one of Sustainable Agricultures own students, Owen Henderson, who is a fishing enthusiast and an outspoken person in regards to sustainability and conservation of our land, food, and our marine and terrestrial species. He is now studying fisheries biology at Louisiana State University.
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