By Paul Trader, Cornell Club of Rockland
On a warm autumn weekend in November, alumni from New York City, Rockland, Westchester and Bergen counties discovered a rare treasure right in Hell’s Kitchen in New York City. They enjoyed a fascinating tour of the Aquaponics Lab at the Food & Finance High School on 50th Street, as hosted by Philson Warner – founder and director of the lab. Mr. Warner is an Extension Associate with Cornell University Cooperative Extension in New York City (CUCE-NYC) and Cornell’s College of Human Ecology.
In this extremely successful collaboration between the high school and CUCE-NYC, students take the lead in annually raising 60,000 pounds of fish, herbs and vegetables indoors through a unique re-circulating system. The fish and plants are used in the school’s culinary arts program as part of an effort to make cafeteria food healthier, at school/student-catered events, donated to hunger relief organizations, distributed at greenmarkets, and sold to local business establishments.
As an educator, Mr. Warner has developed three state of the art, cutting edge technologies for the production of cleaner and safer food – aquaculture (fish production in a lab), hydroponics (growing plants in water without soil), and aquaponics – the combination of fish and plant production in a closed system. He and his students work scientifically while, at the same time, learning valuable life skills like how to manage a small business … and the importance of giving to the community. Through this and a Hydroponics Learning program for teens that he runs at the Rikers Island Jail, he has trained many teachers in utilizing a 40-unit curriculum that allows the students to meet their NYS Regents requirements.
“This was a terrific behind-the-scenes look at the work of a charismatic and innovative educator” noted Larry Luxenberg, President of the Cornell Club of Rockland which initiated the visit and tour. Like everyone in attendance, he was amazed and fascinated with the level of technology being used there in a program that combines science with math, commercial fish production, horticulture, green energy production, and even space sciences. And they’re close to completing their rooftop greenhouse which will expand their aquaponics production. This program is truly a gem of the Cornell educational system!