Erupting Greens

Jimmy and Shannon Sbarra, owners of Volcano Veggies in Bend, turned the traditional concept of farming 90 degrees. Literally. Their aquaponic farm, located in a downtown Bend warehouse sprouts vertical rows of lettuce, arugula, mint and basil. Their racking system of vertical grow lights and irrigation tubes , and the fact that the whole operation is indoors, is out of the norm for the traditional vegetable garden. The vibrant and verdant growth of plants resembles a living wall.

Started in 2010, Volcano Veggies was the third certified organic aquaponic farm in the country and is the only one in Central Oregon. Aquaponics is a loop between aquaculture and hydroponics, where waste produced by farmed fish becomes the nutrients that plants absorb, which in turn purifies the water, which is then returned to the fish tank.

The Sbarra family encountered a health crisis several years ago when Jimmy’s mother, Pam, was diagnosed with cancer. It was this experience that sparked their interest in aquaponic gardening. While seeking alternative treatment to radiation and chemotherapy, their research revealed the value of vegetables, dark leafy greens in particular, which are loaded with cancer-fighting nutrients.

“The Green Smoothie Revolution was born,” said Shannon.

After learning about aquaponic farming while living in Hawaii, the Sbarras moved back to Shannon’s hometown, Bend, and leased the warehouse space to set up their own custom-designed, aquaponic system. Avid growers, the two felt the time was right to invest in their own aquaponic system. Shannon’s local roots and a strong movement in community supported agriculture made that transition a possibility.

“We are consumed by the process, keeping things pure and doing it right by many standards,” said Shannon. That passion and commitment has helped their business take root and grow.

Volcano Veggies’ closed-loop system consists of a fish tank filled with tilapia, vertical tubes sprouting various greens and herbs, LED lighting and a pumping system that circulates the fish tank water. Bacteria in the water breaks down the fish waste into nitrates, nutrients that the plants absorb. A small pump pushes the water up through a network of irrigation pipe with micro sprinkler heads affixed at the openings of larger tubes. The water gently drips down through these heads and into the tubes which the plants are growing out of. Another network of irrigation pipe collects the water and returns this cleaned water back to the fish tank. The closed loop system is very efficient in terms of water loss.

“We use 99 percent less water in our operation than a traditional farm,” said Shannon, “and can grow six times more veggies per square foot.”

The Sbarras chose to grow tilapia because in the wild these fish live in high densities in murky water, making them naturally disease resistant — a quality that makes them ideal for farming. The fish are integral to the system in terms of providing nutrients from their waste to the plants, and to maintain their dedication to organic standards, the Sbarras only feed their fish organically-certified meal.

“Since our fish are fed organic fish meal that doesn’t contain fillers like soy or corn, people affected by allergies can eat our veggies and eventually our fish without worry,” said Shannon. Though they haven’t started harvesting their fish for sale, they hope to in the near future.

For now, the Sbarras continue to focus on the approximately 300 pounds of lettuce, kale and basil they harvest each week. The produce is sold at several locations including Newport Market, Central Oregon Locavore and Melvin’s in Sisters, and by using a direct-to-consumer subscription model, they deliver produce every week to subscribers’ front doors.

“We have customers that choose to buy only from Volcano Veggies,” said Newport Market Produce Manager Brian Moothart. “Their Volcano Salad Mix is the freshest container mix we sell.”

Passionate about product quality and environmental and local food issues, the Sbarras regularly host demos and tours at their facility.

After visiting Volcano Veggies, Adam King, science and design teacher at Pilot Butte Middle School, was inspired to integrate the concept of aquaponics into his seventh grade science curriculum.

“Shannon and Jimmy were incredibly open to the idea and facilitated all our 225 seventh grade students through their farming operation,” King said. “Based upon the students’ engagement and final outcome, it was totally worth it.”

Taking the project even beyond the classroom walls, King also initiated an aquaponics club for the school’s eighth graders and enlisted the help of Volcano Veggies to design and install a system at the school.

To help inspire the students, the Sbarras presented them with one of the tests they often pose to visitors during public demonstrations — the no dressing test, where they invite doubters to eat their greens without any salad dressing and then wait for the response.

Like with the general public, the students’ response was overwhelmingly positive.

“Most of them take a bite of lettuce and say ‘That tastes really good.’”

Jimmy and Shannon believe healthy eating habits established early in a child’s life make a lifelong impact, and offering them delicious and nutritious greens early on is a great way to ensure that as their taste buds continue to evolve, vegetables will always be something to enjoy.

To learn more about Volcano Veggies or to sign up for produce delivery, visit www.volcanoveggies.com or call 541-728-3355.