The former Hamm’s brewery complex in east St. Paul has been transformed into an urban farm, the home to thousands of tilapia and racks of leafy green vegetables.
The six-story building now is occupied by Urban Organics, an aquaponics farm, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported.
Aquaponics is a method of raising fish and vegetables in a system where the fish waste helps nourish the vegetables, and the plants purify water that gets recycled back into the fish tanks.
The building had fallen into disrepair after it was abandoned in 1997, but $1 million in renovations helped restore it to usability. Its thick walls and concrete floor were perfect for a business that requires consistent temperature and heavy fish tanks.
The first floor, once used to ferment beer, now is filled with six rows of floor-to-ceiling shelving. The shelves hold tubs of water containing trays of plants including kale, chard, cilantro and parsley.
Because the vegetables are grown indoors, the business can be productive even through the harsh Minnesota winters…
Read the full article at AgriNews.
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