Fish Farmers...

I had the opportunity last week to attend a two day training at the Sea Grant office here in American Samoa. It was great. Really, I felt totally inspired to go home and build a fish pond and raise all my vegetables in aquaponic beds. Seriously eliminates the weeding issues, and your tomato plants won't die when you go away for the weekend due to lack of water. Fish farming and then growing vegetables and herbs in the filtered fish water is the perfect water recycling/reclamation project!

It was very cool, and really brought out the secret hippie in me! Okay, maybe it is not such a secret.

There were experts on marine biology and water quality from Hawaii as well as the local experts from the community college here. The morning sessions of class were very informative, and the afternoon hands on stuff was tons of fun. We learned all about fish, and at times even had them out of their little pools in our hands figuring out their sex for breeding purposes.

Fish farming can be a very good little micro-enterprise here in Samoa and for the women of our foundation and I was glad to see 6 of them there. We were the largest of any of the groups and certainly the most committed. There were guys from Dept. of Agriculture, a few fishermen, some other various agencies, 3 men from LDS Farms in Western Samoa, and misc people from throughout the community. The educators laughed the second afternoon that the Women's Community Action Program (W-CAP) women really showed commitment, being on time in the mornings and coming back from lunch, and asking questions all day. Go W-CAP!

I doubt I will be growing Tilapia for resale when I get home to Utah, but don't be surprised in the next few years to see me with a nice decorative Koi pond and a few veggies on the side.