Dustin Betz

Greentowers, Llc the Creation of an Urban Agriculture Startup Company Dustin Betz

Urban agriculture is the integration of agricultural production systems into nontraditional spatial environments, specifically urban and suburban residential and commercial areas. As the world?s population grows and becomes increasingly urbanized, it bears witness to a shrinking minority of persons finding their employment in agricultural production practices. The industrialized food system has bestowed consumers with many benefits, but it is accompanied by a broadening sense of disconnect between the average person and the food that he or she consumes. Urban agriculture offers the unique possibility for average citizen food consumers to become reacquainted with the intimacy that most have lost with their food?primarily how and where it is grown, handled, processed, packaged, and shipped, all before it reaches their tables. Aquaponics is the integration of hydroponics?soilless plant production?and aquaculture?fish farming. Aquaponics presents a model for a designed ecological semi-symbiotic system, in which each of the major outputs is harvestable for human consumption. GreenTowers LLC is a State College, Pennsylvania startup company innovating in urban agricultural product design.