Automated Aquaponic Systems

Indigenous communities suffer from food insecurity across the nation at a disproportionate rate. For instance, a survey quantified food insecurity amongst American Indian and Alaska Native people and found that 46% were food insecure, compared to 8% of non-Hispanic Whites (Nikolaus et al. 2022). Another survey conducted in Oklahoma of the indigenous populations found that over 60% were food insecure (Jernigan et al. 2021).While certain programs such as SNAP, WIC, and Food Distribution Programs on Native reservations exists, these do not address the root cause of food insecurity, rather put a band-aid on the issue. Additionally, the USDA found that only 26% of Native communities are within one mile of a supermarket or grocery store, making it difficult to access some of these programs. Often food arriving at the Food Distribution Programs are in poor quality resulting in nutritional deficiencies amongst indigenous populations in the US. While many indigenous communities have realized the need to regain control of their own food through a food sovereignty approach, many communities have yet to fulfill this control. This is in part due to settler displacement of indigenous from their native lands, destruction of the land and surrounding ecosystems, and interruption of indigenous farming knowledge.

We are seeking to support the creation, growth, and success of Indigenous-owned businesses and promote economic opportunities in Indigenous communities through partnerships that engage in addressing food sovereignty through the deployment of aquaponic systems. 

Symbiotic is a full-service aquaponic company that develops, manufactures, and installs fully integrated, innovative, and modular aquaponic systems of various designs (educational, backyard, commercial). In addition, Symbiotic provides educational outreach and consultation to ensure that anyone using their system is equipped to properly operate and maintain the system. 

In appearance aquaponics is the combination of aquaculture (fish/aquatic organism production) and hydroponics (soil-less plant production). The result is a replicable ecosystem that relies on symbiotic relationships between the plants, fish, and beneficial bacteria all contained within the system. As the fish consume feed inputs they are excreting both dissolved and solid wastes into the water. As this wastewater flows it’s captured by filtration then broken down and converted into water-soluble nutrients by beneficial microorganisms. Plants then clean the water of these nutrients, which would otherwise become toxic to the fish. These systems are capable of producing USDA organic certified produce along with blue-food (aquatic protein), all while significantly reducing the environmental impacts (chemical, land, and freshwater usage) as compared to traditional soil-based agriculture. Overall, the balance of all organisms within the system allows for zero water and nutrient loss in systems that are designed and managed by experienced and knowledgeable entities within the industry.

The deployment of aquaponic systems can provide the following solutions:

1) Provide food sovereignty through localized off-grid micro farms or large centralized off-grid commercial farms that supply indigenous individuals or indigenous communities
2) Provide child and adult educational opportunities for indigenous people and indigenous colleges
3) Promote indigenous-owned aquaponic farms and economic opportunities in indigenous communities through job creation
4) Support the use of sustainable, climate-resilient agriculture practices

While aquaponics is an inclusive technology that can serve anyone who has access to freshwater and electricity, we are specifically interested at serving the indigenous communities within and outside of Oklahoma. We seek to utilize aquaponics to its full multi-disciplinary potential, where it can serve as tool to promote economic opportunities within indigenous communities, a tool to educate both indigenous children and adults, and a tool to provide indigenous communities with food sovereignty using healthy, cultural, and sustainable food.

While we seek to cast a broad net amongst all North American indigenous populations, we have a specific short-term aim to support and provide positive change within Indigenous communities within Oklahoma. Specifically, the tribes that have already implemented our aquaponic systems, which are The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma The Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma,  The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, The Modoc Nation, and the Prairie Island Indian Community. We currently serve these tribes needs by facilitating and providing current information through workshops and hands-on training to assist them with their aquaponic systems and provide new systems or expand/upgrade their previous system when they are ready to produce more food. For instance, we are working with Muscogee Nation to develop and indoor aquaponic training facility that then their tribal members can utilize to first learn aquaponics and then through the Muscogee loan can offset a cost to purchase a system for themselves. Additionally, we are in talks with Muscogee Nation to create a state-of-the-art indoor commercial aquaponic system that would eventually produce enough produce and fish to feed their entire tribe. Initially the system would be used to specifically address those that are considered food insecure. Furthermore, we have solidified aquaponic research and training partnerships with Eastern Oklahoma State College and Redlands Community College, who both educate large percentages of Native American students. Through the training, demonstration, and access to our aquaponic solution we seek to further increase Oklahoma tribal community’s food sovereignty and by doing so hope to bring in other tribes who are able to see the success in which aquaponics can bring to their communities.

Symbiotic, LLC is a Native-American-owned business that specializes in aquaponic system design, manufacturing, and education. Symbiotic is owned by Kaben Smallwood along with his brother Shelby Smallwood. Kaben Smallwood, our team lead, and his brother, Shelby, are both Choctaw members and both reside in Oklahoma along with the company. Symbioticsvision is to create a better world for all through sustainable agriculture solutions. Since the company’s inception in 2012, the social entrepreneurship has strived to be a triple bottom line company using business as a force to do good. The company was initially selected as a national Hitachi Foundation Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneur in 2013. Maturing in a space of social entrepreneurship Symbiotic has adopted education as part of its triple bottom (social good, environmental benefit, and sustainable operations) line business strategy. Due to Kaben and Shelbys personal and unique understanding of tribal history they have been able to work with different tribes to integrate Aquaponics for a host of different reasons. The Modoc nation uses their system to start seeds and harvest indigenous seeds for a seed bank along with feeding their community. The Muscogee Nation wants to create an indoor commercial farm to help provide their entire community with healthy and nutritious food via the food distribution centers, which normally get much lower quality food. Additionally, Muscogee is using aquaponics to train and educate their tribal members at their demonstration center and by doing so they are incentivizing and empowering them to adopt aquaponic growing techniques to provide individuals with food sovereignty. Regardless of the use or size of facility, Symbiotic is well equipped to provide the communities with what they need through their unique perspective and experience using aquaponics for the greater good.

Provide communication assistance in breaking down barriers between other tribes, including 

- Provide financial assistance for Symbiotic to conduct research and development to improve their system design as well as collect data that can then be used to assist the tribes adopting the aquaponics technology

- Provide business and technical support to Symbiotic to be more prepared and able to handle future interactions. This includes social media support/advice, auditing services, etc.

- Connect Symbiotic with other indigenous communities across North America that may be interested in utilizing aquaponics for food sovereignty, education, or economic opportunities

- Showcase Symbiotic’s technology across established platforms to generate a larger reach amongst various audiences

Kaben Smallwood is directly connected to may tribal members and tribal leaders within the state of Oklahoma and across the US. He has overseen Symbiotic since its creation 11 years ago. He understands tribal culture and politics and has been able to overseen the installation of aquaponic systems in many reservation settings. 

For this work, he was selected my AG Secretary Tom Vilsack to serve on the new Urban Ag and Innovative Production Federal Advisor Committee where is is making a positive impact at the highest level for the benefit of indigenous people and innovative production. 

While aquaponic technology is generations old, we specialize in applying modern design, engineering, and construction in order to a more efficient system that can be scaled regardless of geography. By incorporating automation into our systems, we have been able to utilize aquaponic growing techniques with different nutrient delivery methods in order to grow a multitude of different crops and fish species. Additionally, we are marrying aquaponics with controlled environment agriculture, vertical growing, and green energy production in order to maximize annual production while minimizing inputs.

Impact goals

1.) Construct automated aquaponic systems for 100 tribal members or tribes to provide fresh food and to conserve natural resources.

2.) Save 1,000,000 gallons agricultural water.

3.) Teach 10,000 indigenous people about aquaponic practices and how they can be implemented

4.) average $2,000,000 in annual revenue 

We would like to measure and track water usage and water savings, water quality parameters, energy used, pounds of food grown, number of species cultivated, and number of people who consume food from our systems.

Our core technology relies on advance design and engineering that allow us to construct efficient, automated recirculating water systems that are used to raise fish and produce. We have taken indigenous agriculture practices and blended them with modern engineering and design to create modular and scalable systems that can be rapidly deployed in resource insecure areas to address food insecurity and food sovereignty for indigenous people. 

We believe everyone has the right to opportunity, health, and fresh food regardless of their makeup. We are open to working with any passionate individual who shares our vision and goals. We do not discriminate based upon age, sex, race, gender, sexual preference, or any other thing that may separate up. 

We have created a profitable model that sells turn key aquaponic services to tribal governments, colleges and universities, commercial producers, nonprofits, and beginning farmers and ranchers.

We were profitable in FY22. Our revenue was just under $700,000. 25% of our revenues came from colleges and universities. Another 25% was from commercial producers. K-12 institutions made up 20%. Tribal governments 15%.

We plan continue to build upon this model by partnering with research institutions to research production figures, expanding our presence in indigenous markets, and focusing on developing more internal automation technology. 

We are already in businesses with a product that has garnered attention and a number of markets. Additionally, we have received a number of USDA grants as either the primary applicant or as a partner with a college or university. We will continue to seek those partnerships moving forward. we are also exploring different SBIR options in the short term and have pending submissions to the NSF and USDA SBIR.