NxT Horizon LLC

NxT Horizon LLC Urban Agriculture Planning and Consulting

NxT Horizon LLC helps farmers, agricultural organizations

08/25/2026
08/21/2026

What data is needed to demonstrate the validity of distributed production urban Aquaponics.

Disruptive Innovation in AquaponicsWhen an important process has become too large, too cumbersome, too expensive the mar...
08/21/2026

Disruptive Innovation in Aquaponics

When an important process has become too large, too cumbersome, too expensive the market may need a smaller, simpler alternative to do much of the same thing. The name coined by Dr. Clayton Christensen from Harvard University for the “streamlining process” is disruptive innovation. Following the thought through, this disruption also allows people to take advantage of the benefits of the simplified concept that were not able to do so before with the original large version. Good examples are found in the major universities. Some do an amazing job, but to do that job is very expensive. However, someone thought that a 100-level calculus class could be offered for less money if the organization was less complex. Thus, the junior colleges were born and have done very well.

In a similar manner, I saw this in action when serving as the senior scientist on the minority aquaculture grant from 2018 -2019. The purpose of this US Department of agriculture grant was to bring more people into aquaculture. Though a good number of individuals were interviewed, the often-high cost of entry inhibited many from developing farms. What they needed was a simpler lower cost alternative. A disruptive innovation.

For our projects, we have also taken the path of disruption with our splash pool Aquaponics designs. The reimagining process we used did not result in one bit change but many small ones. Each one making the process better in some way. Let me provide an example that might be of interest. Fish harvesting.

There is not much talk about fish harvesting from Aquaponics. But our business model included the fish as part of the food system. So there had to be an easy way to grow the fish, keep the fish healthy and harvest a large amount or small amount easily. This video displays what it looks like and how it works.



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22% is an amazing number. About 10 years ago, we began experimenting with an idea to enhance urban agriculture in Phoeni...
08/19/2026

22% is an amazing number.
About 10 years ago, we began experimenting with an idea to enhance urban agriculture in Phoenix Arizona. I always wanted to bring the wonders of aquaculture to the neighborhood in Phoenix where I was born. It began with learning to convert abandoned and then new splash pools into easy to use, low cost, functional and prolific Aquaponics systems so that more people could make use of Aquaponics then the current designs allow. We called them Aquaponic Victory Gardens back then.

Recently we were able to apply our ideas in managing multiple backyards, growing food and working with urban populations and our new iteration of the Aquaponics process into a project called the Backyard Garden Program and Phoenix, Arizona. Its purpose was to explore if backyard farms could help ease the pandemic caused food security challenges across the city. (See video) The data has not been released yet. I’m looking forward to seeing it. But based upon our records, I think we did well. (See Video)

Planting a seed.
We are now 20 months post project and some of the data that was not included in the KPI‘s are starting to roll in. One thing for us was to see how many of our farmers would continue to grow, and if this was potentially the seed of a new industry. We are aware of one farmer who did scale and is now selling at a farmers’ market. However, and much to our delight, we know that even with the 118-degree heat and the drought, between 10 and 12 additional farmers are still growing or would like to begin growing again and we are learning what assistance they would need to continue. We were expecting on a good day 10%. However, this 18 to 22% number is outstanding and a win.

This documentary highlights the impact of the Office of Environment...

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