Putting Down Roots Journal #1 By Andres KwartChristopher Hatch and Colin Cotton gave a fantastic presentation at the Putting Down Roots conference on behalf of the Mississauga Food Bank. Located in Canada, Mississauga has a very diverse population that prioritizes fresh, healthy food over heavily processed rubbish.Colin, a recent college graduate, is a newly acquired member of the Food Bank team. It seems that he has really pulled his weight in terms of getting the Food Bank to produce some of its own food. In charge of the aquaponics operations, Colin has learned a lot in order for the food bank to be more self-reliant.Christopher is the Executive Director of the Mississauga Food Bank and seems excited and optimistic about the future. A few years ago, Christopher realized the Food Bank needed to start producing its own food, and he soon came across aquaponics and was hooked. He hired Colin and the team has been tackling aquaponics for about year or so, and have recently been toying with the idea of scaling up a great deal. They have started small, learned from professionals, and now they want to expand. How much energy would be required to aquaponically grow fresh lettuce for all food bank recipients? Is it financially worth it?We hope to see these guys again next year, and perhaps with a more advanced system under their belts. Best of luck to these positive and ambitious members of the Mississauga Food Bank!