What do goldfish, worms and trees have in common? All three combined can provide local, organic, sustainable nutrition for plants in the Pacific Northwest.
Ryan Crist, commonly known as Yeti, grew up in a rural farming area called Stillwater, Minn. Surrounded by agriculture, he watched as nearby farmers used various approaches to food production.
“Some were doing it right, some were doing it wrong,” he said.
Interested in continuing his agricultural knowledge as an adult, he received a chemistry degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2010 with a specialization in soil chemistry.
“I stumbled into a work-trade situation for two very interesting elderly ladies in Portland [in 2011],” Yeti said. “They wanted a goldfish tank in their kitchen, so we set up a miniature aquaponic system so they could grow their own salad greens right in their house windows.”
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Three types of radish microgreens grow at Gorge Greens: Purple, pink and green daikon variations. Outside of farmng, Yeti, above right, spends his time whitewater kayaking, skiing and sailing in the Columbia River Gorge.
Emma Renly photo
Aquaponics are a soilless farming method that enlist fish as the main producer of plant nutrients in the water. Instead of soil, a soilless substrate such as peat moss, coconut fiber or hemp fiber is used for the plant to root in.
Inspired by the successful results, they created another aquaponic system in their backyard with two 150-gallon tanks filled with catfish and tilapia. The 12-by-15 foot greenhouse grew enough food for a family of four, Yeti said. It included lettuce, basil, cilantro, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, chives and carrots.
After designing various greenhouses and small farms, Yeti wanted to continue his education in that field with a deeper understanding of agriculture’s mechanical side. In 2018, he obtained a second degree from Portland State University in mechanical engineering, specifically for agriculture-based sensors andcontrols. In 2019, Yeti met Elona Trogub, who was interested in hiring an aquaponic farmer for a start-up based in Carson that later became known as Gorge Greens.
“I agreed to join since I found my engineering work monotonous and unfulfilling and hoped to design greenhouses and farms as a career after graduation,” Yeti said.
At the end of 2019, he moved from Portland to Carson to pursue the project. He founded Gorge Greens along with Trogub, and now wears many titles from general manager to engineering director to director of operations.
Michael Hanna, director of systems technology, and Dave Goldring, director of sales, were also brought on as co-founders.
Gorge Greens
Gorge Greens operates in a 35-by-92 foot greenhouse that grows three types of microgreens: Broccoli, radish and peas. Here, two products are created from the vegetables, which are harvested before full plant maturity — “All Systems Go” and “Spice Up Your Life.” While other plants were experimented with, Yeti found hese species to be the best in taste and to have the highest resilience.
Plants go through three steps. Seeds are first planted in hemp fiber and spend five to six days in the germination room. Once they sprout two to four inches, the plants are moved to the greenhouse for seven days. On day eight, the microgreens are harvested above the root and then prepared for packaging.
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Inside the Gorge Greens greenhouse in Carson.
Emma Renly photo
The greenhouse uses a system similar to the goldfish aquaponic. In place of fish, the water is enriched with worm castings, a 100% organic fertilizer made by earthworms. This is known as vermiponics.
“It’s kind of like probiotics for humans,” Yeti said. “Essentially it’s loaded with beneficial organisms that will outcompete any bad organisms that come along.”
Both aquaponics and vermiponics are under the umbrella of bioponics, which is defined as a soilless farming system that uses active biology in moving water to create plant nutrients.
“There’s also quackaponics, where people use duck ponds to irrigate orchards, gardens or small farms,” Yeti said. “We’re not planning on using them yet, but you never know.”
Through an open-source controller board, Yeti programmed a smart farming system that automates water pumps, temperature, humidity and fans in the greenhouse. The system internally measures temperature and humidity, which causes the fans to move more or less during weather fluctuations.
“In a well-built closed [bioponic] system, there is a 95% return of water, with maybe a 5% loss from evaporation,” Yeti said. “Six times a day, the worm casting water is drained and filled in the greenhouse … This differs from a traditional farm, which uses irrigation.”
Gorge Greens became operational in March 2020.
“It was an interesting time to start a business, since it meant no restaurant sales due to the pandemic,” Yeti said. “There was a huge boom of people buying boxes of food that companies would compile and mail out. Sice our microgreens were included, it reached a lot of people who wouldn’t normally buy it off the shelves.”
Now, along with their direct-to-consumer porch drops, there are a diverse set of local restaurants ranging from White Salmon Bakery to Sushi Okalani that create plates with Gorge Green products. To see a full list of other restaurants and grocery stores use or sell the microgreens, visit gorgegreens.com/our-microgreens/#where-to-find-us.
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Inside the Gorge Greens greenhouse in Carson.
Emma Renly photo
The Wind River Project
Gorge Greens is Phase 0 of the Wind River Project.
“A microgreens company was never the goal,” Yeti said. “True Phase 1 is a three-acre Dutch style greenhouse.”
The greenhouse, which plans to operate on 25 acres in Carson, will be powered by a wood gasification power plant. The system provides heat and power to the greenhouse and the grid through pyrolyzing slash pile materials. It creates biochar, which is a high-carbon concentration soil additie that locks in moisture and nutrients, while also providing a home for helpful bacteria and fungi.
Slash piles are commonly seen in areas of new growth forests with high wildland fire danger from excessive fuel amounts, Yeti said, noting there are more trees than people in Skamania County. He wants to treat slash piles as resources for energy and not waste.
The initial idea for a wood gasification power plant was started in 2012 by four individuals with ties to forestry management and the timber industry: Thomas Linde, Norm Ward, Bob Sourek and Paul Spencer. Through a renewable energy grant, they did a feasibility study of the wood gasification power plant and then began to look for farmers.
“We see the reality that there aren’t any large-scale produce farms in the Pacific Northwest like we see in California or the Midwest,” Yeti said. “Produce shouldn’t have to travel that far for the things we can grow here. We don’t have the California sun, but you don’t need the California sun o grow everything.”
The greenhouse plans to grow leafy greens and herbs for the Gorge area.
While the larger greenhouse isn’t running yet, Yeti is optimistic about the outcome and positive stewardship of the land.
“Agriculture uses the most resources of any industry,” he said. “It’s the best place to start creating change if we want a long time for our species to enjoy the planet.”
To learn more about Gorge Greens and The Wind River Project, check out gorgegreens.com and windriverproject.com.