Clermont Soil and Water Conservation District is pleased to welcome new Supervisor Mike McGraw, who was elected to the Board of Supervisors at our annual meeting last September. Mike grew up an outdoorsman. He was often found hunting and fishing with his father where he gained a deep respect for the natural world. From a young age, he cultivated seasonal gardens and unearthed an interest in aquatic ecosystems. In 2015, he discovered the exciting practice of aquaponics where the method grows fine quality products year-round. After completing an aquaponics course, he moved back home and purchased a small farm in Clermont County where he established his own aquaponic farm and business. Roothouse Aquaponics sold its first harvest in early 2020 and now serves over 30 retail and restaurant customers in the Greater Cincinnati area. Mike and the Roothouse Team grow delicious living head lettuce, herbs, power greens, edible flowers, and raise a sashimi grade Tilapia.

Aquaponics is an extremely conservation-minded practice of agriculture, using less water and land resources for year-round daily harvests. Taking conservation practices a step further, Roothouse only uses rainwater in its greenhouse and there is no use of any pesticide or herbicide. In addition, Roothouse employs all non-GMO products, and creates zero-waste from its facility. The biosecure ecosystem is a proven successful practice for conservation of our natural resources.