"From the Land of Sky Blue Waters"

I will be curious to hear how many people make a connection with the subject of this post. It was the marketing phrase and song for Minnesota-based Hamms Beer, a classic cheap light beer made by a Minnesota company that was acquired by a string of other companies, with the St. Paul brewery put out of business years ago. 

How does this relate to Agricultural Law?   I was delighted to read what has recently happened to the old Hamms Brewery building in St. Paul.

Here's an excerpt from a fascinating article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press and a link to the full story.  It's a story of urban agriculture, urban renewal, sustainability and organic farming, "from the land of sky blue waters."

The same �sky blue waters� that were used to brew Hamm�s beer for more than 100 years now provide a home for thousands of tilapia and sustenance for racks of leafy green vegetables.  

Urban Organics, an aquaponics farm, operates in the six-story stockhouse building of the former Hamm�s brewery complex in east St. Paul.  

Aquaponics is a method of raising fish and vegetables symbiotically. The nutrient-rich wastewater from the fish tanks is used to grow the vegetables hydroponically ��planting� them in water instead of dirt -- and the vegetables purify the water, which is recycled into the fish tanks.  

The company�s vegetables already are available in a handful of Lunds and Byerly�s stores, and the fish may soon be available at local restaurants.  

Urban Organics� co-founders � Fred Haberman, Chris Ames, Dave Haider and Kristen Haider � were drawn to the location for the same reason Hamm�s was: its water.  

The naturally occurring wells at the site provide their operation with a free source of water, the essential ingredient in aquaponics. And most of the water is recycled. 

The full article provides more details -  At Former Hamms Site, Its the Water - for fish and veggies,  by Nick Woltman, Saint Paul Pioneer Press.