Cassandra Kyle, Saskatchewan News Network; CanWest News Service

SASKATOON -- A brother and sister business team are finalizing their plans to open an aquaponics greenhouse near Osler after winning $50,000 through a University of Saskatchewan program.

Rachel and Chris Buhler plan to provide fresh fish and strawberries to the local market through their business, Floating Gardens Ltd., an innovative concept that beat out four other finalists to take the inaugural BioVenture Business Plan Challenge grand prize. The challenge, a university Industry Liason Office and provincial Agriculture and Food Department competition to foster the bio-economy in Saskatchewan, was open to recent university graduates under 35 years old.

Over the summer, the finalists were given advice on how to develop their business plans and management skills, a key part of the program, Rachel said.

 You can be a super strong producer, but if you can't sell your product you're not going to go very far," she said.

The pair will use hydroponic technology to breed tilapia and grow strawberries in a greenhouse that covers one-third of an acre on their family farm. Pond water will be filtered for reuse, while fish waste will be turned into nutrients for the plants. Rachel and Chris hope to build their facility next spring. The berries, they say, will be ready by fall 2008, while the fish will be big enough to eat by Christmas next year.

Those who did not win have invitations to submit their business plans to the Saskatchewan Angel Investor Network for the chance to receive funding for their ideas.

The other finalists include: Joel Campbell, who plans on further developing a commercial greenhouse to grow hardy fruit species like apples and cherries; Patrick Mah, who is developing an "in situ bioremediation" process to clean contaminated soil; Steve Mamchur, who has developed a technique that uses hormone concentrates from natural plant sources for bio-identical hormone replacement therapy; and Tyler Whale, who is developing a curbside compost collection company to gather and divert some of the 85 million kilograms of compostable waste that ends up in Saskatoon's landfill each year.

© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007

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