Leslie Turner - 2021

Artist's Statement

I took Unveiling the Anthropocene this semester not knowing much about it. From the beginning the class has given me an urgent need to do something to help heal our Mother Earth.

Because I am considered a senior citizen now, I felt there wasn’t a lot I could do or change at this point in my life, but I did realize I have children that are as concerned about the earth as I am. So, they watched a documentary on Netflix called Mission Blue and started wondering what they could do to lessen the trauma being caused to the oceans at this moment.

My son, Kyle, researched having a fish farm, but even there they are throwing a lot of stuff in the trash. He came upon an aquaponics farm in his research and decided this was something they could do. He built a 600’ by 600’ greenhouse in his backyard in Saratoga Springs. It worked great and they had their first grape tomato in December of that same year. The greenhouse worked so well, they bought twelve acres of property in Evanston, Wyoming to build a 5,000 sq ft aquaponics farm. Here is a family that is willing to uproot their family and move to a different state to help relieve some of the pressure on the ecosystem.

All it takes is a million more families to feel and help like these kids have done.