YEMI AMU

FOUNDER and DIRECTOR of OKO URBAN FARMS

July 2020

Meet Yemi Amu. She’s the Founder and Director of Oko Urban Farms. Founded in 2012, Oko Farms is NYC’s first and only publicly accessible outdoor aquaponics farm. Oko Farm’s mission is to promote aquaponics as a sustainable farming method that mitigates the impact of climate change and increases food security for New Yorkers. Not only that, Yemi and her team are passionate about educating kids and adults of all racial and socio-economic backgrounds on aquaponic farming. For Yemi, aquaponics—growing plants in fish-populated water—is the future. Farming, education and environmental stewardship. Pretty incredible and pretty inspiring, no? Let’s take a moment and get to know a bit more about Yemi.

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Who are you?

My name is Yemi Amu. I am the founder of Oko Farms, an aquaponics farming + education organization.

What’s on your mind?

At the moment, discovery. I'm about to sauté some veggies harvested from my farm in Brooklyn.

Where are you right now?

Home (Brooklyn, NYC)

When did you start?

I started farming in 2010. In 2013, I built NYC's first and only outdoor aquaponics farm.

Why do you do what you do?

I am an aquaponics farmer because it is a farming practice that allows us to cultivate both fresh water fish and vegetables while using up to 80% less water than traditional soil farming.

Wise words:

Fresh and nutritious food is a human right!