Kingdom Aquaponics™ founder and Principal Leighton Morrison has a unique and diverse background. As a child Leighton gravitated to alternative energy, natural systems and sustainability after experiencing the 1973 oil crisis. He designed a passive solar house with indoor gardens for food production in mechanical drawing class in 7th grade. In his teenage years he began to breed fish for sale and incorporate them into a living garden system.
In the eighties he became obsessed with the project Bio Sphere 2 and the science behind it. In 1983, he started a construction company with a sustainability emphasis, and attended Boston Architectural Center. Leighton then started a marble and granite company in 1993 and worked for clients looking for an artistic flare and an alternative to man made solid surfaces. This reflected applied knowledge to another of his passions: geology. In 1996, he constructed a zero impact home on the coast of Maine and eliminated all nitrogen and phosphate discharge into the ocean from the waterfront property while fabricating exotic stone for discerning clients.
In 2008, Leighton went back to his roots/passions and began the structural work for an aquaponic future. Through a process of discovery, beginning with a comprehensive plan for a stand-alone aquaponics facility in Vermont, he recognized a significant business opportunity. Instead of just focusing on the local “farm to table movement”, truly organic food production and food security, he investigated repurposing the waste streams of aquaponics and aquaculture.
Research and Development:
In 2012, Leighton set up a small scale aquaculture system with 100 tilapia at Rodale Institute. He worked with Dr. Elaine Ingham a world renowned soil biologist, blending his by-products with traditional compost and worm castings to prove the value of aquatic ecosystems by-products and how they can reduce the need for synthetics on the environment. For eighteen months, Leighton studied the art of composting, compost tea brewing, extract making and vermaculture to complete the proof of concept work necessary. By combining these products/ techniques and applying them to his knowledge of machines and forces, he was able to develop processing equipment to produce the end products that Kingdom Aquaponics™ is now offering.
Leighton then joined forces with James Sottilo of Ecological Landscape Management, a nationally recognized pioneer in organic land and tree care. Together they vetted the product while continuing to improve it with the tried and tested methods that James has implemented in his work. Leighton has successfully scaled up production three times over without compromising quality. The 4th generation processing equipment has already been designed and is awaiting demand so it may be purchased, installed and put into operation.
"The goal has always been to slow the environmental impact of humanity, and I’m honored to be on the forefront of bringing safe natural land care products to the masses ” - Leighton Morrison
