New Program Connects People in Recovery with Jobs in Aquaponics
December 11, 2025 
Greenscale, an aquaponics operation in Boise, ID, has announced a new workforce partnership with Boise Vertical Farm to connect people in recovery with meaningful careers in sustainable agriculture and advance the practice of aquaponics, a process that combines aquaculture and hydroponics.
Through this partnership, Boise Vertical Farm will recommend individuals from its recovery and training programs who have shown dedication, resilience, and skill development. Greenscale will give priority hiring consideration to these candidates for roles across its operations, including crop production, facility support, and systems management.
“At Greenscale, we believe the best work comes from a motivated team,” says Scott Meikle, Greenscale CEO in a press release from the CEA company. “That’s why this partnership is so exciting — we’re welcoming individuals who share our vision for producing great food with a healthier, more sustainable food system.”
“The plant side will produce leafy vegetables, like lettuces or kales or even potentially spinach. And then the other main product, of course, is the fish, the tilapia from the aquaculture side,” Meikle continues. “We take nutrients that the fish produce, bring it over here and use that to grow our plants, and in order to conserve water, we push water from the hydroponics back to the fish.”
Boise Vertical Farm is working to change the pattern too often faced by people in recovery: cycling through unstable jobs that don’t support long-term success. Research shows addiction rates can reach 19% among workers in these roles, compared with 6% in the general population. The nonprofit creates pathways to higher-quality, stable careers — and with 60% of its participants being women, it’s addressing gaps in both opportunity and representation.
“We’re not just helping people find jobs — we’re helping them build futures,” says Jeff Middleton, Boise Vertical Farm co-founder. “Partners like Greenscale give our participants the chance to rise above the cycle of unstable work and create real careers in sustainable agriculture, all while strengthening the community around them.”
The facility is expected to be operational before the end of the year.