It doesn't get much more local than your own backyard. While some folks plant veggie gardens, others use the yard space for an in-ground pool. One Arizona family wanted the best of both worlds.

When a family of four moved into a Mesa, Arizona home, it came with a run-down, backyard pool. Rather than spend thousands of dollars to spruce up the dilapidated swimming hole, the homeowners decided to make the pit into a center for sustainable food production. Since 2009, the family's worked to transform the pool into a greenhouse that produces fruits, vegetables, fish, and chicken. The end result: Garden Pool.

Garden Pool is possibly the most impressive backyard farming venture I've ever seen. Using organic growing methods, Garden Pool produces eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, grapes, blackberries, herbs, and other fruits and veggies. The pool-turned-greenhouse also uses aquaculture and aquaponics to raise tilapia, while chickens provide the family with eight eggs every day. Garden Pool relies on eco-friendly production methods like wastewater recycling, hydroponic gardening, organics, and biofiltration, while on-site solar power makes the garden totally off-the-grid.