Gemüsefischen – Aquaponics at «Holzmarkt» Berlin
Farming in the city – a key issue for the future
«Fresh», «ecologic» and «regional».These Slogans from the supermarket can only exceed in comparison with the resulting products of the aquaponic- dome. Because, what could be more fresh than vegetables from your own roof? What could be more ecologic than controlling the growth by yourself? What more regional as just taking a few stairs for harvesting?
In big cities as Berlin, roof gardens are an important topic of the future and the concept like Aquaponics is even smarter than only a patch on the roof!
What is Aquaponics?
Aquaponics means the combination of Aquaculture and Hydroponics in one closed hydro cycle. Thus, all plants extract their nutrients out of the water of the aquaculture and through this process of nutrient removal the water is cleaned again.
Why is Aquaponics better?
Plants are only nourished through the excretions of fish. Therefore production of vegetables succeeds without the adding of additional nutrients and compared to conventional methods of production Aquaponics is very resource efficient.
The production is ecological, healthy and sustainable due to no fertilizers, pesticides or antibiotics have to be used. Water consumption is low especially compared to other cultivation processes, as well as the Co2 emissions along the food chain, that is significantly reduced, which is why Aquaponics are environmentally friendly in every sense.
Where will the project be implemented?
In the Holzmarktstrasse 25, in Berlin
Within the next years a district will arise, which gives space for change and experiments. The Aqauponic-dome will be first pilot project for the ECKWERK, the building in the north part of the Holzmarkt, where students are living and founders working. On its 3000m2 roof professional and future-oriented farming will be operated. The aim is a huge garden on the rooftop of Berlin, which ensures that a part of the needed food products is regional and locally grown instead of coming a long, resource-using way from somewhere else. The harvested vegetables and fish will be sold in our village shop and directly processed in our canteen and restaurant.
Who does profit of the project?
«Urban gardening» is more than just fashion- combined with new technologies it could offer solution approaches for some of our civilisation problems. We want this issue to be more in focus of the public and enable participation and research.
Many people will visit the pilot project and students will question the methods of Aquaponis critically.
But the most important question of «how does it taste» cannot be answered by anyone better than YOU – the supporters of the project!!
Where does my money go?
The money of this campaign will be used for the purchase of the Aquaponic- dome, which by now costs a bit more than 20.000 Euro. The operating costs and other cost will be compensated by the Holzmarkt- cooperation. Some of the support we will get from the fine restaurant «Katerschmaus». They will prepare the food on Thanksgiving Day and believe us, they know how to do it.