Aquaponics

Aquaponics is a system that uses the best aspects of hydroponics (growing plants in water) and aquaculture (breeding fish).  By combining these two systems, we are able to use fish waste to fertilize plants, which are grown completely in water (no soil!), and the plants send the filtered water back to the fish.

Permacultivate uses two types of systems: a gravel bed system, where river rock is used to support the plants’ roots, and a floating raft system, where the roots are suspended in water.  Our two systems have over 10 tons of rock and circulate more than 4,000 gallons of water!

Lori Kaplan holds a basil plant that has been grown in our floating raft aquaponics system. Look at those roots!