Sustainability through integration

There are so many ways that integration can make production more sustainable. We are focusing on just a few.

Integrated Aquaculture

It is rather counter intuitive but fish barely use any water at all.

Integrating aquaculture with irrigation produces more food with less water and also less fertiliser.  If the water is going to be used once why not use it twice? We can install an aquaculture operation along side any irrigation operation. This method is more productive and drought resilient.

Aquaponics

Aquaponics is the popular name for where aquaculture is integrated with hydroponics.

Its a very simple idea: We feed the fish, the fish feed the plants and the plants clean the water before it is returned to the fish.

The additional element to this is a complex ecosystem of microorganisms and invertebrates which include bacteria, fungi, protozoa, worms, micro crustaceans and much more, which break down and process the waste from the fish releasing nutrients to the plants.

Aquaponics:

  • greater than 95% water saving;

  • 100% elimination of petro chemically derived nitrogen based fertilisers;

  • greater than 70% electricity savings;

  • ~30% less capital;

  • increased plant and fish health;

  • increased plant and fish growth; and

  • reduced environmental footprint.

The water savings are so good that these systems can be made drought proof.

At Fish Farmers we are first going to demonstrate how effective and productive integrated agriculture can be. Once we have built and operated our fist large scale system we will then help others farmers and farming groups start their own operations. We will provide ongoing technical, agronomy, training and marketing support leaving farmers free to do what they do best, farm.

The faster we can do this, the more we can slow the exponential increase of environmental impacts from the agricultural industry. You can help by spreading the word and joining us on the journey with our mailing list. 

Integrating aquaculture and horticulture is where we are starting but there are many more integrations that are possible. Integrations where the savings made and the productivity gained are just as impressive.