Hello sustainable growers.
Welcome to this video.
This is Jonathan from Melbourne Aquaponics and today, I would like to share with you
the result of a survey.
I discussed with a lot of people to try to understand what is the main point that interests
them, that pushed them towards aquaponics.
So that's what I would like to share with you today.
So the first point is that obviously, with aquaponics, we can produce our own food and
we can produce two different types of crops.
So we can grow some vegetables and fruit and on the other side we can also produce some
very nice fish.
So the second point is that the food is produced where it is consumed.
So you produce your food at home.
You don't have to go to the supermarket.
You don't have to stock the food in your fridge.
It's always fresh.
It's ready to eat whenever you want and by doing so obviously we avoid a lot of transport,
but also we get some food that is amazing from a quality point of view because the fruits
are picked when they are ready.
Another point is that in aquaponics, we are working with poly-culture.
So unlike any other type of food that you can find in your supermarket, everything is
grown there in monoculture.
In aquaponics, we grow the food in poly-culture which means that we grow different species
altogether, and here we are managing a whole ecosystem.
So basically, the food is growing, thanks to the interactions with the other species
that are in the ecosystem.
Every single species in the ecosystem has a very specific purpose and it makes the food
that we produce very sustainable because we don't waste anything.
We recycle everything.
Now, some people are very interested by this fact, the fact that basically, when you eat
some food from aquaponics, you don't generate any pollution.
You just recycle everything and that's a very sustainable way of living and of producing
food.
Also this variety of living creatures living together in this very complex and open ecosystem
allows the organic matters to be broken down in very, very different particles of different
sizes and different elements and release all those nutrients for the plant or the vegetable.
So it's like basically, it’s the same thing as in a normal garden.
The plant is in the soil and there are some interactions with some bacteria or fungus.
There’s a lot of insects around that are breaking down the organic matters to basically
nourish or release some nutrients for the plants.
And here in aquaponics, we boost this biodiversity.
We have a biodiversity that is really huge.
We got a lot of life in our media and therefore, the plant has all the nutrients that it needs
to develop the best aroma, so the best taste, the best texture, but also the best nutrient.
So when you eat a plant from aquaponics, you eat a plant that develops the best nutrients
and therefore, it's very, very healthy.
Another point very interesting is that in aquaponics, we don't have to waste any time
to water our garden, to weed, you know to remove the weed or to work the soil.
You know, in a normal garden you have to spend some time doing those tasks especially if
you live in a warm country during summer, you have to water your garden.
Otherwise, your plants are going to die.
In aquaponics you don't have to do any of those things.
Water stays in the system.
So first you don't waste any water.
You waste a bit by evaporation but that's very minimal.
But also the water is always there so you don't have to water the plants.
You can go on holidays for several weeks at any time of the year.
You come back and your garden is going to be still green without any problem.
So you don't commit to the garden.
You know, when you plant a seed in a normal garden, you need to take care of the seed
until it produces a nice lettuce or a nice vegetable that you can eat.
In aquaponics, you plant your seed and then you just have to feed your fish but the plants
are going to grow by themselves.
You don't have to water them.
The system is going to take care of it.
Basically, the ecosystem is going to take care of it.
So you avoid a lot of labor by doing aquaponics and that's why a lot of people nowadays they
have a very small land and basically, they just want a little aquaponics setup where
basically, they're going to be able to produce some food without spending too much time,
avoiding to have a big commitment to the garden.
So for people who have a very, very small land, it's a very, very good alternative to
a garden because it produces approximately twice as much as a classic garden .The reason
is simple.
In aquaponics, the plants have always access to water and nutrients.
So the limit of growth of an aquaponics setup is going to be basically the quantity of light
and the temperature of the environment.
While in a classic garden, the plants are also limited by the quantity of nutrients
that are available in the earth in contact with the root.
Another point that is very much raised is that it brings nature to you.
So basically, when you put an aquaponics setup in place, as I just said, it's an open ecosystem.
So you're going to have a lot of insects, a lot of birds that are going to come around
and they are very, very interesting.
You can study them.
You can study their behavior and you will see a lot of different varieties.
So you always discover new animals around your aquaponics setup.
So if you already are a gardener, you know that when you go outside and you are in contact
with the soil, you feel really, really good.
There is something that is happening basically when we work the soil.
There are some bacteria in the soil that have a very positive impact on our health.
So basically, those bacteria they're going to release some specific substance in your
body, and they're going to make you feel really good.
And so when you are in your garden, you feel that you are at a good place.
You feel you are doing a good thing and you are completely relaxed.
It can really improve your health and there are some studies about this specific topic.
More and more people are using aquaponics as a pedagogical tool, which means they use
it to basically teach the kids how to use mathematics, science, biology, physics.
Basically, they use it as a tool so the kids really understand why they have to do the
exercise and what is the application of the exercise.
So aquaponics can also be a real feature in your backyard.
Some people build their aquaponics setup with plastic, but you have the opportunity to build
it in wood or in very, very noble materials and then it looks amazing.
Look at what I got behind me.
It looks really nice in the backyard.
It's a real feature.
Here for example, my aquaponics setups, they are bench and you can lift the bench and have
access to the fish tank underneath.
So they look really, really good.
It's like having a water feature in your garden.
The aesthetic side is very important for me and I know for a lot of people, it's very
important, as well..
It's also a very good social support and you can build a real community around aquaponics.
Everyone likes to learn about aquaponics and to be involved.
If you have an aquaponics setup in your place, people are going to come around.
They're going to ask you a lot of questions about this feature, how it works, what it
can produce.
And then each time they come, they're going to see the evolution, what has grown, what
have you harvested.
And seeing this basically the ecosystem around, seeing the different insects and birds, it's
very, very interesting to talk aquaponics with people and they generally have a lot
of questions about it.
Some people are so very interested in aquaponics because they are passionate about fish.
They have fish at home in their aquarium and they start aquaponics because they love the
fish side and then obviously they learn about the plants, their garden, and the whole ecosystem
and they get very hooked because now they can use something that was inside and that
was just aesthetic.
They can have it outside and now they can produce some food from this passion.
So I hope you enjoyed this video.
If you see some other points that I haven't raised here, please put it in the comments
and let me know what is for you the main point of having an aquaponics setup.
Is it only to produce some food, or is it a bit more complex?
Explain it in the comments of this video.
Thank you for watching.
Don't forget that I offer a six-step process to build your own aquaponics setup.
It's available in the description of the video or if you click on the ‘I’ like information
on the corner on the video.
See you in the next video.
Bye-bye.
I really hope you enjoyed it.
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I really hope to see you soon, and I wish you a fantastic success with aquaponics.
Have a good crop!