Urban Agriculture is now widely accepted as a significant priority in the contemporary american city. Aquaponics is an scaleable and productive farming practice that must be disseminated and designed.
The Productive Collective choreographs research and design-build task forces from a network of partners, and assembles these task forces for each applied research project.
Aquaponics is the practice of constructing a productive closed-loop relationship between fish, plants, and bacteria. Aquaponics systems can grow food for us at all scales, but do require power, light, and rather even temperatures.
In our first commercially-viable off-grid system, Plants like lettuce, basil, tomato, and pepper are cultivated year-round in grow-beds. These beds are connected to a tank that houses a fish community. Productive Collective is projecting that we can raise up to 60 adult fish (1.5 lb.+) annually. Water is circulated continuously with a single pump powered by homemade solar panels.
Open-air systems like this in New England need a well designed enclosure to mediate temperature and maximize light.
PC member Dan Weissman conduct a solar analysis to optimally site the building. See Study!
The pilot project is at 32 Lindsey Street in Dorchester, MA. We are still developing the project with City Growers, and are in the process of building solar panels and the enclosure.
