How aquaponics turned a desert into a fertile lettuce farm

Here's a pdf with instructions for breeding Black Soldier Flies. It's for a temperate to hot climate

Feed is at the heart of every aquaponics system. It drives fish health, powers bacterial conversion, and ultimately determines the nutrients available to plants. Commercial feeds often get the job done, but they rely heavily on fishmeal made from wild-caught species—an option that’s costly, unsustainable, and limited. In this course, we’ll explore smarter, more sustainable options for feeding your fish. You’ll learn about: - Why feed is such a critical factor in aquaponics - The downsides of relying solely on commercial pellets - Practical alternatives that can reduce costs and environmental impact - How feed choices ripple through your system to affect both fish and plants By the end, you’ll be equipped with knowledge and strategies to make feed a strength—not a weakness—in your aquaponics setup. 🌱🐟 👉 Start the course now in the Classroom tab!

Some growers swear tilapia are the perfect beginner fish. Others say goldfish are easier and cheaper. And some argue catfish are tougher and tastier. 👉 If you had to pick just ONE fish for a new aquaponics system, which would it be — and why? Drop your thoughts in the comments 👇 I’m curious to see what our community thinks.

I've had a number of people contact me regarding Jean Bouwer's recent post "Turn A Desert Into a Fertile Farm". People wanted to know more. I jumped onto Google and came up with the following information. You may be like me and have only heard of Namibia in geography class. I'm hoping the info is up-to-date and that Jean doesn't mind me doing this. (Feel free to correct any info Jean). It's such an inspiration. This man is walking the talk. 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐤𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬: 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐰𝐞𝐫 Aqualekker Aquaponics in Karibib, Namibia, is one of the country’s most successful aquaponic farms. Since 2020, it has been designed, built and run by Jean Bouwer. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 - Grows fancy-leaf lettuce at scale with over 9,200 growing spaces. Even with natural losses, the farm produces more than 1,000 heads of lettuce every week, making it one of Namibia’s largest suppliers. - Raises tilapia and supplies fingerlings to other farms. Survival rates of 99% during long transport show the excellent quality and handling of Jean’s fish. - Supplies fresh produce every week to shops, restaurants and hotels in Windhoek, Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Henties Bay, Otjiwarongo and Grootfontein. Demand often exceeds supply. - Runs on a closed-loop aquaponics system that reuses water and avoids chemicals, producing food that is both clean and efficient. 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 The farm is well connected, with direct access to Namibia’s main highway and railway. Deliveries reach key towns within hours, keeping produce fresh. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐧'𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 Jean Bouwer turned an idea into one of Namibia’s leading aquaponics operations. By combining careful design with strong management, he built a system that saves water, avoids chemicals and consistently delivers high-quality food to the market. In summary Aqualekker Aquaponics is: - A major supplier of lettuce and tilapia in Namibia - A trusted partner for other aquaponics projects - A working model of sustainable, water-smart farming