Aquaprimeur in Paris-Belleville has been a 3 years experimental project in soilless farming. We were offered the oportunity by the city of Paris to rent a beautiful hall in an old winter garden in the east of Paris. The situation is just fantastic, with the absolute best view on Paris.

The experiment started thanks to a competition for best projects to get Paris greener and make possible some food production in the city. Our project came in top position because we are producing both fish and vegetables!

All our crops do grow on water. No soil here. Roots find in the water all they need. We give them 3 kinds of nutrients (in 3 different systems that we sort of compare):

– traditional hydroponics, were nutrients are soluble minerals, adapted to each stage of growth: just started, plain growth, flowering, fruits

– bioponics, were nutrients are given in an organic state, and slowly mineralised. We sometimes call it liquid soil

– aquaponics, were nutrients are natural, produced in situ by golden fish. While digesting their feed, gold fish produce the most natural feed you find = manure!

In May 2014 we installed aromatics. Then in the automn 2014 we installed kale; in february 2015 strawberries that turned delicious. In october 2015 we grew mustard, bok choi and colorfull beet. We added flowers and chives in the spring 2016.

Please read the articles published in english-speaking newspapers! and blogs. Even in Japanese.