Berlin – German company Frisch vom Dach is building an aquaponic farm on the roof of an old malthouse in the centre of Berlin.
The firm, whose name means Fresh from the Roof, plans to have its first harvest in 2013. The aquaponic roof farm operates a closed water cycle system that will farm fish and grow vegetables. The fish waste will be used to fertilise the plants, which will in turn purify the water. The fish will be reared in tanks and then sold partly in an on-site shop and partly to local retailers.
‘We as humans are driving fast against a wall,’ says Nicolas B Leschke, head of investment and construction at Frisch vom Dach. ‘Resources are scarce. We have to start looking for creative ways such as this to get around the fact that resources are running out.’
For another example of a sustainable rooftop farm see our Brooklyn Grange Seed.