Come visit our hydro- & aquaponics project

Hydro- and aquaponics are established methods of farming (mostly with vegetables and herbs).

They are distinguished from other farming methods in that they are soilless, i.e. the crops grow in water and inert crop support structures.

This offers many benefits, such as lower water consumption, better fertilizer management and shorter growing times, which makes it particularly suitable for plantings in small areas and where water availability is under pressure.

Bredasdorp Park NPC established a demonstration and training facility for hydro and aquaponics on the Park site after Nampo Cape 2019. The aim at the time was to encourage and support small-scale farming in and around the surrounding towns.

This initiative, strongly driven by the Bredasdorp Park Chair and Management, led to the appointment of a local project management company, Two Oceans Projects & Services, in October 2019 to proceed with the formal establishment of the facility.

Here’s what we’ve been up to since…

A variety of growth methods and crops were experimented with on a small scale, while at the same time an extensive contact network was built up to support the scaling up of the project. This network included agricultural, nutrition and crop experts, as well as a training agreement with the University of Stellenbosch’s Water Institute. During April 2020, this project was officially launched on the Park site, with the official opening of the facility taking place in May 2021.

The facility has two purposes:

To serve as a permanent exhibition space for different methods of hydroponics and aquaponics and;
To serve as a working hydroponic farm where training can take place at different levels.

Open for viewing

The facility has been open for viewing and training since September 2020, and visitors are welcome to pop in to see what we’ve done.

At the same time, expansion is ongoing, and will continue for some to come.

The development to date – and what’s to come:

The current area under net and greenhouse cover is about 670 m², with an expansion planned in 2022 to add a further 2200 m², including an experimental organic farming area.

There are currently nine different planting techniques used (eight hydroponic and one aquaponic system), with about 8000 plants in different growth stages. Crops include leafy vegetables, tomatoes and a variety of herbs, and harvests are sold locally under the “Nooitgedacht Fresh Produce” label

Training workshops on both hydroponic and aquaponic farming have been presented to several interested people, and a continuous training programme, with informal and formal courses are on offer, and will be hosted under the umbrella of the Water Institute of the Stellenbosch University.

Farm TV visits our hydro- and aquaponics project

Farm TV popped in to see our two tunnels that form part of our hydroponics project, and to see how we’re training local people and other interested people to use this technology, to help them trial this urban farming opportunity at home.