My Quest To Build A Floating Farm On The Sea | Growing Wild: Project Castaway - Part 1/3

Project Castaway Summary

Key Concepts:

• Climate Change Adaptation: Adapting food production to rising sea levels.
• Modular Floating Systems: Designing systems for growing food on/in water.
• Food Security: Addressing Singapore's goal of producing 30% of its nutritional needs by 2030.
• Chinampas: Ancient floating garden technique.
• Low Trophic Aquaculture: Sustainable aquaculture focusing on species at the bottom of the food chain.
• Saline Agriculture: Growing crops in saline conditions.
• Halophytes: Plants that naturally inhabit saline environments.
• Integrated Cultivation: Combining different aquaculture species for synergistic benefits.
• Nature-Based Solutions: Mimicking natural systems in engineered solutions.
• Alternative Substrates: Utilizing plant waste and other materials for growing substrates.

Project Overview and Goals

Chris, an urban farmer, introduces "Project Castaway," an initiative to explore growing food in and on water, addressing the potential impact of rising sea levels due to climate change. The project aims to design and innovate a modular system for food production that can function in aquatic environments. The goal is to create a system adaptable to both fresh and saltwater conditions.

Team Formation and Collaboration

Chris recruits students from IT College East and the National University of Singapore (NUS) to form a team. The IT students focus on the engineering and design aspects of the floating platform, while the NUS landscape architecture students consider the integration of the project with Singapore's Long Island plan, an ambitious coastal defense and development project. The Long Island project aims to serve as a coastal defense, recreational space, and residential area, but the team sees untapped potential for food security.

Initial Experimentation: Chinampas and Floating Platforms

The team begins by exploring the concept of chinampas, ancient floating gardens from Mexico. They attend a workshop to build a small-scale floating platform using plastic bottles, applying the LC (Learn, Create) method. The initial prototype faces challenges with stability and material degradation, leading to a failed deployment. The team uses culinary herbs that generally love water to test the freshwater floating platform.

Lessons from the Netherlands: Sustainable Agriculture and Aquaculture

Chris travels to the Netherlands, a country with significant experience in water management and sustainable agriculture. He learns about the Dutch mindset of collaborating with nature and adapting to changing conditions. Ayan, a researcher, discusses the need for diverse and ecologically sustainable production systems in aquaculture.

Oyster Farming and Low Trophic Aquaculture

Chris visits an oyster farm in the Netherlands to learn about low trophic aquaculture. Pauline, a marine ecologist, explains that shellfish farming is a sustainable way of food production because shellfish filter their food from the surroundings and don't require added feed. She also notes that consumer preferences currently favor fish over shellfish. Research indicates that oysters may be more resilient to climate change than mussels, but they may also be more susceptible to disease.

Integrated Aquaculture and Saline Agriculture

At Wageningen University, Chris learns about integrated cultivation, where different species (e.g., cockles, seaweed, shrimp) are grown together to create a more balanced and productive ecosystem. The team explores how saltwater intrusion is impacting land use and the need for alternative agricultural practices. They also visit a saline agriculture farm where common vegetables are successfully grown in salty conditions. Mark, a researcher, explains that soil salinity is measured in desicymens per meter (dS/m), with extremely saline soils being 16 dS/m and above. They test the salt tolerance of various plants, finding that some varieties can thrive in saline conditions.

Halophytes and Coastal Ecosystems in Portugal

Chris travels to Portugal to learn about halophytes, plants that naturally inhabit saline environments. He collaborates with chefs to create dishes using Salicornia (sea asparagus), a locally cultivated halophyte. The chefs note that climate change is already affecting the availability and quality of ingredients. Chris visits a Salicornia farm and learns about the plant's low-maintenance cultivation using only saltwater irrigation. Anna, an ecologist, explains that halophytes are naturally climate-resilient due to their tolerance of a wide range of salinity and temperature. She emphasizes the importance of understanding natural systems and replicating them in engineered solutions.

Prototype Refinement and Future Directions

Back in Singapore, the team revisits their chinampas prototype and finds that it has partially survived. They break into smaller groups to tackle specific problems, such as designing a stable floating platform, developing solar-powered pumps, and testing crop suitability for high heat. They also explore methods for converting seawater to freshwater.

Alternative Substrates and Water Retention

The team investigates alternative materials for growing substrates, focusing on water retention and sustainability. They learn about "retal," a moisture retention solution made from plant waste, and zeolites, which can improve water retention in soil. Professor Lum's team has been able to extend the watering frequency from once a day to once every 5 days using retal. They also explore the use of keratin sponges made from chicken feathers as a sustainable alternative to polyurethane foams for seed germination.

Community Integration and Future Deployment

Chris aims to deploy the floating farm in an existing coastal community, starting with a site in Sabah, Malaysia. The project faces initial challenges with stability and balance during deployment.

Conclusion

Project Castaway is an ambitious project that seeks to address the challenges of climate change and food security by developing innovative floating farm systems. The project involves a multidisciplinary team, extensive research, and experimentation with various agricultural and aquacultural techniques. The ultimate goal is to create a sustainable and ecologically sound food production system that can adapt to rising sea levels and contribute to the well-being of coastal communities.