Moretto Farm

Scenario

Aquaponics is an integrated system that combines fish farming and plant cultivation in a symbiotic environment. Waste produced by fish is transformed by bacteria into essential nutrients for plants, which in turn filter and purify water for the fish. Thermo-composting uses the heat generated by the decomposition of organic waste to heat greenhouses or growing environments, reducing the need for external energy sources and improvingenergy efficiency.Beekeeping not only provides honey but is crucial for crop pollination, contributing to the biodiversity and health of agricultural ecosystems. These sustainable practices promote a more efficient, resilient and environmentally friendly agriculture while simultaneously addressing food production and resource management challenges.

Description

MorettoFarm, afarm located in the Veneto region of Italy, can be considered a bastion of sustainability and an emblem of the agriculture of the future. This farm, in fact, produces agricultural products using the aquaponics system, a closed ecosystem that involves feeding fish as the only input, and saving more than 90 percent water. The system involves the recirculation of water, which is taken from the tank where the fish live, laden with organic waste from the fish themselves, and thus rich in ammonia; it is then purified thanks to two types of bacteria: nitrosomonas and nitrospira, which convert the ammonia into nitrates, a source of nutrition for the plants. The plants, in turn, filter the water through a phytodepuration process, making it suitable for fish. As reported by the creator of the project, Johnny Moretto, the species they use is carp, particularly Koi carp, as they are a source of attraction for people and “ennoble” agriculture.

The koi, however, need a higher water temperature than the natural climate of the Veneto region allows, and Moretto Farm has solved this problem by building a biodigester, a structure into which organic waste is thrown, which is decomposed by thermophilic bacteria. This system offers two beneficial outputs: compost to feed the plants and heat, which is collected through a copper pipe that runs inside the biodigester and gives the fish tank a higher temperature of about 5/6 C°.

Finally, Moretto Farm produces honey, thanks to the beehives they own, which have the added benefit of not only pollinating the farm’s plants, but also fostering and preserving the biodiversity of the entire surrounding area. The only intervention that is done for the bees, in fact, is the periodic harvesting of honey, and this is conveyed to the public thanks to their cute honey jars that bear the words “produced by happy bees.”

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