Mobile Loaves & Fishes

Austin, TX

Mobile Loaves & Fishes is a development of Community First! Village, a 51-acre community that provides affordable, permanent housing for hundreds men and women that previously experienced chronic homelessness in Austin, TX. The Village contacted The Aquaponic Source in 2020 for a custom-designed aquaponic farm to be built in their village to provide onsite food, education and job skill development for their neighbors.

As part of the Village’s inclusive devotion to work training, certain neighbors are granted opportunities to earn a wage working in the greenhouse with the system. The greenhouse has been a great opportunity for differently-abled neighbors to work. It also teaches agriculture and how to properly raise fish while providing a unique experience growing healthy, delicious food year round to share with their neighbors.

The 4-day installation took place in December 2021.

The Aquaponic System

Growasis Deep Water Culture

Transplanting Trough
The 4’x48′ Growasis Elevated deep water culture trough houses both the transplant and main grow-out stage of the crops. On one end of the trough floats (6) lattice transplanting raft boards. Here, young sprouts are able to further germinate without taking up valuable space in either the nursery or the main grow-out portion of the trough.