Finally, a hydroponic farm that runs on goldfish poop
Everything that we have ever eaten has probably, at some point, been in contact with some poop. Plants grow in soil that's mixed with horse poop, and at some point a careless burger joint employee has touched your meal after a tricky bathroom break. The sooner that we admit the role poop plays in our survival, the sooner that we can turn it to our advantage. For instance, wouldn't it be great if we could harness the power of poop to grow herbs, purify water and look after a goldfish at the same time? You bet your ass (the part of your body where poop lives) it would, which is why Dutch startup EcoBird is launching its aquaponic farm on Kickstarter.
Hydroponics is a method of growing crops in small quantities of water that not only helps preserve our most precious resource, but also alleviates the strain on farmland. EcoFarm takes this idea one step further by creating an almost self-contained system that helps a fish and herb garden work in tandem with each other. The effluent poop-filled water from the fishtank below is pumped up to the tabletop herb garden in the lid. The plants then purify the water by drawing out the poop nutrients, with clean water then trickling back down into the fish tank for the cycle to begin again.
Given how climate change is going to make large-scale farming more difficult in the future, and a trend towards bringing production back to the home, the whole idea seems like a great idea. That is, so long as you can get over the idea that you're eating goldfish poop as a salad garnish. If you can, then early backers can get an Ecofarm for €65 (if you're in the Netherlands) or €85 ($110) (elsewhere in the world), with the first shipments due to arrive before Christmas. Poop.
