Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking
Grow with a Flow
Grow with a Flow - Soil-Free Hydroponic Gardening
"Grow with a Flow" is a project based on modern soil-free hydroponic system of cultivating fruit and vegetables in a more efficient, reliable, inexpensive and cleaner way offering an easy access to healthy food and the possibility of social interaction in a beautiful green surrounding. The systems can be installed in every garden, balcony and even indoors enlarging the quality of products as well as the visibility of full life cycle and awareness of the advantages of sustainable gardening.
Serbia
National
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Yes
2024-11-15
No
No
No
As an individual partnership with other persons/organisation(s)
"Grow with a flow" is a project devoted to mastering and spreading the knowledge of the techniques of hydroponic gardening using all the possible sources of information including the Internet and consultation with experts. Hydroponic gardening is a completely new branch of agriculture in Serbia and our team had the goal to set up the production of vegetables typical for the regions of South and Central Serbia in a completely new way, and disseminate the results as much as possible. Our overall aim was to perform the whole cycle of installing the system, planting and harvesting independently trying to inform and educate our family members, friends, neighbours and local school children. The new method of gardening can produce fruit and vegetables of much higher quality in an easier and simplified soil-free way, with significantly smaller quantity of water than used in traditional gardening, much less hard physical work and low cost of the production especially in the following years. The groups we wanted to include in the project were the students because of the possibility of learning the principles of the new hydroponic gardening, the old who can perform this work more easily than in traditional gardening, women who can employ themselves and easily produce food which is healthy and close to be acknowledged "organic" and all groups of poor social background such as refugees, displaced etc. who could now produce food without land. One of the objectives was the aesthetics, too because hydroponic gardens look equally beautiful as traditional. Our specific goal was to produce some particular species of vegetables such as different types of peppers cultivated only on the territory of South Serbia one of which was typical for the town of Bela Palanka and encourage the care for biodiversity and preservation of old vegetable and fruit species.The project has been successful in all its phases related to planting but the work on education of people has to be continued.
Mastering the methods and the techniques of hydroponics
Installing the hydroponic systems, planting, tending and harvesting of crops
Consulting experts, teachers and educating students
Including vulnerable categories and different types of climate
Promoting biodiversity of traditional sorts of fruit and vegetables
Hydroponic gardening in general is sustainable in many ways: 1. it is soil-free and it does not require land 2. it can be done in places different from traditional gardens in controlled conditions not affected by pests and diseases 3.The use of water is efficient and reduced to minimum 4. The production can be done during the whole year 5.The nutrients are applied directly to the water which enhances the growth 6.Waste is reduced to minimum 7. Carbon footprint is reduced because local production does not rely on industry and transportation that contribute to greenhouse gas formation. Our project met the objectives of sustainability accordingly. It was made using recycled vessels (big feta cheese and dispersion buckets) and the central vessel was also a reused one. It did not use any soil for the production of vegetables and fruit. It was done 2018- 2024 with the use of already existing canopy preventing the rain to enter the vessels. The whole construction was hand made with minimal investment in pipes, pumps and special hydroponic plant holders, sprinklers and nutrients.The cycle of the food production lasted 9 months and it produced around 80 plants of different sorts in 2024. They were not affected by insects or diseases and since it was local production it did not require any transportation and gas emission. The hydroponic construction was started in 2018 when it was much smaller and did not contain pumps. In the future it will require much less investment and can be reused for the new production again. It can always be enlarged. Apart from saving water, gas and electricity, it also saved much work because there digging of soil was eliminated as well as hand watering or pests treatments.Gathering the crops was also much easier because of the elevated position of plants that were placed in the buckets, about 50 cm from the ground. Picking of vegetables was easy with no bending or weather problems. In Serbia this type of production is new and exemplary.
The key objectives of our project in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people are 1. Enhanced visual appeal which in our case was matching the design of the surrounding space. The skeleton of the hydroponic structure cannot be seen when the plants reach their final phase and are full of colourful crops. The design of hydroponic gardens can differ a lot and offer possibilities of vertical growing which saves the space even more, but a fully grown hydroponic garden is a sight of unique and extraordinary beauty. 2.The abundance of healthier fruit and vegetables seems even more appealing to its users and visitors. The quality of hydroponic food is superior due to the reduced exposure to pests and diseases and the need for pesticides is reduced to none. 3.Moreover, indoor gardening, apart from pleasant design, offers the possibility of much lighter work unaffected by outside weather conditions. 4.In addition, this kind of gardens are accessible in urban areas, too which, in our project was even done on a small balcony in Kraljevo city centre as a parallel to 24m2 garden in a Bela Palanka yard. 5.An important objective was educational experience of the project. Not only the neighbours and friends visited the two gardens, but groups of students and their teachers from two primary and two secondary schools were invited to see the whole growing cyclus and heard about the whole process, advantages and results of the project. The idea is to help the ECO school IV kraljevački bataljon set its own small hydroponic garden in the following school year and empower their Biology and Entrepreneurship teachers learn the skill and apply the knowledge in the small indoor production. 6.Needless to say that many other institutions can use it, too, such as nursing homes or institutions offering help to the disabled or those suffering from illnesses where engagement in hydroponic gardening may be even therapeutic or give meaning or income to their life and we can offer help.
Since hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil using nutrient-rich solutions, it can be largely used by inclusive categories both in terms of accessibility and affordability. This innovative agricultural technique has the potential to enhance inclusion by addressing issues related to accessibility and affordability in food production, particularly in urban environments where traditional farming may be impractical because space is limited.This makes it feasible for schools, community centers, and households to grow their own food, increasing access to fresh produce.Schools that incorporate hydroponic systems into their curricula provide students with hands-on learning experiences about sustainable agriculture and nutrition. This educational aspect fosters inclusivity by engaging diverse student populations in health-promoting activities.Hydroponic systems can be designed to operate indoors or outdoors, making them suitable for various climates and conditions.This adaptability ensures that communities with different environmental challenges can still benefit from fresh produce.Affordability: Hydroponics uses significantly less water than traditional farming methods,approximately one-tenth the amount, making it a more sustainable option that can lower costs associated with water usage and it can make food production more affordable over time. By enabling local food production, hydroponics reduces the need for transportation of goods from rural farms to urban markets. The affordability is also shown in the importance of sustainable agriculture practices for low-income communities or schools. We tried to demonstrate the hydroponic systems to students and teachers and even showed the possibilities of inexpensive hydroponic gardening on the balconies in urban and small yards in rural areas to elderly people.This economic empowerment contributes to greater financial stability within communities, enhancing overall affordability of healthy food options for all.
Since the project represented a novelty in agricultural production, our preoccupation was to master the techniques of two main types of hydroponic gardening and we did our best to educate as many people as possible about this new way of planting fruit and vegetables. Biology teachers from Primary School IV kraljevački bataljon were our consultants and helpers while on the other hand we provided teaching material to their students to see and learn about the new planting method. Our main role was educational and the students were able to ask, touch, examine, help and pick up the plants. The school itself has a very small yard where there is little space to plant anything, but this kind of gardening is possible indoors, so they came to the idea to start a small hydroponic garden of Kratky type in the corridor on the second floor in the following school year. One of the teachers also works in Agricultural Secondary school Djordje Radić and she did her best to describe the advantages of hydroponics to her older students. The area of interest was the absence of pests. Apart from school children, the neighbours in Bela Palanka were also in the position to see the difference from much harder traditional gardening and get the first hand information about the system, its parts, work principles and the costs. The promotion of the new technique was accompanied by the promotion of the possibilities to recycle different vessels and parts of the hydroponic structure. The people and the pupils were in the position to enjoy the beauty and the smell of the plants and even taste them to be sure about their quality. Some of the rare species of pepper were also shown in order to stress the importance of preservation of biodiversity and cultivating very old species of vegetables which are difficult to be found today. Needless to say that the importance of on the spot learning had much stronger effects and that students, teachers and neighbours felt pleasant in the hydroponic gardens.
It is crucial to understand their interests and motivations of the stakeholders regarding the hydroponic project. Economic benefits: How hydroponics can improve local economies or provide job opportunities. Environmental concerns: The impact of hydroponics on sustainability and resource conservation.Educational aspects: Opportunities for schools to engage in hands-on learning about agriculture. We were not proficient enough to organize workshops and seminars because we were learning, too. We could have created a website and used social media more, but we did not consider ourselves experts. In this phase we just had meetings with the teachers and consulted foreign websites related to the topic of hydroponics. We had periodic meetings with representatives from each stakeholder group to discuss progress and gather input and brainstorm ideas and solutions related to hydroponic systems. We focused our activities to encouraging local community members to participate in setting up small-scale hydroponic systems. To ensure successful implementation, education is the key. Developing training programs tailored for different stakeholders was performed during the whole project gradually. Integrating hydroponics into school curriculums as a way to teach students about sustainable agriculture practices has been our final educational goal. At local level we have become visible to our target groups and at the national level we are happy we could include two communities and provide practical example of the new method. We also tried to make a comparison between the two gardening systems in terms of types, size, position, exposure to the sun and social interest. At the European level, as far as we noticed, there are many successful attempts to use hydroponic gardening and it is well accepted by the experts as well as the common practitioners, farmers or any other social category. Still it can be advertised more because it is worth being used far more than it is in EU and farther.
A large research had been done on the Internet at all possible online sources by the authors of the project. This type of gardening is not used much in Serbia and it is not dealt with much even at the university level because it is new and not yet in textbooks. We did a lot of individual calculations and measurements and came up with the ideas how to reuse different vessels for the purpose of hydroponics. A lot of other parts were made by recycled bottle or pipes and similar things. A lot of physical work was needed to set the whole garden and due to the usage of pipes, even plumbers skills were necessary. Some parts were bought like the pump and the timer and their work is electric. Otherwise, it was needed more skill than investment to build the whole structure which is protected from the son by a canopy. Probably an architect should have been invited, but the use of nylon made it really light and transparent so we did not consult one. On the other hand, we had to consult an agricultural engineer regarding the choice of plants and gardening of some rare species of peppers and also this expert was used to check the quantity of nutrients in the solution. Some local farmers were asked about the seeds of some specific species of plants because we really wanted to take care of the biodiversity of the two Serbian regions. Regarding the educational role of the project, we consulted the school principals of the nearby schools and Biology and Entrepreneurship teachers. We really wanted to act pedagogically and we had in mind that Biology teachers are best educated to talk about gardening, recycling and sustainability. The representatives were glad to have been invited to participate in the project which even had the qualities of an experiment because it had two types of hydroponics used simultaneously in two towns at different conditions. The farmers and neighbours added the additional value of socialization and merging the traditional values with modernization.
Innovative Character of Hydroponics Compared to Mainstream Gardening is1.Its independence from soil as a growing medium. Traditional gardening relies on soil, which can vary in quality and require amendments to provide adequate nutrients for plant growth. Hydroponics eliminates this dependency by using nutrient-rich water solutions that deliver essential minerals directly to the plant roots. This allows for precise control over nutrient availability and can lead to faster growth rates and higher yields.2. Resource Efficiency: Hydroponic systems are designed to use significantly less water than traditional gardening methods. In conventional agriculture, approximately 70% of global freshwater resources are used for irrigation, often leading to waste through evaporation and runoff. Hydroponics recirculates water within a closed system, minimizing wastage and allowing for more efficient use of this precious resource. This efficiency is particularly important in urban settings with water scarcity.3. Space Optimization:Hydroponics allows for vertical farming practices that maximize space utilization, making it ideal for urban environments where land is limited. By stacking layers of plants in controlled environments, hydroponic systems can produce food in areas that would otherwise be unsuitable for traditional gardening due to space constraints or poor soil conditions. This innovation not only increases food production per square foot but also promotes local food sourcing. 4.Hydroponics often incorporates advanced technologies such as sensors, automation, and climate control systems, which are integral components of Controlled Environment Agriculture.These technologies enable growers to monitor and adjust environmental factors like temperature, humidity, light intensity, and nutrient levels in real-time 5.Reduced Pest and Disease Pressure 6.Hydroponics enables year-round crop production regardless of seasonal changes or unfavourable weather.All applies to the project.
Regarding the methods of hydroponic cultivation of plants, we used the "DWC" or "Kratky" methods in Bela Palanka in the beginning phases of the project, and they were used in Kraljevo during the whole project. In the final phases of the project during 2024 we used the central hydroponic system that worked according to the "RDWC" system, in Bela Palanka. This means that it had a water circuit moved by a pump connected to a timer that periodically sprinkled the plants roots with the water solution and where all plants were connected by pipes. The Kratky method is much simpler, includes individual plants and no pumps are used. In our work we used "the method of interaction and cooperation of the stakeholders". The project managers from Bela Palanka and Kraljevo were in a constant contact, although 200 km away, and they constantly compared the resources, the procedures and the results. The cooperation was also evident in the communication with teachers, students and schools as well as with other participants who were willing to help and learn. We used "the method of inclusion" trying to engage the students, the elderly members of the community and one member of inclusive categories in all the stages of the project and make sure they were aware of the sustainable character of the project and whole life cycles it represents. Apart from sustainability, our method was "being economical" and use recycling as much as possible. We reduced the investment using recycled vessels, pipes and other parts. We also used different "educational methods" with everyone who was willing to learn such as "hands-on work" or "learning by doing" as well as "the method of experiment" because we had two very different hydroponic gardens and compared and analyzed the results. The method of sustainability was present during the whole project and in the years to come we will be able to repeat and enlarge the production which can be performed successfully anywhere in the EU and the world.
To replicate a hydroponic project, it is crucial to understand the fundamentals of hydroponics including: 1.Building materials such as rock wool, clay pellets, or coconut coir that support plant roots. 2. Nutrient solution: A mixture of water and essential nutrients required for plant growth. 3.Light source: Natural sunlight or artificial grow lights to facilitate photosynthesis. 4. Water management system: systems like drip irrigation or nutrient film technique (NFT) to deliver water and nutrients efficiently. Understanding these components allows for effective adaptation to different contexts. Before transferring a hydroponic project, it is essential to assess the local context where the project will be implemented. This includes: 1.Understanding climate: temperature, humidity, and light availability in the new location 2.Recognizing local agricultural practices and preferences for certain crops. 3.Evaluating the financial capacity of beneficiaries to invest in hydroponic systems. Conducting a needs assessment helps tailor the project to fit specific community requirements. Methodology for Replication: 1.Training and Capacity Building:This could involve hands-on workshops or online courses.Pilot Projects: Start with small-scale pilot projects that allow beneficiaries to experiment with different systems and crops before scaling up.By following structured methodologies for training, technology transfer, establishing support networks, and implementing evaluation mechanisms, successful adaptation across various groups can be achieved effectively.
The educational side of the project can also be transferred with the similar allocation of target groups to schools (students and teachers), elderly and different kind of inclusive groups. Their education can vary depending on their needs and the abilities, but apart from courses, workshops and learning by doing it can also include the change of curriculum at schools and larger use of the Internet and social networks.
The educational side of the project can also be transferred with the similar allocation of target groups to schools (students and teachers), elderly and different kind of inclusive groups. Their education can vary depending on their needs and the abilities, but apart from courses, workshops and learning by doing it can also include the change of curriculum at schools and larger use of the Internet and social networks.
Apart from mastering the skill of creating a hydroponic system in an inexpensive way the project addressed the local population trying to spread the knowledge of the new way of gardening and its positive sides. It tried to establish connections with local schools and enable students and teachers to learn new skills. Primary school "IV kraljevački bataljon" from Kraljevo, as an ECO school and an Entrepreneurship center decided to start a small hydroponic garden in its corridor full of light and demonstrate the DWC method to its students who could turn this activity into a new way to promote agriculture and business. The more complicated RDWC system was presented to students in Bela Palanka and they even had the opportunity to learn by doing and working in our garden.The constant practical comparison between the two methods empowered all the participants to be able to conclude which method is more suitable for their own use, which is better for schools, which one for a market oriented production and what risks they have. We also did our best to stress the possibility of smaller investments through the use of recycled vessels, piped, hand-made hydroponic pots etc.The elderly members of the project liked both the idea to save money as well as the idea to cut plastic glasses with sharp scissors in order to make them look like a deep net.Our project also took care of the whole cycle of food production so we produced plants from the seeds. Our idea was to preserve some local species of peppers and hot chilly peppers. The region of South Serbia where Bela Palanka is located is famous for peppers and has one unique species of red pepper called "Vrtka" that twists while being dried in the Sun.It is used to make a national dish made by stuffing the peppers with meat, rice, onion and spices.Our wish was not only to contribute to the biodiversity of the region, but also to grow famous world species like Habanero, Jalapeno and Carolina Reaper and reuse the seeds in the future
After several years of trying to master the technology of hydroponic gardening starting from simple DWC model and finishing with a 24m2 RDWC system, we can state that we had a successful harvest. The plants were not affected by any pests or diseases and they looked tall, beautiful and had a lot of colourful crops. The garden had a pleasant atmosphere and looked beautiful. Since it is an outdoor hydroponic garden, it is empty now but it is still good to show the parts of the system to the students and those who would like to build one for themselves so its educational purpose is always present. In terms of the category we applied for, the project was sustainable in many ways and we managed to follow the full life cycle from growing the plants from the seeds to the period when the vegetables were ripe and ready to be picked up, eaten or conserved for the later period what is especially done with all kinds of pepper. We are happy we could show the whole cycle to the students and teachers as well as to the neighbours and managed to inspire some of them to start their own hydroponic gardens such as the Primary School "IV kraljevački bataljon" and some elderly neighbours. Since we have started the Facebook, Instagram and Threads pages, we are sure even more people in Serbia will get acquainted with hydroponic gardening and start it. To the project managers and creators the project was not only the opportunity to learn the new type of gardening, but also to enjoy the beauty and the taste of the colourful crops. Consuming healthy food with less investment and less hard work is what makes this project really purposeful. In case of consummation, we were the direct beneficiaries, and we also offered our products to the visitors curious to see and try the food and those who came with the intention to learn or work. Everybody was pleased to try the food and see some species that are domestic and very old or those imported from Mexico or other parts of the world.
