Permaculture - About algae farm at home (lesson 45)
About algae farm at home
While describing permaculture, usually we do not talk much about algae, at least not in the European culture. That's wrong, because algae are a nutritious and undemanding plants that we can reproduce indefinitely while maintaining the basic rules.
Let's start at the beginning and say a few words about the algae themselves. Edible algae (seaweed) comes mostly from salty waters. Those from the rivers and ponds are usually non-edible. We have over a hundred of different types of edible algae, most of those in common use come from the Eastern Asia. Here, in South America, where I currently am, two types are present on the market - imported Nori known from Japanese cuisine and Cochayuyo from the Pacific, which is not the tastiest in my opinion.
All edible algae types are healthy, have a lot of protein, vitamins A, B and C, as well as omega3, and iodine. Interestingly, reproduction is so fast and requires so little to start that it is considered one of the meals that produce the lowest carbon footprint. Algae also cleanse the environment ten to fifty times more effectively than the regular plants, so it's very eco-friendly to have them at home. With some kinds, we can produce the oil or even sugar (after the fermentation).
Mostly, the algae are grown in the seas or, in the case of several species out of a hundred edible varieties, from artificial reservoirs. Today, however, I would like to present to you a brilliant project by Hyunseok An, thanks to which you can bring algae farming into your own home.
Hyunseok An designed the "The Coral" wall installation, which consists of 16 algae tiles that filter the air, produce food and ... aesthetically pleasing. Such an installation, after hanging on the wall and connected to the electricity, does not require any intervention on our part. The plates turn darker over time, and once they reach the desired color, they can be removed, opened and the seaweed consumed, leaving a little to grow again over time.
The whole thing is constructed in such a way as to remove one cube every day, so seaweed should be enough for even the largest family (after all, it is not a product that is consumed in huge amounts). The type of seaweed used in this project was Spirulina, which was recognized by the WHO as the most optimal food for humans due to its low water requirements and high protein content.
Installation is very simple - fill the cubes with filtered water, add some food for algae and then a bit of algae. The algae will be ready for harvest after two weeks. In principle, we can carry out a similar process in any glass or plastic container, creating our own version of the farm. Algae that will start the multiplication process may come from the previous crop (we leave a little bit, as in the case of acid leaven) The problem may be finding food for the plant, but you could try to create one yourself - algae feeds on the waste of marine animals and waste materials produced by decomposing materials. In some countries, algae food can be purchased online (see: here Access to a sunny place is also important.
Currently, the purchase of the installation is possible only after contacting the artist by e-mail, but there are many other similar sets on the Internet. Usually they are slightly less attractive in appearance, but also a much lower price. For example, This home-made kit to produce chlorella is available for less than 20 USD
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Reading this post tells me your very good at your field of work, thank you for teaching us about Algae and their properties.