Established in 2019, MAquaponics operates an aquaponics farm Ddmashen, Geghraquniq marz. MAquaponics is a family-based farm co-founded by Kirk Wallace, who is from the USA where, formerly, he was a history teacher. Today Kirk lives in Yerevan, operates an aquaponic system in Ddmashen village. MAquaponics LLC has created a new urban farm in Ddmashen close to Lake Sevan. This system is Armenia’s first large-scale aquaponics operation designed which provides workforce development opportunities and fresh produce year-round. While there are other aquaponic operations in the region.
The farm uses the patented technology of Integrated Agriculture Systems Inc (INTAG) of Harrisburg, PA, USA, where it is developing a localized source of organic fertilizer. Organic inputs are dosed into the system to produce low cost, organic liquid fertilizers for the localized crop production system. Carp are grown as the main fish species, while the solid waste from the fish are used to feed California composting worms, which digest the solid waste and excrete it in dissolvable form. These dissolved compounds act as a fertilizer for the growth of aquaponic plants. The farm is producing bok choy and arugula for the local market. The water is fully recycled and no synthetic fertilizers are used for the plant growth. Since the farm is operating in a greenhouse, solar energy is used for heating purposes, reducing the pressure on fossil fuels and related GHG productions. The information is provided by the Armenian project partner: ICARE-Armenia
