We sized up our project, repurposing standardized IBC-Containers to make a simple but efficient system, buildable everywhere in the world. The system will be open source.
Tequipanoa for Communities
Category: Vermiponics
Tequipanoa – Community Network
Our idea is to found a organization selling, nice and compact mostly self running “growing boxes” which everybody can buy to explore our system for themselves at home, with the money paid for them, a fund will be established, from which our organization is supporting social groups in development countries etc. to build the IBC growing system.
Through this we hope to build up a social network providing the needed parts (3D-printed, worms, etc.) to each destination. We will start this project in Nairobi, Kenya where we will try to work together with local resellers, fablabs and farms providing everything so communities are able to grow there own vegetables, regardless off the ground pollution to create some kind of self sufficiancy for people dependend on the market prices and big companies.
Tequipanoa – System
Hydroponic is a method of growing plants without soil, using nutrient solutions in a water solvent. Vermicompost is the product of the composting process using various species of worms to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing food waste, one of the best natural fertilizers. We are aiming to create a hyper efficient plant growing and waste reducing system.
We managed to successfully combine these two systems into a cycle. The vermicompost is decomposing kitchen scraps, paper etc. into fertilizer, which drips into a water stream. The water stream brings the nutrient-, and oxygen-rich water to the plants. In order to keep the compost wet and to get the extra nutrition, the system is able to “shower” the enriched water once in a while over the compost.
