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Community gardens are already very popular in Berlin ^[5], but a group of agro-entrepreneurs is planning to take urban farming to the next level in the German capital. A team of three Berliners is planning to convert an enormous old malt factory in the city’s Schöneberg district into a rooftop farm that promises to be one of the most ambitious urban agriculture projects in the world. The Frisch vom Dach ^[6] (“Fresh from the Roof”) project will be an aquaponics farm where both fish and vegetables are produced and distributed on-site.

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Under the current plan, fish will be raised in the large vats that were once used to dry barley in the factory. Greenhouses will be constructed on the 7,000-square-meter roof, and waste from the fish will be used to fertilize the vegetables. The plants will in turn filter and purify the water for the fish, creating a sustainable, closed-loop system. In addition to selling vegetables year-round, the farmers will also harvest the fish and sell them as food.

Planning for the Frisch vom Dach ^[6] farm began in September, and the founders hope to have their first harvest in 2013. The estimated cost to convert the factory into a farm is €5 million, and the team is currently courting investors. While they continue to plan and raise money for the rooftop farm, the Frisch vom Dach team has produced a small prototype out of an upcycled shipping container that they’ve dubbed “Little Brother” to experiment with aquaponics. The double-decker container farm is currently producing both fish and vegetables, and it’s on display in Berlin.

+ Frisch vom Dach ^[6]

Via Der Spiegel ^[8]

Photos © Frisch vom Dach