It turns out I was destined to get into farming. It’s in my blood. My maternal grandfather was a farmer and my paternal grandmother was a farmer, so it was inevitable.

I always had a natural inclination towards plants but it wasn’t until I stumbled upon Aquaponics that my curiosity was truly piqued. After two years of research and a series of hemming and hawwing, I finally took the plunge and hired someone to build my first system.

I went against the grain and chose koi carp as my fish species. Why? Because they were beautiful, had personality plus a healthy resale value as they got bigger. I thought to myself that this would be perfect as my long-term retirement plan.

I started with a 30-plant system growing only lettuce.

As time and my experience progressed, I dabbled with chive, chadon beni as well as basil and all were successful. I was on to something–no major fish deaths and healthy, pesticide-safe crops; I could really do this! As I posted pictures of my progress, friends began to order produce. Within a few months I had regulars but couldn’t increase my capacity because I was limited to just 30 plants.

Luckily, our family had land that wasn’t being used and that seemed like the perfect opportunity to expand. Over the last three years I attended workshops on Aquaponic and Hydroponic Farming, Integrated Pest Management and Best Agricultural Practices as I desired to learn as much as I could.

What started as a hobby quickly turned into a micro business.