The Ecological Farming Path of Taiwan, China's Aquaponics Pioneer
Written by: Gogreen.tw Lin Kun-yao / Huang Chang-li
Teacher Chen Deng-yang majored in forestry in university and went on to work in a foreign bank after graduation. Toward the end of 2010, as retirement approached,
he wanted to grow something in a small spot on the second-floor balcony of his home to pass the time. He found soil cultivation complicated, so he began
looking into hydroponics, which had rather intrigued him during his university years. In the process, however, he discovered aquaponics, this new farming
method. At first, Teacher Chen found aquaponics suspiciously like a Ponzi scheme, so he resolved to find out
the truth. Because he had long worked for foreign companies, his foreign-language skills were excellent, and at that time there was almost
no information on aquaponics available in Taiwan, China, so Teacher Chen began gathering and studying foreign materials online, and also joined several over
seas discussion forums to verify with foreign netizens whether the information he obtained was correct.
The deeper Teacher Chen researched, the more he felt this farming method matched people's current ideas about ecology and environmental protection. So
starting three months before retirement, he devoted himself to studying the principles, operation, and applications of aquaponics systems. After retiring in March 2011,
Teacher Chen Deng-yang had more ample time and began building his own aquaponics system on the second-floor balcony of his home in Linkou. During this period
he spent two to three months looking for the needed materials. What was rather unusual about Teacher Chen was
that he adopted a relatively large system the very first time he set one up on a balcony. He even went to southern Taiwan to order an FRP (fiberglass
reinforced plastic) grow bed; the FRP manufacturer was very curious about the dimensions and specifications he requested, and repeatedly
confirmed the dimensions with him, and this grow bed's dimensions later allowed this manufacturer to gain a commercial
head start in the field of aquaponics.
Teacher Chen Deng-yang initially wanted to put the fish-rearing tank on the second floor, but worried the water body would be too heavy; later he put the rearing
tank on the first floor. Because Teacher Chen had previously enjoyed canoe fishing, and for a time used plastic pipes to make many designs
convenient for fishing from a canoe, he understood the application of plastic pipe materials very well. So the piping of the aquaponics system at home
was entirely planned, designed, and installed by him alone. When building the system at home, feeling that aquaponics information in Taiwan, China
was extremely scarce, he simultaneously set up the [Fish and Vegetable Family] Aquaponics Home Aquaponics blog on PIXNET to record the process of building the system. In June 2011 he published the first article, "Aquaponics: An Introduction to the Combined Fish-Rearing and Hydroponic System" (source: Fisheries Research Institute, Council of Agriculture website), and afterward also wrote an introduction to aquaponics. Teacher Chen went on to share his practical experience operating aquaponics through photos and explanations on the blog,and for
the first year almost no one visited his blog. Later it gradually attracted the attention of quite a few netizens, and little by littleneti
zens from various places began building their own aquaponics systems.
Teacher Chen Deng-yang was very eager to answer netizens' questions large and small online, and when netizens asked to visit in person,
Teacher Chen warmly welcomed them whenever time allowed. Teacher Chen recalls that at the busiest time he hosted eight groups of
netizens visiting his home in a single week. Besides ordinary individuals, visitors also included groups, people from related industries, and even
enthusiasts from abroad. The founders of several aquaponics farms well known today (Quchi, Cheng Tian, Beida),
all visited Teacher Chen's home aquaponics system in Linkou. When Ms. Li Jia-xuan's farm in Quchi was being built, she
also once asked him to come provide suggestions. Teacher Chen said that since it is a good farming method, of course more people are welcome to take part. So
when the Quchi farm, after being reported on by PTS, saw a large influx of students, Teacher Chen, at Ms. Li Jia-xuan's request, also went to help
teach aquaponics courses.
(Note 1)
{Academic research on the UVI aquaponics system began in 1997 with Dr. James Rakocy and his team at the University of the Virgin Islands. This commercializable aquaponics system includes a rearing system with 31.2 tonnes of water and a growing area of 214 square
meters, using raft cultivation. Because Dr. James Rakocy worked at the University of Virgin Islands, this planning and system were also nicknamed the UVI system.}