New Way Aquaponic Farms is a teaching, learning, and production farm located in Midtown Memphis. We grow via aquaponics and specialize in the farm-to-table concept.
We are proud to be recognized by the TSU Cooperative Extension Service at their Small Farm Expo as the 2019 award winner for Best Management Practice and Farmer of the Year.
New Way Farms opened in 2017 and is located in the Annesdale-Snowden section of Memphis. We began the farm as a means to train school age kids and adults in the science and art of growing food via aquaponics.
Aquaponics is the combination of the word “aqua” from aquaculture or the growing of fish + “ponics” from hydroponics or the growing of plants in a medium other than soil. In aquaponics, we grow vegetables and plants with fish in water, in a closed system. The liquid ammonia in the fish pee and poop is converted, by naturally occurring bacteria into nutrients that the plants absorb to grow. We only use 10% of the water used in conventional agriculture.
We have programs that teach STEM topics to students of all ages. The tasks involved in maintaining the farm are no more than science, technology, engineering, math, and civics experiments. Contact us to determine if our programs can supplement your school's or home school's curriculums.
We have recently partnered with Spatial Grow to include their on-line classroom software to assist students in grades 3 - 12 in translating virtual learning into real world farming experiences. The flexible curriculum is perfect at allowing students to utilize STEM based math and science tools to dive into agriculture in a paced environment, coupling online learnings with actual system grow experiences. This software is also an essential component for homeschoolers and their parent/teachers.
Our demonstration grow rooms are located indoors. We also have a conference room for formal presentations and chefs available to demonstrate cooking techniques to enjoy freshly grown vegetables
Our future plan is to build a 3,000 sq ft greenhouse on property adjacent to the farm's main building. The greenhouse will supply local restaurants, specialty markets, retail consumers, and herbal medicine practitioners. We also work with local based organizations committed to alleviating food insecurity and hunger in Shelby County.
Phone
(901) 314-3396
Location
1319 Heistan Place
Memphis, TN 38104
daryl@newwayaquaponicfarms.com
Hours
M-F 9a–3p
Always call first as we work outside of the farm with schools and customers to better understand their requirements
Our story
It all started when…
I, like many of you, wondered where and how the food that I consume was grown. I have had raised beds in my backyard, where I have successfully grew vegetables that my family ate. But I wondered if there was a system that could generate both vegetables and protein, in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. I found aquaponics could do just that. Aquaponics not only can supply food, but it can teach us how to apply math and science concepts that we learned in school to better perfect the quantity and quality of the food being grown vs. waiting solely on nature to provide the ideal circumstances for successful harvest.
Is Aquaponics for Me or My Family? - AP 101
Join us for a 1-1/2 to 2 hours orientation about what it takes to be a home or student aquaponics farmer. Call to schedule the timing for your session. Cost $50 for one or two people, includes aquaponic handouts and beverages.
For those wanting to explore aquaponics do’s and dont’s on their own, we also have a great book for home aquaponics - Sylvia Bernstein’s - “Aquaponic Gardening”. You can order the book by hitting the "Purchase" button below and it can be shipped or if you visit the farm, pick up and pay at the farm. Cost is $20.00 plus tax - if shipped -$5 more will be added to cost.