Growing Systems
Aquaponics, hydroponics, aeroponics, vertical growing, soil production and controlled-environment agriculture.
Sustainable food systems since 2009
Growing better ways to grow food.
Garden Pool designs practical, resilient food systems at every scale, from backyard growing systems to integrated farms. We combine agriculture, water, technology, energy and education to help people and organizations produce food more sustainably.
- Founded 2009
- Arizona
- Sustainable Food Systems
- Education & Research
- Global Capacity Development
More than aquaponics
We design systems, not just growing methods
Every property and community is different. Garden Pool starts with the available land, water, climate, resources and goals, then combines the right technologies and agricultural methods into one integrated system.
That may include aquaponics. It may also include hydroponics, orchards, livestock, greenhouses, rainwater harvesting, renewable energy, soil-based agriculture or controlled-environment production.
Often, the best solution combines several of them.
One
system
LandWaterFoodLivestockEnergyTechnologyNutrientsPeoplesystem
Land · Water · Food · Livestock · Energy · Technology · Nutrients · People
Capabilities
One mission. Many tools.
Garden Pool works in systems — growing, water, land, energy, design and education — and selects the combination that fits the site.
Water Systems
Rainwater harvesting, irrigation, water conservation, storage, recirculation and appropriate water-management strategies.
Farms & Land
Whole-farm planning, orchards, perennial agriculture, livestock integration, protected agriculture, infrastructure and phased development.
Energy & Appropriate Technology
Renewable-energy integration, efficient technologies, automation and practical solutions selected for the environment where they will operate.
Design & Modeling
Site planning, system design, SketchUp 3D modeling, visualization, materials planning and implementation planning.
Education & Capacity Development
Workshops, workforce development, agricultural education, technology transfer, university collaboration and community capacity development.
A common question
No pool? No problem.
A Garden Pool is a design philosophy and an integrated food-production system — not a requirement to own a swimming pool.
Garden Pool systems can be designed around existing pools, ponds, tanks, greenhouses, indoor growing spaces, backyard structures and open land — based on the site, climate, resources and goals.
Integrated farm systems
Salt Bridge Farm
What happens when the Garden Pool approach expands beyond a single growing system?
Salt Bridge Farm in New Jersey demonstrates an integrated approach to sustainable agriculture and food production — the same systems thinking that began with the original Garden Pool, applied across a whole property.
- High-tunnel food production
- Hydroponic growing
- Aquaponics
- Mushroom production
- Sprout production
- Livestock
- Orchard & perennial food
- Water conservation & irrigation
- Renewable-energy planning
- Agricultural education
- Young-adult workforce development
Scale
From a backyard pool to whole farms
The same approach has moved from a single suburban lot to international agricultural work and diversified farms.
01
The Original Garden Pool
Mesa, Arizona
An unused swimming pool became a closed-loop food-production ecosystem and launched an experiment in integrated sustainable agriculture.
02
Golden Grove
Trinidad & Tobago
Garden Pool expanded its work internationally through sustainable food production, agricultural training and capacity development.
03
International Projects
Barbuda · Nevis · Suriname
The role expanded beyond building systems to training, agricultural resilience, technology transfer and capacity development.
04
Salt Bridge Farm
New Jersey
Systems thinking applied to a diversified modern farm — multiple forms of food production, livestock, water, energy planning, education and workforce development.
The next farm
What could we design with your land?
The same systems-thinking approach can be applied to homesteads, farms, campuses, nonprofits, educational facilities, community projects and large agricultural properties.
Who we work with
From backyards to farms to communities
Homeowners
Backyard food production, aquaponics, hydroponics, greenhouses and custom sustainable growing systems.
Design & BuildFarms & Landowners
Whole-farm planning, integrated agricultural systems, water, livestock, orchards, controlled-environment agriculture and resilient infrastructure.
Farm DesignSchools, Nonprofits & Communities
Educational farms, demonstration systems, workforce development, community food production and training.
Education & TrainingInstitutions & International Partners
Agricultural capacity development, technology transfer, climate resilience, research collaboration and sustainable food-system development.
Global ImpactOur origin
It started with a swimming pool.
In 2009, an unused backyard pool in Mesa, Arizona became a laboratory for a different way of thinking about food production.
The important idea wasn't the pool. It was the system.
That experiment demonstrated how water, fish, plants, structures, energy and biological processes could work together rather than independently. Garden Pool incorporated as an Arizona nonprofit in 2012 and has been applying that same philosophy to new environments and new challenges ever since.
What we do
Four areas of work
Design, teach, transfer, and study — the same loop the original system was built on.
Design & Innovation
We design and test practical food-production systems that integrate aquaponics, hydroponics, vertical growing, water harvesting, controlled-environment agriculture, renewable energy, and appropriate technology.
Education & Training
We turn practical experience into knowledge people can use — through demonstrations, workshops, courses, videos, publications, training programs, and Garden Pool Academy.
Capacity Development
We help communities and institutions build the skills and systems needed to solve food-production challenges locally. Our philosophy is not simply to install technology — it is to transfer knowledge.
Research & Collaboration
Garden Pool has worked alongside universities, international agricultural organizations, government agencies, schools, researchers, nonprofits, farmers, and communities to develop and demonstrate sustainable approaches to food production.
Featured projects
Evidence of the range
Each project shows a different capability within the same systems approach.
Integrated food systems
The Original Garden Pool
Mesa, Arizona, USA
An unused backyard swimming pool converted into a closed-loop food-production ecosystem — the experiment that started the organization.
Read the projectAppropriate technology & training
Haiti Sustainable Agriculture & Community Work
Haiti
Sustainable agriculture and community food-production work carried out with local partners.
Read the project
International agriculture & training
Golden Grove
Trinidad & Tobago
Sustainable food-production and training work in Trinidad & Tobago, where Garden Pool maintained an international sub-office.
Read the project
Agricultural recovery & education
Sir McChesney George Secondary School
Barbuda
School-based agricultural work contributing to rebuilding efforts in Barbuda's agriculture sector.
Read the projectClimate-resilient agriculture
Climate-Resilient Aquaponics Demonstration
Nevis, St. Kitts & Nevis
A demonstration system showing how aquaponics can support farmers facing climate and disaster pressure.
Read the projectDigital agricultural planning & capacity development
Agricultural Disaster-Risk Management Capacity Development
Suriname
Capacity development using digital modeling tools to improve agricultural disaster-risk management.
Read the projectInstitutional experience
Work alongside institutions
Garden Pool has worked and collaborated with universities, international agricultural organizations, government agencies, schools, and community organizations. Relationships are described precisely — not every organization listed was a formal contractual partner.
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
Collaborated with; founder designated IICA Goodwill Ambassador in Sustainable Development
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Institutional relationship
Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI)
Worked alongside on Caribbean agricultural resilience projects
The University of the West Indies
Institutional collaboration
University of Arizona
Institutional relationship
Arizona State University
Institutional relationship
Schools, ministries of agriculture & extension services
Training and demonstration work
Community organizations & nonprofits
Programs, volunteers, and community food systems
Media & recognition
Independently reported
Third-party coverage and institutional recognition of Garden Pool's work.
- Featured Story
Microsoft
Global garden: How one man's vision to feed his family blossomed into an international effort
- Television & Video
ABC News
Arizona Family Grows Garden in Backyard Swimming Pool
- Institutional Recognition
United Nations Foundation
Garden Pool Climate Smart Farms featured among 10 local innovators championing global SDG solutions
- Institutional Recognition
IICA
Dennis McClung — Goodwill Ambassador in Sustainable Development
- News & Features
IICA
Suriname bets on digital modeling tools to improve capacities in agricultural disaster risk
- News & Features
CARDI
Relief efforts target farmers in St. Kitts and Nevis
Garden Pool Academy
Practical knowledge. Shared.
Garden Pool Academy is the renewed educational arm of Garden Pool — turning hands-on experience into courses, plans, and training people can actually use.
- Introduction to Sustainable Food Systems
- Aquaponics
- Hydroponics
- Building a Garden Pool
- Rainwater Harvesting
- Water Conservation
- Vertical Growing
- Food-System Design
Educational reach
Garden Pool has shared aquaponics, hydroponics and sustainable food-system knowledge online since 2009.
3.9M+
YouTube views
277K+
Hours watched
20.6K
YouTube subscribers
~30K
Followers across platforms
Start here
What are you trying to grow?
A backyard food system. A school farm. A resilient community project. A 100-acre agricultural property. Garden Pool starts with the goal, the site and the available resources, then helps determine what combination of systems makes sense.