The Original Garden Pool
An unused backyard swimming pool converted into a closed-loop food-production ecosystem — the experiment that started the organization.
- Location
- Mesa, Arizona, USA
- Year
- 2009
- Focus
- Aquaponics, Research, Community
The challenge
Could an ordinary suburban lot in the Sonoran Desert produce a meaningful amount of food using very little water and mostly salvaged materials?
The approach
Founder Dennis McClung enclosed an empty swimming pool and built an integrated system combining fish, plants, poultry, and water cycling, then documented every iteration publicly.
What we built / taught
A converted pool structure housing aquaponic growing beds, tilapia, chickens, and hydroponic and vertical growing areas, refined through years of continuous experimentation.
Who was involved
The McClung family, volunteers, and a growing community of visitors, students, and builders who came to see the system in person.
What was learned
Closed-loop design, evaporation control, and locally sourced materials mattered more than expensive equipment. Documentation turned a private experiment into a teachable method.
Impact
International media attention, thousands of visitors and volunteers over the years, and the foundation for Garden Pool's incorporation as an Arizona nonprofit in 2012.