Costa is visiting a temporary installation on the banks of the Yarra River, the latest iteration of Joost Baker’s experimental constructions; “Greenhouse”. Subscribe 🔔 http://ab.co/GA-subscribe
While it is perched on the edge of the CBD, it is aimed squarely at homeowners everywhere, “in the future we will all live like this” says Joost.
The 3-storey house is a humble 87m2, about ¼ of the size of an average Aussie dwelling, but it has big ambitions, to demonstrate a productive, sustainable & no-waste future. “Our food system one of the most wasteful, polluting things on the planet – the way we grow our food but also transport and sell it. I wanted to create a house that was shelter for people but could also grow food and create energy – our cities have so much potential”.
Every available space is involved in growing food, and every available nutrient in the house harvested to do it.
Potted gardens fill both balconies, growing everything from pumpkins to chickpeas. Food grade plastic 44-gallon drums are positioned everywhere, as soil-filled pots acting as ballast for the house and as wicking beds.
The house is also running Aquaponics systems, with fish, yabbies and fresh-water mussels contributing nutrients to 2 large grow beds. “more than enough to feed a family all the greens they need”. Joost reckons that they are much easier than people think, particularly when you are raising things like yabbies
The mushroom wall is both an aesthetic and edible addition to the house, positioned in the base of the vertical green house, in the central stairwell. Humidity for the mushies, is harvested from the shower and the hot water system – nothing is wasted.
Of course, general waste is also being converted into fertiliser & fuel. They are feeding veggie scraps to crickets. These crickets are then used in the kitchen to make felafel!
While Joost is passionate about natural ecosystems, in this designed ecosystem people are integral. “Without them, the nutrients needed for the system do not exist. It needs to be managed”. The people in this case are Matt stone & Jo Barret, award winning chefs who grew their own gardening skills running their zero-waste kitchen at Oakridge wines.
They have been on the tools throughout the house construction, and now are now living in the house, eating only what they grow on site. They are very passionate about the project and about the ethos. Matt – “When you cook this way, you just want to do more. As a chef, I want things to be delicious, and the most delicious food is the most ethically produced food”.
But Joost hopes the ideas here will help to fuel others for the future. “I don’t see that everything we are doing here is the only way to do it, I want it to be a catalyst.
“CRICKET BALLS” RECIPE
1 cup dried chickpeas
4 spring onions
1/2 bun parsley
1/2 bun coriander
2 cloves garlic
1 sml piece fresh turmeric
1 carrot
1t cumin
1t coriander seed
1/2 paprika
1T baking powder
1/2 cup crickets
Soak the chickpeas for 24 hours. If you have time you can leave you can drain them off and lay on a tray for a day or two to sprout. It adds extra flavour and nutrients but isn’t necessary.
Roughly chop the veggies and herbs. Toast and grind the spices.
Add herbs, veggies, chickpeas and crickets to a blender. Blend till as smooth as possible. Transfer to a bowl. Mix in the baking powder and season with salt and pepper. If the mix is wet add some chickpea of plain flour till you can roll the mix into balls.
Roll the mix into 20 ish balls. Heat some frying oil in a pot on the stove. Heat till roughly 180 degrees. Fry the cricket balls for a few minutes until golden and crisp. Season with salt and serve with your favourite dipper sauce.
FEATURED SPECIES
SNOWFLAKE MUSHROOM
Hericium coralloides
LION’S MANE
Hericium erinaceus
YABBY
Cherax destructor
FRESHWATER MUSSEL
Family Hyriidae
BARRAMUNDI
Lates calcarifer
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48 Comments
Việt Nam Xin chào !
Amazing project. I would love to live in a home like that but sadly housing everywhere keeps getting more and more expensive.
0:12 "create a food system that's a closed loop" Close the loop for those plastic barbells LOL
I generally agree with the direction, but 0 waste is a pipe dream, and you can not forget about the ppl when you are so much in love with nature.
I've never heard of this man but he's cool
I hope we're looking at the future
I am building my own food and fuel systems around my home
I think the real question is how safe is this long term? Modern waste management spends a lot of time removing things like plastics, pharmaceuticals and other stuff you really don’t want near your food sources as part of water treatment.
Mealworms on styrofoam if I recall from the papers on the subject, the mealworm frass ends up something like 40% of the polymers used in the styrofoam, unchanged.
Is it an improvement? Yes! Is it something you’d want to be growing your food in? Absolutely not. What happens to any pharmaceuticals in the recycled water? How about the plastics of the containers as they eventually start to degrade in the sun and leach into the soil?
This is a great idea, but a closed loop brings up its own set of challenges, not for food production but for long term health
The host looks like he owns the place 😆
Amazing👍
are they promoting eating crikets? are they supported by Bill Gates?… hardly land to cultivate, eating insects, no meat in a green countryside whatsoever… it seems very cool, but there is a very dark side here. Nothing like the Natural, in the natural way. Fishes from a clean ocean, meat from animals free and well treated in an open countryside, vegetables grown on Earth, wild mushrooms, waste to be recycled and composting to nurture a brilliant and super efficient Natural system that the Nature already has gifted to us. It is no necessary such economic investment in a system like the Nature already provide us, the best innovation is just readjusting habits and re-connection with our earthy essence… chefs already promoting eating insects!! here in Galicia the seafood is very common, but if you are a minimum wake up regarding the vibrations and effects of such food in your brain of some food or drinks, like coffee or some seafood (seafood that depurates waste in Nature), you will never ever consume it. Eating insects is a clear vibe involution, very clear. Cultivate without land too (Bill Gates has been buying millions of acres of cultivating land for years… and he also promotes the eating of insects). The land belongs to all life beigns, and the Nature appreciates her cultivation with love and gratitude. No… definitely, that is not cool at all
chickens turn bugs into omelets. it's magical
🥰
Awesome. I think Aussies are ahead of us here in NZ when it comes to permaculture.
give 1million and I do it!
Brilliant! I wish I could go eat at this restaurant some day. Then learn how to make a place like that for my own.
🙂A grazing cow in its natural habitat does improve soil quality and the wonderfull thing about them is ..they produce co2 !!! which supports plantlife and plant biodiversity …and in turn they give us dairy and meat etc …isnt nature wonderfull as it is !!!
What is self-sustainable?
please see Revelation 14:12 it tells the 2 characteristc of what a saint is.
Revelation 14:12
(King James Version)
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
the system clearly what a had in mind when I build my house in the future
was the construction of the house zero waste too ?
Crickets could be used as a food source for fishes that are predatory in nature and feed on insects. The result will be a good food source without much expenses.
Cheers from portugal
What's wrong with the reporter?! He looks like a homeless man with that horrible beard and hair, nobody jet want to respect themselves or others with a dignified and clean image.
I am crying and really amazed watching this video. Really insightful yet inspiring. Thank you for uploading this video!!
Actually the demand for such homes exists! Please build more of them 😉
City people are funny
I bet this guy had major problems with getting certification and licensing for selling his produce, and using it in his restaurant. But good on him. I just hope the chemical companies don't try to shut him down.
The thing with aquaponics is that to do it large scale you need iron in the water for the plants to truly grow at their fastest. Iron is the one thing that the fish don't produce for the system.
Yhuju
Vhjjkokio
Our Grandparents did all of this…. don't you remember?!
Where's the pear and apple tree that produced roughly 3kg of ripe each fruit at the same time?
This is a great concept but please don't treat us like we're dumb. There is zero chance that all of the bowls of fresh fruit and vegetables we seen were grown completely on site.
Beautiful house.. This is my dream too.. I will pack my house and surrounding with plants and livestock so that I can be self-sufficient…
How did he get away with it re council?
Those aquaponic plants looks pretty sad.
Seen commie block balconies growing more than this place lmao
NWO bug eating agenda
You are the blue wizard of green living, I love what you are showing here! 💚💚
🇮🇳🧡💚🙏🌸💐👍🙂🍓🇮🇳🪰🌺🍈🍏🍐🍇💜
Memo to everyone: when you see someone have a moment like this guy did, when he made the mushroom pun, stop a second and celebrate together. this is such a high energy happy moment. A child-like bliss 🙂 glad this guy is putting these vibes there
I love this idea.. but I had one concern.. what about the car engine emissions in the air? Does that affect the food in any way?
And they tell us there aren't enough resources on this planet for everyone…
This is quite possibly the most comprehensive solution based system I’ve come across. This guy’s incredible and this needs replication en mass urgently!! What a genius.
I definitely agree . Our government in USA is changing everything from food to meat and even to coffee grounds . We have Bill Gates is trying push fake meat in grocery stores in USA. My wife and I is trying grow our own food and livestock animal for meat . We buy coffee grounds I notice coffee grounds we buy from Walmart is no lesson long . Also Walmart coffee grounds used to cost $5.46 and now same Walmart French dark roast coffee grounds is $10.67 . It double in prices in a year .
You weren't wrong 2020 was the year when everything changed
It's just a huge architectural wank that uses lots of steel, lots of plastic and lots of fluffy BS.
It's a sick joke. How carbon neutral is that building ? Not even remotely. Are the walls made of earth and timber ? It's just a hydroponic set up for hipsters.
Wow… !!! My best friend, It's always great. I wish you every day of your development. Have a happy day!
It is not our food production, it is export food production. There are many areas on earth with more people than food supplies will you smug bastards condemn them to starve?
I like the idea of this house. Its smart and inspiring… But I'll never eat bugs by choice.