Growing fresh food for the local communities with sustainability in mind.

Ísponica’s mission is simple:

To grow fresh food for the local communities with sustainability in mind.

  • By growing for the nearby communities, we lower the carbon footprint that typically comes with importing and moving food over vast distances.
  • Using aquaponics (nutrient-rich water from fish tanks) to grow our plants, we create an ecosystem-style of production. Healthy fish + healthy plants = Well-balanced system!
  • By growing locally, we can strengthen the connection customers have with the food and supply chains.

About Ísponica

The idea behind Ísponica is to grow vertically and aquaponically farmed crops.

A vertical farming setup is used to optimize the building space already available. Vertical farming enables growers to make use of total building height, and not just horizontal space, which means more crops can be grown in the same space.

Find out more…

Aquaponics

Aquaponics uses the waste from fish as fertilizer for plants. This is how Ísponica grows its plants.

The water will flow from the fish tank to the biofilter, where good nitrifying bacteria will convert the wastewater into nutrients the plants can use. The water will then flow to the areas where the plants are growing. Here, the plants will take up nutrients from the waste. After the water passes through these grow areas, water is returned back to the fish tank.

Find out more…

Community

Ísponica grows vegetables and herbs for Hólar and the nearby communities, including Sauðárkrókur, Varmahlíð, Hofsós and other farms and homes in the area.

The first stage of production includes triton radish microgreens, rambo radish microgreens, kale microgreens, and speckled pea microgreens. Growth trials for salads, herbs and mushrooms are ongoing.

The goal for Ísponica isn’t to just be a farm – it’s to also be an active member of the community. Ísponica aims to give back by encouraging nutrition, agriculture education, research, and partnering with other organizations to reduce food waste and increase access to healthy food.

Find out more…

Amber Monroe is the founder of Ísponica.

Originally from Georgia (USA), Amber arrived in Iceland in 2018 to pursue her MSc in Aquatic Biology from Hólar University in Hólar, Iceland.

She loves Iceland – and especially Skagafjörður- so,she is looking forward to seeing Ísponica continue to grow in the community.

Amber has wanted to be an aquaponic farmer since childhood.  Since then, she knew it was her dream career and has worked towards making it a reality over the years.