Aquaponics farm has to close?

Today I read that the Stadtfarm in Landschaftspark Herzberge has to close for good because of income losses due to missing sales to the catering industry, fewer customers, and rising energy costs.¹ That’s a real loss for the area, because the concept of aquaponics is really fascinating.² By utilizing natural cycles, the breeding of edible fish (African catfish³) is combined with the cultivation of vegetables. The liquid excretions of the catfish serve as valuable plant fertilizer: they pass through a biofilter, where bacteria convert the ammonium into nitrate. The water is then used to feed tomatoes, peppers, chilies, and herbs, before cycling back to the fish. It’s a closed-loop system that works without soil or additional irrigation.⁴

Winterzauber - the light pollution market

Every evening when the sun goes down, I see the spotlights and bright glow of the Christmas market near Frankfurter Allee. It feels like a foreign object that’s suddenly materialized, distorting the whole area. I wonder if they chose extra spotlights just because cultural events and folk festivals have an exemption in the EnSikuMaV¹. I can totally understand why people living directly in front of the market might be upset² - especially on cold, foggy nights when the light is just eerie and overwhelmingly bright.