Two Homeowners, One Big Experiment
We're Pip and Phelan — a couple living on Vancouver Island, BC, who got tired of paying $4 for a bag of lettuce and decided to grow our own. What started as a weekend project turned into a full-on obsession with aquaponics and hydroponics.
How This Started
It started with a spare room. We had a bedroom that wasn't being used, and Phelan — who has a background in trades and loves building things — suggested we try a tower garden. We ordered a basic kit, set it up in a weekend, and within six weeks we were eating our own lettuce.
That was the hook. We started researching more, discovered aquaponics, and realized we could add fish to the system and create something that was almost completely self-sustaining. We moved into the backyard, built a 100-gallon system, and started raising tilapia alongside our greens.
The problem? Most of the information online was either for commercial farmers or locked behind expensive courses. We couldn't find a single honest, beginner-friendly resource written by someone who was actually doing this at home, on a normal budget, in a normal house.
So we built it ourselves. That's Learning Aquaponics.
Meet the Team
Pip Seymour
Strategy, Content & Community
Pip brings a background in digital marketing and psychology to the garden. She's the one who researches the science behind why plants grow faster in aquaponic systems, tests new nutrient formulas, and writes most of the guides on this site.
She's also the co-founder of Seymour Digital Media, a BC-based digital marketing agency — which means she applies the same data-driven thinking to growing food as she does to growing businesses.
Pip's current obsession: getting the pH balance perfect in the backyard aquaponics system and figuring out which leafy greens grow fastest in a BC winter.
Phelan Lewis
Builds, Systems & Technical Guides
Phelan is the builder. With a background in trades and hands-on problem solving, he's the one who designed and built the tower garden, the backyard aquaponics system, and the garage NFT setup — all from scratch.
He also works in customer support and technical operations at Seymour Digital Media, which means he's used to explaining complex things in plain language — a skill that comes in handy when writing step-by-step build guides.
Phelan's current project: building a second aquaponics system in the garage using reclaimed materials, and documenting every step for a full build series on this site.
What We Believe
Food growing should be accessible
You don't need a farm, a big budget, or a green thumb. You need good information and a willingness to try.
Honest beats perfect
We share our failures as openly as our successes. If something didn't work, we'll tell you why — so you don't make the same mistake.
Small systems matter
A spare room or a backyard corner can produce a meaningful amount of food. You don't need to go big to make a difference.
Community accelerates learning
The best tips we've gotten came from other homeowners. That's why we share everything and encourage you to do the same.
Ready to Start Growing?
Head to our guides section — we'll walk you through everything from choosing your first system to your first harvest.
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