Welcome to Ponics Life!
Our Goals
Our goals are simple: (1) spread awareness about soilless farming, (2) connect readers and visitors with the tools and resources they need to get started, and (3) expand and grow the field. We hope to change the agricultural narrative and introduce soilless farming to the masses. We truly believe that hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics are the future of farming!
Our Philosophy
If you’ve ever looked out an airplane window, you’ve probably noticed that the vast majority of land is covered in crops. In a nutshell, this isn’t sustainable and it has to change. Our philosophy reflects this belief: connect and introduce people to the world of soilless farming so that we can reduce our spatial footprint, build vertically, and make the world more sustainable.
Our Services
It’s not our intention to reinvent the wheel, but it is our intention to reinvent how “farming” information is delivered. We want to introduce the world to the “Ponics Life” and prove that produce can be grown sustainably in our own homes. Our current services include awareness and product connections for hobbyists, but we do intend to grow as we learn about new opportunities.
John Garner McCandless
About the Founder
John Garner McCandless first learned about urban agriculture while growing up in Mississippi, where he took two years of vo-tech aquaculture and became particularly interested in small-scale aquaponic systems. Since then, he’s gone on to study environmental and natural hazards planning and has worked to create sustainability guides and resources for all levels of government.
John’s interest in hydroponics resurfaced during the pandemic when he started to experiment again with apartment-suitable systems in Seattle, WA. Needless to say, his experiments have quickly turned into an addiction!
Fast forward to today and John has successfully grown vegetables in every type of hydroponic system (and has slowly allowed plants to take over his house!)
- Primary Work Background: Environment and Natural Hazard Planning
- Education: Master of Urban and Regional Planning (Natural Hazards and Environmental concentration)
- Relavent Community Work: Current Mississippi Master Gardener and Mississippi Master Gardener Volunteer
Where does the information on PonicsLife.com come from?
Most information on ponicslife.com comes from academic or governmental resources (which we typically highlight in the FAQs section of posts). However, because hydroponics and aquaponics are relatively new/growing fields (at least in terms of academic popularity), the answers aren’t always readily available. If we can’t find a “.edu” or “.gov” answer, we’ll typically turn to other reliable online resources or community groups.
Quick Reminder — this site is for Hobbyists!
Ponicslife.com is an educational resource that’s intended to be used as a guide, not a strict rulebook. We hope that every visitor comes away thinking that they can make hydroponics/aquaponics work for them. As hydroponics/aquaponics is truly a trial and error kind of hobby, what’s important is that you have fun, learn from your mistakes, and don’t get discouraged. Do what works best for you and design, build, and grow however you want!
“Best in Hydroponics”
Winner
“Best in Aquaponics”
Winner
“Best in Aeroponics”
Winner