For architect and urban grower Abhijit Sawant, the question of where food comes from has evolved into a larger exploration of how it can be grown closer to where people live. Alongside his wife, Natasha Kumar, Sawant runs Studio Tilt, an architecture and design practice in Goa. His professional work in architecture, interiors and landscaping gradually led him towards another area of interest, sustainable food production.
That curiosity became the foundation for Satellite Farms Goa, a passion project focused on hydroponics, aquaponics, microgreens and other controlled growing systems. What began more than a decade ago as an interest in hydroponics has since developed into a platform for experimentation, education and knowledge sharing.
From Architecture to Urban Farming
The origins of Satellite Farms can be traced back to Sawant’s architectural and interior projects, where plants and greenery were increasingly becoming an integral part of the spaces he designed. One recurring challenge, however, was maintaining them, particularly ensuring consistent watering.
This prompted him to investigate whether plants could be grown without soil and with greater control over water and nutrients. His experiments with hydroponics gradually became a serious area of research. What initially began as a way to introduce edible greens into architectural projects expanded into a broader question: could food production become part of homes, restaurants, communities and other urban environments?
Satellite Farms emerged from this exploration, challenging the conventional idea that farming must remain separate from urban life.
Making Sustainable Farming More Accessible
At the heart of Satellite Farms is the belief that sustainable farming should be practical, accessible and relevant to contemporary living. Climate uncertainty, changing rainfall patterns, rising temperatures and shifting growing seasons are placing increasing pressure on conventional agriculture.
Controlled growing systems offer another possibility. Hydroponics, aquaponics and related technologies can allow crops to be cultivated with careful management of water, nutrients and growing conditions. Rather than replacing traditional agriculture entirely, Sawant sees these methods as complementary tools that can make food production more resilient and adaptable.
For Satellite Farms, sustainability is therefore not simply about adopting a new technology. It is about creating efficient systems that use resources responsibly while bringing food production closer to consumers.
Exploring Soilless Growing
Hydroponics forms a major part of Satellite Farms’ work. In these systems, plants grow without soil, receiving essential nutrients through water. Depending on the crop and scale, different methods can be used to deliver the nutrient solution to the roots.
Aquaponics takes the concept further by connecting fish and plant cultivation within a shared ecosystem. Nutrient-rich water generated through the fish system is circulated through the plant-growing system, creating an interconnected cycle between aquaculture and cultivation.
Microgreens provide another avenue for compact food production. Requiring limited space and having relatively short growing cycles, they can be particularly suited to smaller environments. Together, these approaches offer possibilities across a wide spectrum, from a small residential setup on a balcony or terrace to larger commercial farms.
Researching Hydroponics Under Goan Conditions
Satellite Farms currently operates two academic and research farms in Goa, located in Cuncolim and Anjuna. Rather than functioning solely as production spaces, the farms provide environments where different technologies, crops and methods can be tested under actual local conditions.
The Cuncolim farm currently grows red cabbage, broccoli and cherry tomatoes through hydroponic and aquaponic methods, alongside edible freshwater Pearl Spot fish. At the Anjuna farm, basil and cherry tomatoes are cultivated using hydroponic and aquaponic systems, with ornamental koi integrated into the setup.
These farms also serve an important educational purpose. By allowing people to see the systems operating, follow the movement of water, observe plant growth and understand the equipment involved, Satellite Farms turns an abstract concept into something tangible.
The Hydroponics Know-It-All Masterclass
Education is central to Sawant’s approach. His three-day Hydroponics Know-It-All Masterclass, conducted in Parra and Anjuna, is designed to move beyond theoretical introductions and give participants the practical knowledge required to understand and establish their own systems.
The programme covers the fundamentals of hydroponics and aquaponics, plant nutrition, crop selection, system design, maintenance and automation. Participants are also introduced to different methods, including Nutrient Film Technique (NFT), Deep Water Culture, Drip and Recovery, Ebb and Flow and Aeroponics.
An important focus is understanding why one system may be more appropriate than another depending on the crop, available space and scale. Nutrient management is another essential component, covering what plants require, how nutrients are delivered and how growing conditions are monitored.
The masterclass also distinguishes between residential and commercial applications. Running a farm involves considerations that extend beyond installing equipment, including crop planning, operational management, automation and the economics and practicalities of maintaining a productive system.
Farm visits and hands-on sessions form an integral part of the experience, allowing participants to connect classroom learning with functioning systems.
Farming Without a Farming Background
The workshops are deliberately designed to be accessible to people from different backgrounds. Participants do not need previous agricultural experience or technical knowledge.
A homeowner may attend to learn how to grow fresh food at home. An architect or designer may be interested in integrating food-growing systems into a project. Restaurant owners can explore growing fresh produce closer to their kitchens, while entrepreneurs and existing farmers can investigate the possibilities of commercial or alternative cultivation methods.
The underlying objective is to remove the intimidation surrounding hydroponics. By combining explanation, demonstration and hands-on learning, Satellite Farms aims to give participants the confidence to understand the technology and determine how it could work for them.
Goa as an Opportunity
Rather than viewing Goa as a difficult environment for sustainable urban farming, Sawant sees significant potential here. The state’s growing interest in healthy living, combined with its extensive restaurant and hospitality ecosystem, creates a natural demand for fresh, locally grown and pesticide-free produce.
At the same time, successful cultivation requires an understanding of local conditions. The Goan monsoon, climate, crop selection and system design all influence how a farm needs to operate. Hydroponics is also not simply a matter of placing plants in water; it requires knowledge of nutrition, water management, equipment and environmental conditions.
Satellite Farms addresses these realities through experimentation. Its two research farms provide an opportunity to test systems under Goan conditions, while the masterclasses translate those observations into practical knowledge that can be shared with others.
Where Architecture Meets Agriculture
Sawant’s interests outside Satellite Farms remain closely connected to the same principles. His architectural work is particularly influenced by restoration and sustainable construction, including the use of bamboo, mud and lime and the exploration of traditional building techniques for contemporary applications.
His interest in farming similarly centres on technologies that can make food production more sustainable and adaptable. Hydroponics, aquaponics and Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) all form part of this ongoing exploration.
The connection between these disciplines is central to his larger philosophy. Architecture shapes the spaces in which people live, while farming determines how some of the most fundamental resources within those spaces are produced. Bringing the two closer together opens up possibilities for homes, hospitality spaces and communities to become more productive and environmentally conscious.
Building a More Connected Food Future
Satellite Farms Goa is ultimately positioned as more than a farming initiative. It is a platform for learning, experimentation and knowledge exchange, with an ambition to make sustainable food production part of everyday life.
The future Sawant envisions is one in which more homes grow their own greens, restaurants cultivate at least some of their ingredients, and farmers explore efficient technologies alongside established agricultural knowledge.
With its combination of research, education and practical demonstration, Satellite Farms is working towards a model in which food production is no longer viewed as something distant from urban life. For Goa, a state with a strong connection to nature, food and hospitality, this presents an opportunity to explore a more local and resilient approach to growing.
At its core, Satellite Farms represents the intersection of architecture, technology, food and sustainability, a space where ideas can be tested, knowledge can be shared and new ways of growing can take root.