The New Alchemy Institute was a research center that did pioneering investigation into

organic agriculture Organic farming, also known as ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and re ...

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...

and

bioshelter A bioshelter is a solar greenhouse managed as an indoor ecosystem. The word bioshelter was coined by the New Alchemy Institute and solar designers Sean Wellesley-Miller and Day Chahroudi.Todd, N.J. and Todd J., 1994. From Eco-Cities to Living Mach ...

design between 1969 and 1991. It was founded by John Todd, Nancy Jack Todd, and William McLarney. Its purpose was to research human support systems of food, water, and shelter and to completely rethink how these systems were designed.

Purpose of the Institute

The New Alchemy Institute was founded on a , former dairy farm in Hatchville, part of

Falmouth, Massachusetts Falmouth ( ) is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 32,517 at the 2020 census, making Falmouth the second-largest municipality on Cape Cod after Barnstable. The terminal for the Steamship Authority ferri ...

, on

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...

. Their stated aim was to do research on behalf of the planet:

"Among our major tasks is the creation of ecologically derived human support systems -
renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...
, agriculture,
aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...
, housing and landscapes. The strategies we research emphasize a minimal reliance on
fossil fuel A fossil fuel is a hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the remains of dead plants and animals that is extracted and burned as a fuel. The main fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas. Fossil fuels m ...
s and operate on a scale accessible to individuals, families and small groups. It is our belief that ecological and social transformations must take place at the lowest functional levels of society if humankind is to direct its course towards a greener, saner world.

Our programs are geared to produce not riches, but rich and stable lives, independent of world fashion and the vagaries of international economics. The New Alchemists work at the lowest functional level of society on the premise that society, like the planet itself, can be no healthier than the components of which it is constructed. The urgency of our efforts is based on our belief that the industrial societies which now dominate the world are in the process of destroying it." (Fall 1970, Bulletin of the New Alchemists

Areas of research

Bioshelters

is a solar greenhouse that is managed as a self-contained

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

. The groupings of plants, animals, soil and insects are selected so that closed loops of life cycles, materials, water, and energy are created, and require minimal inputs from outside the system. They emulate natural rhythms of growth and cycling of nutrients. New Alchemy built several bioshelters: * "The Ark" located at the property in

Hatchville, Massachusetts Hatchville is a neighborhood within the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod in the United States. The mailing address for the area is East Falmouth, to the south of Hatchville. Geography Hatchville is located in the northern part of the ...

, United States * " The Ark" located at

Spry Point, Prince Edward Island Little Pond is a community in Prince Edward Island, located in Lot 56 of Kings County. The community attracted media attention in 2010 when the home of a gay couple living in the community was firebombed. Both men escaped the fire unharmed, but t ...

, Canada * others

Organic agriculture

New Alchemy investigated the practices of organic agriculture for both field crops, and greenhouse growing. They researched intensive gardening, biological pest control, cover cropping, irrigation using fish pond water, perennial food crops, and tree crops.

Aquaculture

New Alchemy experimented with growing edible fish in ponds in the bioshelters. The solar aquaculture ponds were above-ground, translucent tanks. The fertile pond water was used for irrigating the crops in the greenhouses. This proved to be a successful way to raise edible fish, floating hydroponic crops, and irrigated greenhouse food crops.

Ideological basis

The scientists working at New Alchemy were determined to rethink how human support systems were designed. They looked to nature as the ultimate designer, using careful observation of natural cycles and processes as the template for creating truly sustainable systems.

Publications

The research conducted at New Alchemy was documented in a series of journals and technical bulletins. A complete list is available at
New Alchemy Institute

References

External links

New Alchemy InstituteOcean Arks International
{{authority control Environmental research institutes Research institutes in Massachusetts Research institutes in Canada