Lettuce, Fish & A New Idea of Farming

Meeting Matthäus Kircher means meeting anything but a typical farmer. Originally a philosopher and education manager, today he stands in rubber boots inside a greenhouse on the edge of Tramin, checking roots, observing catfish, and monitoring the water values of a complex cycle system. A career changer? Yes. But above all: a man of conviction.

“Rebellion in the climate crisis is no longer a pose. It has become a duty”

With this mindset, Matthäus didn’t join protest marches but instead planned a farm. The result is the SOLOS Aquaponic Farm: a place where fish farming and vegetable cultivation coexist in a closed-loop system. Not a drop of water is wasted, no pesticides, no microplastics. Instead: systems thinking, discipline – and a lot of patience.

Aquaponics in Tramin – how does it actually work?

SOLOS works according to the principle of aquaponics: African catfish swim in water tanks. Their waste is transformed by bacteria into nutrients for the lettuce. The lettuce, growing on floating beds, purifies the water and returns it to the fish. A closed cycle that uses very little water and runs surprisingly stably – once you understand it.

“Aquaponics is not a push-button system. It’s an ecosystem – and it lives, grows, reacts. Just like we do”

What sounds technical is in fact highly sensitive. The art lies in balance. “We observe everything: water values, temperature, animal behavior, plant growth. And we only intervene when necessary.” The principle: disturb as little as possible, understand as much as possible.

From experiment to innovation farm

What began in 2019 as a temporary use of an unused greenhouse in Eppan is today an innovation project with market access. Besides lettuce and catfish from Tramin, SOLOS is also engaged in research: together with partners in North Tyrol, the national Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venetie, and the Laimburg Research Center, the farm is developing sustainable insect-based fish feed as part of an Interreg Italia-Austria project. The goal: complete independence from fishmeal.

In addition, SOLOS has created biodiversity zones, intentionally leaving space for wild plants, insects, and micro-organisms – a quiet counter-image to the intensively used agricultural landscape around it. SOLOS demonstrates: farming can also be regenerative.

From head to soil – Matthäus’ path

That Matthäus now walks through a greenhouse instead of a seminar room is the result of a process. “I no longer wanted to just talk about sustainability, I wanted to act.” The step was radical but not reckless.“Together with my brothers-in-law Thomas, Tobias, and Armin, I asked myself what we could do concretely to change a system in a positive way.” The answer: farming. But done differently.

“I see industrialized agriculture, driven solely by profit maximization and under enormous pressure for years, very critically. I believe instead in intelligent systems that work with nature, not against it.“

Today, the team consists of young, committed people who share the same vision. They help wherever needed: caring for the fish, harvesting lettuce, checking data, delivering produce. They are visible, approachable, open to questions. And they show: ecological change needs bold action – not lip service.

From greenhouse to society

SOLOS is not only a producer but also an initiator. The farm organizes tours, collaborates with schools, and holds open dialogues with chefs and consumers. Matthäus says: “We want to show that it works. That there are alternatives. And that these alternatives taste good.”

Indeed, SOLOS catfish is already sought after by top chefs, including Norbert Niederkofler. Lettuce goes to regional buyers and direct customers. The rest is persuasion – through conversation, action, and presence.

“If we manage to change the way people think about food, we have achieved more than with any certificate.”

Experience SOLOS – look, ask, be amazed

The doors of the SOLOS farm are open. Guided tours are offered regularly – usually by Tobias, co-founder and just as enthusiastic as Matthäus. Visitors can see the tanks, taste the lettuce – and perhaps take away a piece of the future already being built here.

Whether lettuce or catfish – at SOLOS it’s never just about the product.
It’s about a different way of relating to nature. And about people who dare to think anew.

What remains

What Matthäus Kircher and his team have built in Tramin is more than a business. It’s a model. An idea with roots – in water, in the region, in a mindset

A quiet transformation. A little show. A lot of substance.

(Interview Erica Furini)

September 2025

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