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At the New Roots Aqua Farm in City Heights, operators explained that wastewater from the fish tanks flows through a series of hydroponic vegetable beds. The plants and the gravel in which they are grown filter the water, which is returned to the fish tanks.

It’s the circle of life in the heart of the city.

During an open house Saturday, visitors trickled in to hear how the whole thing works and to tour the fledgling farm set up on a once-vacant lot on Fairmount Avenue near University Avenue.

Operators said the farm’s purpose is twofold: to provide community access to healthy, locally grown food and to serve as a training ground for people, particularly the neighborhood’s large refugee population, who might have a personal or entrepreneurial interest in starting aqua farms of their own.