In January 2012, IDEAS For Us partnered with a local urban aquaponics company — Sahib’s Aquaponics — in Winter Park, FL to provide educational tours and professional training programs for students and community members.
Aquaponics is the joint cultivation of fish and plants in a man-made re-circulating ecosystem that allows sustainable natural food growing without the use of harmful pesticides or chemical fertilizers. The goal in these workshops is to empower people of all ages to grow their own food naturally, right in your own garden.
Sahib’s training workshops by Aquaponics Urban Guru’s are a wonderful way to learn and gain knowledge and the skills to successfully practice Aquaponics.
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Introduction to the World of Aquaponics: Basics & Application
Training Course Duration: 2 Day
Workshop duration: Saturday and Sunday – 9.00am to 4.30pm
Materials Included: Course Workshop Manual and a Certificate of Participation.
Additional Recommended Materials: Friendly’s Tabletop Manual (discount price for course participants)
Meals Included: Tea & Coffee refreshments, snacks and light lunch.
Workshop Cost: $350.00 (for IDEAS members ONLY!)
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Basics: Day 1
Classroom Session & Hands-on Field Session:
- Workshop Introduction, Concept and Purpose, What is Aquaponics and how does it work – the Nitrogen Cycle
- Types of Fish and water quality, pH levels, importance of oxygen in the Aquaponics system
- One Aquaponics growing method – Rafts using net pots
- Potting Material / Plant selection / seed starting / seedling transplanting / Pest control and health safety
- Assemble a small Aquaponics system – fish tank and raft growing bed, plumbing the pond and air pump and making use of gravity to your advantage. Building the rafts and drilling for net pots, planting seeds & seedlings.
- Wrap up of Day 1 of the Workshop – Questions & Answers.
Application: Day 2
Classroom Session & Hand-on Field Session:
- Recap of Day 1, More seed starting medias & methods / controlling water flow – bell siphons & timers
- Where can Aquaponics be used /Aquaponics “Gurus” around the world & Aquaponic Methods: Raft, NFT, Media-filled Systems, Verticals, Recirculating Wicking Beds & advantages / disadvantages, if any.
- What and how much do you want to grow / Introduction to Environmental Control and Greenhouses
- Wrap up of Workshop – Summary of what was covered during the Workshop
- Questions & Answers followed by Award Workshop completion certificate
- Add Media Bed and introduce timer for water pump– see both beds work in unison
- Introduction and tour of Sahib’s Aquaponic Research Farm: Identification of different growing methods and Visualization of Aquaponics at work in establishing a sustainable ECO system.
Sahib Aquaponics is a training affiliate for Friendly Aquaponics and IDEAS. This workshop will empower you to build an Aquaponics system, either indoors or outdoors and begin to grow your own food naturally. The Friendly Tabletop Aquaponics System Manual is well written and includes a lot of excellent detailed information as well as construction plans and materials list.
Next Training: March 17th & 18th, 2012
Registration mandatory. Space is limited.
For more information, please email: Think@IDEASforUs.org
