URBANAG
  • Home
  • Who are URBANAG
    • Urbanag Blog
    • Urbanag Team
  • Aquaponics
  • Courses
    • Past Courses
  • Contact

URBANAG

Blog Page

Introduction to Aquaponics Weekend

21/5/2019

0 Comments

 

Introduction to Aquaponics - June 2019

Venue: C.A.S.T in Kingsley Cheshire WA6
Weekend Course (Sat/Sun)  
NEW DATE : 15th JUNE 2019
Picture
This is our fully updated weekend 2 day course with lots of fresh up to date content and so will be a packed weekend from 09:30 on Saturday 15th through to 15:30 Sunday 16th June 2019, with possibility of evening group session allowing time for informal work and discussions as well as a communal meal on the Saturday.
You will learn the essentials of Aquaponics by:
  • designing a system best suited to UK needs
  • selecting plants to grow
  • learning how to care for fish
  • essentials of system plumbing and wiring
This is an introductory level course which should inform you well enough to construct your own home system or be a school aquaponics demonstration system for STEM learning opportunities
There will be a mixture of time spent in the classroom with lectures and hands-on practical sessions as well as looking at our planned new Aquaponics system being built at the farm.
Price = £95   NEW PRICE : £80 
...... note: we are offering this reduced price due to date change

(we usually also have a few concession places for the low and unwaged)
  • Low wage / no wage = £ 45.00  NEW PRICE : £40
  • 11-16 years (accompanied) = £ 15.00
The course price includes a midday snack and light refreshments (tea and coffee) during the day.
Note it does not include overnight accommodation or evening meals.
Please contact us regarding booking and / or overnight accommodation options.
0 Comments

Small Commercial Aquaponics - 5 day

17/8/2018

0 Comments

 

LEARN TO START YOUR OWN AQUAPONICS BUSINESS !

Venue: C.A.S.T in Kingsley Cheshire WA6
Start date: Fri 28th September 2018
See details...
0 Comments

New courses for 2018 and 2019

16/5/2018

2 Comments

 
After the success of last weekends Intro to Aquaponics course we are looking at what other special interest courses we could run at the Aquaponics Smallholding.

Proposed Course List

  • Small Commercial Aquaponics systems
  • Introduction to Aquaponics
  • School STEM Aquaponics
  • Practical Skills for Aquaponics systems
  • Basic Homesteading for Beginners
  • Homesteader's Choice of Animals
  • Geese on the Smallholding
  • Introduction to Keeping Chickens
  • Rearing Home Farm Cattle a Pro/Con
  • Intro to Home Farm Pigs
  • Urban Homestead
  • Urban Community Farming
  • Fruit Trees and Bushes
  • Indoor Growing with LEDs
  • Microgreens for the family
  • Cob Oven Building
  • Preserving Your Harvest
  • How to do your own Butchering
  • Permaculture Introduction
  • Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC)



Let us know your interest without obligation and we will inform you as and when courses will be run, as these courses are dependent upon the level of interest shown.

Contact Us
If you are interested in any courses on our suggestions list do let us know and I'll start arranging dates.e to edit.

2 Comments

Aquaponics Smallholding Plan

24/4/2018

0 Comments

 

About our project:

Picture
This new Aquaponics Smallholding based in rural Cheshire is a community agriculture start-up project.
Our plan is to provide for the wider community:-
  • access to fresh ethically produced local foods;
  • agricultural smallholding related work experience;
  • practical training courses of various types;
  • possibly a few part time jobs;
  • option for unused excess produce going to the local food bank.
Urbanag are using Agile methodology to manage the rapid deliverables as iteration stages on this project. So after the initial client discussions in February 2018, we started designing in March, and by April we already had the concept design and an agreement with the land owner at Garden Poultry to create this new facility on their smallholding where she currently raises various breeds of poultry, pigs, and cattle. 

Project Status

Since the Easter weekend we’ve been active on the site clearing the space in the old wooden rearing sheds with a view to converting part of it into an “agricultural classroom”.
We’ve taken down most of the wood and block-work partitions leaving us a 23ft x 19ft space and cleared the many odds and ends stuff that’s  been stored and accumulated in there over the years. 
Picture
Picture

Much of this stuff would be serviceable and reusable if it were cleaned up, so that will require us to sort and select what is to be kept and relocate it into other storage on the farm.    
 

Now the space is clear we’ve done the clean-up to make the area “sanitary” to work in – so lots of Jays Fluid, scrubbing, and a pressure washer on the wooden walls and concrete floor were needed.

And now its being painted to brighten it up and make it look like a classroom workshop area.

Project DRAFT Plan at 24/04/18

1. Priority is the rearing shed to classroom conversion work :-
  • remove stored dirty items from the teaching area – 1 day 3 people or more as team effort. [DONE]
  • clean down and pressure wash etc – 1 day team [DONE]
  • building of a partition wall with an access door, across the end of the classroom area to separate off the remaining livestock stalls  – 1 or 2 days 3 people or more plus (semi-skilled). [DONE]
  • fitting insulation and wooden cladding to the inside  – 1 or 2 days team plus (semi-skilled). [DONE]
  • repairing 6 opening windows (currently screwed shut) – 1 or 2 day 2 people (semi-skilled). [STARTED]
  • repairing the 2 sliding doors at each end of the shed – 2 day 2 people (semi-skilled). [STARTED]
  • clear down outside and make a safe pathway to the door for access  – 1 day team. [STARTED]
  • install a new consumer unit and wiring for lights and power  – 1 day 2 people (skilled).
  • build kitchen area with worktop and sink  – 1 day 2 people (semi-skilled).
  • water supply pipe work and plumbing – 1 day 2 people (semi-skilled). [STARTED]
  • groundwork and drains for an outside toilet – 1 or 2 days team plus (semi-skilled). [STARTED]
  • woodwork and fit out of toilet  – 2 day 2 people (semi-skilled).
  • painting the classroom internal walls etc. - 2 days team [STARTED]
  • prepare camping and BBQ area – 1 or 2 day 2 people.
  • obtain seating and tables for classroom – 1 or 2 day 2 people.
Due to it being a community type project we have little or no budget.  So for all of this work we are going to have to be very creative in the obtaining, reusing, and reclamation of materials (wood, bricks, panelling, paint, insulation, electrics, plumbing, etc) for the conversion.
As you can imagine planning to a tight schedule is very difficult when we are not sure about the availability of materials so this is where Agile helps,
BUT a fixed deadline is for the teaching area to be ready and usable for our course starting on Friday 11th May   Intro to AQUAPONICS Weekend


2. Setup of greenhouse and outdoors growing areas:-
  • tidy up of area around the greenhouse – 1 or 2 days team.  [STARTED]
  • remove stored heavy items from the concrete pad – 1 day 4 people or more with tractor and trailer.
  • clean down concrete pad – 1 day 2 people.
  • marking out for the polytunnel construction – 1 day 2 people (semi-skilled).
  • fill greenhouse raised beds ready for planting – 1 day 2 people. [STARTED]
  • set-up potting bench in greenhouse – 1 day 2 people (semi-skilled).
  • clear outdoor growing area – 2 or 3 days team.  [STARTED]
  • marking out the outdoor growing beds ready for planting – 1 day 2 people.
  • trim and tidy hawthorn hedging back – 1 or 2 days team.
  • plant tomatoes, salad and other veg in the greenhouse – 1 day 2 people.
  • setup water collection from greenhouse roof – 2 days 2 people (semi-skilled).
  • plant outdoor crops (potatoes, cabbage, squash, soft-fruit bushes, fruit trees, etc)

3. Setup of the Aquaponics system:-
  • set up the 30ft polytunnel metal frame – 2 or 3 days team plus (semi-skilled).
  • put on and fix the polytunnel cover  – 1 day 5 people or more plus (semi-skilled).
  • build grow bed water troughs 4ft x 25ft (poss two or three)  – 3 or 4 days team plus (semi-skilled).
  • bring fish tanks and equip over from Liverpool site – 1 day 2 people with large van or trailer.
  • install fish tanks and equipment (filters pumps pipe work etc)  – 2 or 3 days team plus (semi-skilled).
  • build cover for external tanks  – 2 or 3 days team effort (semi-skilled).
  • install electric and water supplies  – 1 or 2 days 2 people (skilled).
We usually can offer our weekend volunteers mugs of hot tea or coffee and some really good home produced organic food.
Picture
Goose egg, bacon, and sausage all zero food miles as its from here on the farm.
Picture
Home produced lemon curd and fresh bread.

Ongoing Activity

There are more that enough tasks on this project to keep several people busy for the rest of the year, and then there will be the on-going operational activity to keep the Aquaponics Smallholding running.
4. On-going operational activity:-
  • Aquaponics water testing (semi-skilled).
  • Aquaculture daily tasks fish feeding etc
  • Greenhouse crops planting
  • Greenhouse crops harvesting
  • Outdoor crops growing general tasks
  • Fruit trees planting, maintenance, pruning, harvesting.
  • Poultry keeping chickens, geese, ducks.
  • Livestock handling calves and pigs. (semi-skilled).
  • General smallholding maintenance of fences and buildings .(semi-skilled).
  • Making chicken coops etc. (semi-skilled).
  • Business sales, marketing, accounts, course booking tasks etc (semi-skilled).

0 Comments

In need of a magic wand !

2/4/2018

0 Comments

 
So my next design should be for a "magic wand" to get all this done in time for our new course Intro to Aquaponics Weekend - May 2018.

Community Project

Picture
Our old teaching room at Rice Lane City Farm in Liverpool
Over Easter weekend we have been clearing out the space in the old rearing sheds at The Hatch in Kingsley Cheshire.
This is with a view to us converting part of it into an agricultural “classroom” so that we can run more courses, community events, and give local youngsters an insight into food production. 
But due to it being a community type project we have little or no budget right now.

We’ve taken down most of the wood and block-work partitions leaving us a 24ft x 19ft space that now needs clearing of rubble and the many odds and ends that's been stored and accumulated in there over the years.
But much of the stuff would be serviceable and reusable if it were cleaned up, so that will require us to sort and select what is to be kept and relocate it into other storage on the farm.

Picture
Picture
Once the space is clear we can start the clean-up to make the area sanitary to work in – so lots of Jays Fluid, scrubbing, and a pressure washer on the wooden walls and concrete floor.

The Conversion Work

The rearing shed conversion tasks include:-
  • building of a partition wall with an access door, across the end of the classroom area to separate off the remaining livestock stalls.
  • fitting insulation and wooden cladding to the inside of the walls.
  • repairing the 6 opening windows (currently screwed shut).
  • repairing the 2 sliding doors at each end of the shed.
  • clear down outside and make a safe pathway to the door for access.
  • install a new consumer unit and wiring for lights and power.
  • build kitchen area with worktop and sink.
  • water supply pipe work and plumbing
  • groundwork and drains connection for an outside toilet.
  • woodwork and fit out of toilet.
  • painting the classroom internal walls etc.
Due to having negligible project budget for all of this we are going to have to be very creative in the obtaining, reusing, and reclamation of materials (wood, bricks, panelling, paint, insulation, electrics, plumbing)  for the conversion.
As you can imagine planning to a tight schedule is very difficult when we are not sure about the availability of materials, BUT we've a fixed deadline for the teaching area for it to be ready and usable for our first course starting on Friday 11th May 2018.

Picture
0 Comments

Design Work Over Easter

30/3/2018

0 Comments

 
Its Easter Bank Hols and we are working with our volunteers on the design requirements of the polytunnel for our commercial scale Aquaponics system on the smallholding in Kingsley Cheshire.
We should be able to fit an 18ft x 30ft  polytunnel on our site for the grow-beds and behind it another area of 15ft x 15ft for the fish tanks etc.
Picture
We've been looking at all the polytunnel types online for inspiration and to cost out what features we need.
To help with this work Urbanag are seeking intern or volunteers for the Aquaponics build where you can spend a summer learning lots of new practical smallholding skills in rural Cheshire.
The opportunity:-
Starting Easter 2018 Urbanag CIC are setting up from scratch a training centre and commercial scale Aquaponics system based on a rural smallholding near Frodsham.
We are looking for one or more people to:
1. Help with setting up a large polytunnel and hydroponic grow-beds (learn about - blockwork, woodwork, construction)
2. Build a commercial scale Aquaponics system (learn about - plumbing, electrics, water testing)
3. Setup and initial running of Aquaponics (learn about - fish care, plant propagation, water testing)
4. Convert farm building into training rooms (learn about - plumbing, electrics, woodwork, construction)
5. General smallholding help (learn about - care of livestock, chickens, pigs, etc.)
6. Help on Urbanag training courses (learn about - catering, customer service, administration)
If you can bring any of the skills needed that's great, but the key person quality we are looking for is a willingness to get stuck in and help.
Ideally you would live in the Frodsham WA6 area.


Contact email: graham@urbanaquaponics.uk

0 Comments

Is Aquaponics Ethical ?

22/3/2018

0 Comments

 
Aquaponics, Aquaculture, Hydroponics,  Aeroponics, and even Vertical Farming are emerging urban growing production technologies that do not use soil as a medium.

As cities get bigger the urban areas spread out over the countryside putting buildings on what was farmland.
Picture
So as a result we can't get fresh local food, and more is imported being trucked in from abroad causing oil use and pollution. Also to grow all that extra food abroad they have to cut back and plough natural wild areas (green field) and then use artificial fertilisers made from oil chemicals.
Whereas there are old industrial (brown field) sites in our cities that are not suitable for housing and so remain unused for years.

Picture
Picture
The idea of growing our food on these "brown field" sites used to be thought impossible because of the polluted ground, but now with well designed aquaponic and hydroponic systems that can do soil-less and vertical growing under natural sun light, we can grow affordable nutritions fresh local foods, and provide local employment opportunities.

For me that ticks the ethical points of providing good fresh food, helping local people, and looking after the environment by improving local land sites, reducing food miles, and saving those wild areas abroad from destruction. It then also takes the strain of what farmland is left around the cities enabling the farmers to consider changing over to sustainable methods and include regenerative ideas that will reduce the overall abuse of the chemical fertilisers.
Picture
That is why we at URBANAG are promoting Aquaponics as a viable solution to be used in urban agriculture and the drive to localise food production.  A combination of fish and plant production using aquaculture and hydroponics systems, aquaponics is moving from the realm of experimental to commercial.
Let URBANAG help you find out more about this production system and if it might be right for your backyard, garden, or farming operation.

Picture
0 Comments

URBANAG New Site

15/3/2018

0 Comments

 
Yes its big changes for Urbanag in 2018 as are we are setting up a new training centre and a working small commercial scale Aquaponics system on a smallholding in Cheshire.

They say that "Aquaponics can be done anywhere", but I think our first big task is clearing the site, salvaging any reusable materials, and then its doing the survey and marking out.

Now that is when it will get very real.

Picture
So we could do with a few dry days and less of the snow we've seen of late.
Picture

And yet with all that going on we also have out first full weekend course being run there on Fri 11th to Sun 13th May its   Introduction to Aquaponics Weekend.


#Aquaponics #Permaculture #Urbanag #EOMovement
0 Comments

Introduction to Aquaponics

7/3/2018

2 Comments

 

Introduction to Aquaponics Weekend
Fri 11th to Sun 13th May 2018

This will be a packed weekend course from 16:00 on Friday 11th through to 14:00 Sunday 13th May 2018, with evening group sessions allowing time for informal work and discussions as well as a communal meal on the Saturday.
Picture
You will learn the essentials of Aquaponics by designing a system best suited to your needs, selecting plants to grow, see how to care for fish, and do system plumbing and wiring.  There will be a mixture of time spent in the classroom with lectures and practical sessions as well as looking at our planned new Aquaponics system being built at the farm.
It will be our first course at our new location so further details will be available soon.

Picture
This is a photo taken in Feb'18 of where we will be building our small commercial scale Aquaponics system.  Shall we say the site has "potential" .. !!
2 Comments

New Courses 2018

18/2/2018

2 Comments

 
This year we are setting up an extensive new training facility based at an established smallholding in rural Cheshire.

New courses coming for 2018 and 2019
  • Small Commercial Aquaponics
  • Microgreens for the family
  • School STEM Aquaponics
  • Introduction to keeping chickens
  • Basic Homesteading for Beginners
  • Permaculture Introduction
  • Urban Farming
  • Fruit Trees and Bushes
  • Indoor Growing with LEDs

Let us know your interest without obligation and we will inform you as and when courses will be run, as these courses are dependent upon the level of interest shown.
2 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    The Urbanag team

    Archives

    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    April 2017
    March 2017
    December 2016
    July 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    January 2010

    Category

    All

    RSS Feed

Picture

Services

Training Courses
Consultancy
Project Management

Company

Urbabag CIC
Urban Agriculture & Aquaponics

Picture
© COPYRIGHT 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Who are URBANAG
    • Urbanag Blog
    • Urbanag Team
  • Aquaponics
  • Courses
    • Past Courses
  • Contact