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: [email protected]
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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.  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.
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.  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.  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.
So we could do with a few dry days and less of the snow we've seen of late. Introduction to Aquaponics Weekend |
| 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. |  |
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.
It will be our first course at our new location so further details will be available soon.
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" .. !!
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