Our staple introductory course, taught once per month.

During the class: You'll investigate various Urban Agriculture projects with a focus on NYC, discussing benefits & drawbacks to each one, and hear about what opportunities exist to engage further in this emerging field. You'll also receive a brief overview of soilless farming practices including hydroponics and aquaponics, two of the more popular methods for growing food in confined urban environments.

After the class: You'll unlock access to our digital network of over 130 NYC-based researchers, career transitioners, & entrepreneurs. Benefits include: discounts to upcoming AgTech X classes & external conferences; shared news on sustainable food & agriculture trends; and relevant job postings.

What past participants have said:

"I knew I would learn about hydroponics, but walked away with so much more!" -Elyssa, 7/30/17

"I left the class more excited than ever to learn how I can find my role in the urban agricultural movement." - Kevin, 11/29/17

Come learn how to grow spirulina, a microalgae that the UN once called “the best food for the future.” Well, the future is now, and growing fresh spirulina is an easy way to introduce this nutrient-rich, low-maintenance food into your life.

Our 75-minute workshop will cover the basic necessities for how to cultivate spirulina, with time for tasting samples and additional Q&A. We will examine the materials needed, compare methods, and then examine more commercial approaches, including the open pond system as well as high-tech bioreactors designed to grow algae under more controlled conditions.

About the Instructor:

Learn simple hacks from a professional chef to turn leftover ingredients and scraps into mouthwatering desserts!

This hands-on workshop will teach you traditional pastry techniques with a modern twist. You'll gain the skills to transform otherwise discarded food items into delicious treats (plus a bonus drink).

After receiving demos on creating a variety of different cakes, mousses, sauces, & garnishes -- while sampling some of Chef Anna's creations throughout the process -- you'll get to roll up your sleeves and dive in, creating your own parfait jars to take home under the guidance of our expert chef. You'll also leave with recipes on everything we cover in class.

Whether you're trying to knock out food waste from your kitchen, become a more versatile cook, or just enjoy a fun "food-forward" Saturday afternoon with friends -- this is the class for you!

About the Instructor: Anna Fitting is a NYC-based pastry chef. She is the co-founder of Ice Cream Social and has competed on multiple live cooking competitions, including Chopped.

About the Space: AgTech X is NYC's only coworking space dedicated solely to the future of food & agriculture. You'll hear from founder Ricky Stephens on various ways you can get more involved in unique sustainability-driven initiatives within the food & farming world of New York.

An estimated 40,000 acres of roof space sit atop New York's buildings -- so why is it that less than 1% incorporate greenery? Combining common practices with emerging technologies and recent incentives from the City, we now have the resources to change this and, in doing so, help solve key challenges related to food, water, energy, and biodiversity that negatively impact NYC today.

In our newest rendition of this class, we will examine a range of topics as they pertain to Green Roofs, including:

• System Types
• Elements & Technology
• Design Considerations
• Benefits
• Installation
• Incentives
• Solar Integration

You'll leave the class with a true understanding of the potential that green roofs can play in transforming our cities, and some tangible suggestions for where to turn next.

About the instructor: Alan Burchell is the founder of Urbanstrong, a full-service green building technology firm that designs, builds, and maintains a range of green infrastructure solutions.

*Are you an architect or green building professional? This presentation is eligible for a 1-hour continuing education credit with AIA CES, LA CES, and GBCI CES.

Our first in a 3-part series, this class is our recommended starting place for beginners. We will examine the science behind aquaponics, diving into questions such as:

• What considerations need to be taken into account to ensure a healthy operation?
• How does each living organism survive and add value to the larger ecosystem?
• How does the nutrient cycle work?
• How is balance achieved?

You'll learn all this and more, from the comforts of AgTech X - New York's only co-working lab dedicated to sustainable food & agriculture. Coffee/tea will be served.

About the Instructor

Yemi Amu is the co-founder of Oko Farms and the Farm Manager at the Moore Street Farm. She directs all of Oko Farms' programs including education,  design/build projects and community related activities. She has facilitated the creation and maintenance of 20 edible spaces (in NYC) at schools and community organizations including a rooftop farm in Crown Heights and a 1/4 acre farm at the Weeksville Heritage Center that included poultry and bees. 

Aquaponics is a closed-loop approach to sustainable agriculture in which fish, microbes, and plants form a mutually beneficial ecosystem. In this extensive 3-part class, you'll gain a detailed overview from Yemi Amu, Founder of Oko Farms - NYC's only outdoor aquaponics farm & education center.

As each class focuses on a different element of aquaponics, you can sign up for all three (via this page) or just one (follow the links to individual classes below).

Class 1 (Sun, Apr 28, 11:00a-1:00p): Science & Biology

Learn the science behind aquaponics - the key to getting started - with this lecture from Oko Farms founder Yemi Amu.

• What considerations need to be taken into account to ensure a healthy operation?
• How does each living organism survive and add value to the larger ecosystem?
• How is balance achieved?

Class 2 (Wed, May 1, 6:30-8:30p): DIY Build

Start the evening with an overview of standard practices for setting up your aquaponics operation. Then dive in by constructing two different DIY aquaponic systems. You'll learn how to build these recirculating units out of simple materials. Finally, you'll leave with a full materials list and the confidence to get your own home system up and running.

Class 3 (Sun, May 5, 11:00a-1:15p): Best Practices & Farm Tour

So, you now understand the science and construction of an aquaponics system. In our final class, you'll learn best practices for making decisions about your operation and troubleshooting.

• What types of fish make sense to raise based on your environment?
• How do you attract the bacteria needed to break down your fish waste?
• How can you react to specific situations such as sick fish or low pH without negatively impacting the whole system?

Finally, we'll head to Oko Farms for a hands-on tour led by founder Yemi Amu, where you'll get to observe this unique outdoor aquaponics facility up-close.

About the Instructor

Yemi Amu is the co-founder of Oko Farms and the Farm Manager at the Moore Street Farm. She directs all of Oko Farms' programs including education,  design/build projects and community related activities. She has facilitated the creation and maintenance of 20 edible spaces (in NYC) at schools and community organizations including a rooftop farm in Crown Heights and a 1/4 acre farm at the Weeksville Heritage Center that included poultry and bees. 

Fungi are the keystone species that interconnect every facet of life in our world. This class will highlight the supreme influence these ancient and often overlooked organisms have upon our health, society, and environment and also provide a succinct peek into the Fungal Queendom from the perspectives of ecology, anthropology, pharmacology, and bioremediation.

The class also features a workshop component that teaches attendees how to perform low tech and low cost mushroom cultivation techniques that can be replicated at home with upcycled materials.

About the Instructor: Craig M. Trester is a citizen scientist that applies biomimicry and permaculture principles through mycology to develop regenerative solutions. By studying Fungi, he believes novel approaches towards alternative agriculture, pharmacology, and bioremediation can be realized. Craig runs MYC, an applied mycology educational resource that teaches the benefits Fungi provide to our health, environment, and society to academic, research, community, and private audiences.

The second of our 3-part series. Start the evening with an overview of standard practices for setting up your aquaponics operation. Then dive in by constructing two different DIY aquaponic systems. You'll learn how to build these recirculating units out of simple materials under the guidance of Yemi Amu and her team at Oko Farms. Finally, you'll leave with a full materials list and the confidence to get your own home system up and running.

About the Instructor

Yemi Amu is the co-founder of Oko Farms and the Farm Manager at the Moore Street Farm. She directs all of Oko Farms' programs including education,  design/build projects and community related activities. She has facilitated the creation and maintenance of 20 edible spaces (in NYC) at schools and community organizations including a rooftop farm in Crown Heights and a 1/4 acre farm at the Weeksville Heritage Center that included poultry and bees. 

In our final class of this 3-part series, you'll learn best practices for managing an aquaponics system or farm, including troubleshooting various issues and challenges that may arise.

• What types of fish make sense to raise based on your environment?
• How do you attract the bacteria needed to break down your fish waste?
• How can you react to specific situations such as sick fish or low pH without negatively impacting the whole system?

We'll also head to Oko Farms for a hands-on tour led by founder Yemi Amu, where you'll get to observe this unique outdoor aquaponics facility up-close.

*Please note: We will be walking as a group from AgTech X to Oko Farms (~15 minutes) and we encourage participants to bring appropriate footwear. You are welcome to take another method of transportation. For those driving, street parking is usually available nearby at both sites, though we cannot guarantee it.

**In the case of inclimate weather, a rain date will be selected for another weekend afternoon in May.

Ever wanted to understand where rice actually comes from?

This class is your answer! Join us as we explore and pay homage to rice. Rice is an ancient grain and staple food for over half the world's population including Africa, Asia, and North & South America.

Learn about how Oko Farms grows rice sustainably in Brooklyn -- then participate in the hulling and milling ("processing") of rice grown on the farm. After processing, we will prepare a community meal using recipes inspired from West Africa, Asia, and Europe. The meal will also include fresh ingredients grown using hydroponics in the AgTech X office.

About the Instructor

Yemi Amu is the co-founder of Oko Farms and the Farm Manager at the Moore Street Farm. She directs all of Oko Farms' programs including education,  design/build projects and community related activities. She has facilitated the creation and maintenance of 20 edible spaces (in NYC) at schools and community organizations including a rooftop farm in Crown Heights and a 1/4 acre farm at the Weeksville Heritage Center that included poultry and bees.