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. 

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

In this workshop, you'll learn the ease of composting even in the most confined of urban settings!

Sashti Balasundaram, a "Master Composter" and founder of WeRadiate, will walk participants through the process for setting up your own worm bin by constructing one for the AgTech X workspace. You'll leave with a bill of materials for setting up your own bin.

This is the perfect class for anyone who has wanted to better understand the issue of organic waste in our cities, the general composting process, compost's value to soil, and how to get started on your own composting setup regardless of your surroundings.

About the Instructor: 

Sashti Balasundaram is the founder of WeRadiate, a technology organization aiming to shift our current waste management paradigm towards greater organics diversion. Sashti is an environmental educator having previously taught the Master Composter Certificate Course with the NYC Compost Project and worked for the Mayor's Office, City of Buffalo, to begin a new municipal food-scrap collection program. Learn more about WeRadiate on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!

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: