UPDATE June 21st: July 5th workshop is now full. If you'd like to attend a future workshop please contact the organizer (link on the right).
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Keen on the idea of aquaponics and want to gain the knowledge to run your own setup at home? This casual workshop will introduce you to the basic principals of aquaponics and what it takes to build and run your own simple system. It will take place at Shaun and Vita's home in North Vancouver.

In the first part of the workshop we'll explore a small system you can build yourself while explaining what each part does and why you need them. Q&A will take place as we work though the system. In the last 45 minutes of the 3hr workshop we'll tour a home scale hybrid system which resides in a solarium. We'll look at different ways to grow food as well as what you need to consider if you want to put emphasis on the plant side, the fish side or both.

Topics covered will include:
- The nitrogen cycle
- Cycling a system without fish
- Fish selection
- Seeding and plant selection and where to put what
- Laying out a system
- Plumbing
- Lighting and where to use it for maximum return
- Bell siphons, timers and other approaches
- Filtration and Bio-filters
- System maintenance - water testing, pH management, nutrient supplements
- Worm tea brewing and fish solids mineralization
- Bioponics, what is it and what are its benefits

There are dozens of ways to approach growing food with Aquaponics. Shaun will share his experience from the outset of his system to where it has evolved to and why, and where it will be going to in future. A PDF will be provided after the workshop, choc-full of useful web resources and local suppliers of things you need to get going with your own system.

The final part of the workshop will include a tour of Shaun and Vita's compact food growing backyard which includes raised beds, extensive vertical growing, composting, worm farms and rabbits. You'll get to see how the Aquaponics system provides much of the fertilizer for the soil garden along with the rabbit poop and compost.

Note: A minimum of 6 people are required for each workshop slot.