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2008, Living Mandala
creative services by: 360 Degrees

In Association With

NorCal Aquaponics

Schoolgrown

Austin Aquaponics

Fishnet Aquaponics

Instructors

Max Meyers of NorCal Aquaponics

Jon Parr - SchoolGrown & Fishnet Aquaponics

Rob Nash of Austin Aquaponics

1. 

   
   

2. 
   

3. Learn One of the Most Sustainable
   

4. Food Production Systems in the World!
   

5. 
   

6. * Use up to 90% Less Water
   

7. * Save Labor, Time and Money
   

8. * Permaculture Focus for Greater Self-Sufficiency
   

9. * Off-Grid Systems & Aquaponics for Homesteads
   

10. * Design for Diverse, Climates, Ecologies, & Cultures
    

11. * Create a Thriving, Regenerative Business!
    

12. 
    

Course Overview

Wether you are a beginner, a backyard hobbyist, a homesteader or a skilled professional wanting to start a career in Aquaponics this Commercial Aquaponics Training has something to offer. This course is will provide you with a solid foundation, in depth information, and hands-on experience for designing and building cutting-edge Permaculture based Aquaponics Systems at any scale - from backyard to commercial. Wether you want to grow food for you and your family, a small business or a fully commercial operation, this course will give you the foundational tools, information and experience you will need to support you in whatever Aquaponic endeavor you are interested in for years to come. At a time of global climate change, depletion of resources, pollution of water and huge losses of top soil worldwide, there has never been a more important time to learn about Aquaponics.

This Commercial Aquaponics Training will be led by our incredible team of Aquaponics instructors, professionals and educators from around the world: Including:

1. •Max Meyers of Nor Cal Aquaponics - Known for combining the sciences of Aquaponics & Permaculture, Max brings 15 years of Permaculture experience as a farmer, homesteader, designer, and teacher, has a lifetime of raising fish, and a brilliant, technical mind.
   

2. •Jon Parr of Fishnet Aquaponics & SchoolGrown - With a background in construction and engineering, Jon began aquaponic practice in 2009. Jon founded Fishnet AP in 2010; Co-founded a Watsonville commercial greenhouse in 2013 -  one of the largest commercial Aquaponics systems in the world with of over 8 acres of Aquaponics in greenhousesl and Co-founded  SchoolGrown in 2014.
   

3. •Rob Nash of Austin Aquaponics - bringing over a decade of experience with large scale Aquaponic farming techniques and hybrids.
   

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5. * Learn From More than 30 years Combined Experience Course Instructed by 3 Working Aquaponics Professionals In Depth Course Covers Backyard, Homestead, & Commercial Systems - with en Emphasis on Self-Sustainability
   

Course Description

Aquaponics is one of the most sustainable and productive farming systems in the world. It combines Aquaculture and Hydroponics to create more self-sufficient, closed-loop, systems that use only a fraction of the water, labor, energy, etc. that other methods use. Combining Permaculture Design with Aquaponics creates an even more sustainable, dynamic, productive & regenerative system. In this training you will learn some of the most cutting-edge pioneering aquaponics systems from various successful experts in the field, and gain a solid foundation from which to create your own Aquaponics System, Farm & thriving Green Business appropriate to your climate, ecology, dreams, & desires.

Course Details

This Course includes:

1. •A detailed Aquaponics Course manual covering all aspects of Aquaponics including:
   

2. ‣Day-to-day operation of the system
   

3. ‣Design checklist
   

4. ‣Field tested formulas, calculations, estimates and guidelines.
   

5. ‣Complete designs, plans and materials lists.
   

6. ‣And much more in this nearly 100 page manual.
   

7. •NorCal Aquaponics Systems step-by-step construction manual with variations and site specific applications intended to make it easy for anyone to build an Aquaponics system.
   

8. •A set of detailed construction plans, including site plans, and piping schematics.
   

9. •Commercial Aquaponics Greenhouse System detailed designs from Rob Nash or Austin Aquaponics.
   

10. •Personal Q & A, tips, and hard learned secrets learned with successful professionals in the field.
    

11. 
    

12. *This Commercial Aquaponics Training will include all of the above as well as a design element focus on how to design a system specific to your individual climate, ecology, dreams, and desires - wether it is for a small personal system or a more large scale commercial system. Our intention is to empower you with cutting-edge information to get started in this promising new Green Career of the Future, and technology of the ancient past.
    

Permaculture & Aquaponics

By bringing Permaculture Design principles and practices into Aquaponics, we are closing many loops, inefficiencies, and energy drains that exist in more conventional systems, as well as integrating the system appropriately into the larger landscapes and ecologies it is a part of, making it a much more holistic and sustainable enterprise. Closed-Loop Aquaponics focuses on designing aquaponics systems that that produce as much of the system’s needs (water, energy, fish, feed, heat, gas, etc.) on-site and within the system itself as possible. Products of the systems can include; solar electricity, solar heated air, solar heated water, fish, prawns, vegetables, fruit, aquatic plants, algae, minnows, snails, worms, dry and liquid fertilizers, methane gas, and more. By using the Permaculture Design process, we learn to design systems appropriate to diverse climates and unique ecological niches to meet various needs, dreams, and desires.

Student Testimonials

“The highest praise I can give this course is the ability to take it home and immediately apply the principles. I received a thorough understanding of the subject and feel I could build my own system with the information given.” - Anne, Santa Cruz, May 2012

“I was looking for a course to help me start my system, and was a little worried this wouldn’t cover everything... but boy was I wrong! It covered everything I expected and so much more! I’m excited to go home feeling fully capable to build my system, and perhaps 3 or 4 others I had no idea about before!” - Mike, Santa Cruz, May 2012

“This course was so jam-packed with information my head felt like an over soaked sponge! I feel like the amount of info I received will continue to ooze out my ears and inform a lifetime’s work in this field. I highly recommend it for any and all persons interested.” - Susan, Ukiah, May 2011

“This course is a must for anyone wanting to engage in urban agriculture.” - Matthew, Santa Cruz, May 2011

“This course topped all my expectations and is the best aquaponics course I have taken. The information delivered was exceptional, beyond what I have seen, and more than I ever thought possible for aquaponics. Max and the Living Mandala support staff are very friendly, knowledgable people doing great work in the world. Thank you for this offering.”

- Gary, Ukiah, Aug 2010

“Max is a brilliant designer, an extraordinary human being, and a natural teacher. His breadth of experience, passion, integration of regenerative design principles, creativity, depth of knowledge on the subject, and freedom of sharing information, are truly a gift.”  - Palika, Santa Cruz, May 2012

“This course is all about empowering each of us with the tools and techniques to take responsibility for our future by creating a sustainable food source and sharing this on so many levels.”

-Susan. Santa Cruz, 2012

Tuition & Registration

Includes Commercial Aquaponics Training Certification, Course Materials (including 100 page course manual with detailed designs), and Hands-on Experience.

Standard Tuition: $1295

Early Bird Tuition: $995  (Ends Oct 9th)

Permaculture Design Course Graduates, Aquaponics Course Grads, & College Students: $895

To support the permaculture movement and our commitment to further empower local sustainability efforts, we are offering a special discount to Permaculture Design Course Graduates, Aquaponics Course Graduates, and college students.

* There will be a small registration fee in addition to the above prices.

To Register for the Commercial Aquaponics Course Click Here.

Meals & Lodging

Course tuition includes beverages and light snacks and lunch during the course. Participants are responsible for their own dinner and lodging. The course will be held at The Grange in Sacramento, as well as site visits to a local commercial Aquaponics Operation nearby. There are local hotels, camping options, and other lodging possibilities available near by. We will send you more information on local lodging upon registration.

Aquaponics Facts

1. •AQUAPONICS USES 90% LESS WATER THAN CONVENTIONAL FARMING DOES!
   

2. •AQUAPONICS IS ENERGY-EFFICIENT: IT REQUIRES ONE-THIRD OF THE ENERGY OTHER FARMING SYSTEMS USE!
   

3. •AQUAPONICS HAS EIGHT TO TEN TIMES MORE VEGETABLE PRODUCTION IN THE SAME AREA AND TIME!
   

4. •LABOR IS REDUCED AS MUCH AS 40% AND MANY USEFUL BYPRODUCTS ARE CREATED THAT CAN BE USED TO FARM OTHER CROPS, TREES, SOIL, WATER AND ENERGY!
   

5. •A PERMACULTURE INSPIRED SYSTEM PRODUCES MUCH OF THE SYSTEM’S NEEDS (WATER, ENERGY, FISH FEED, HEAT, ETC.) ON SITE!
   

6. •PRODUCTS OF THE SYSTEM CAN INCLUDE; SOLAR ELECTRICITY, HEAT, FISH, PRAWNS, VEGETABLES, AQUATIC PLANTS, ALGAE, SNAILS, WORMS, FERTILIZER, EVEN METHANE GAS!
   

Why Aquaponics?

Growing our food in closed systems that require no soil allows us to farm soil and water outside the system! We plant soil and water in our damaged and depleted landscapes which not only aids in the restoration of the soil, groundwater and native forests, but has the added benefit of offsetting greenhouse gases by removing carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere. This is one of the practices used in what we call “Carbon Farming”. Soils contain approximately 75% of the carbon pool on land — three times more than the amount stored in living plants and animals. Did you know that 1” of healthy top soil spread over 1 acre of land sequesters the same amount of carbon a healthy forest of the same size does annually? It is estimated that our crop and range lands lose 4 tons of topsoil every year for every person alive! That’s 21 gigatons of soil washed or blown out to the sea and lost for productive use on land, releasing vast amounts of carbon in the process (New Scientist, December 2006). Being able to use land considered “Undesirable” by conventional farming, Aquaponic farmers have the added benefit of access to cheap lands and lease agreements. Often using otherwise unused space such as fill, gravel, concrete, abandoned commercial sites, even roof tops. “The only limit to our designs is in the mind of the designer”!

The Only Limit is in the Mind of the Designer

Watch a Video of Max Meyers of NorCal Aquaponics Featured in Time Magazine On-Line

Watch a Video of Rob Nash of Austin Aquaponics Featured in Central Texas Gardener

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=919967824692988

Contact

For questions and more information regarding the course:

e-mail: aquaponics(at)livingmandala.com or

call: (707) 285-7231