Santa Cruz area AP tour, August 18th and 25th

[Jon Parr]

Hello folks. I know it's kind of last minute, but I'm organizing a Santa Cruz area tour of AP gardens for August 18th, and possibly the 25th if demand calls for it. If you have an AP garden that you would like to share, or if you would like to join the tour, please contact me at [e-mail]

So far I have my own place, the Aquaponic and hydroponic gardens at Cabrillo College, and a handful of others awaiting the details. After the tour, guests are welcome back to my place for BBQ, beer, campfire, live music (hopefully, my band just informed me their drummer is out of town), and overnight camping if you like.

Contact me soon, and this is RSVP only. This is just for fun and education, no charge, and we will have a good time.

[Jon Parr]

Kevin is eyeing those tomatoes, while I snuck a peek at the peppers.

[Jon Parr]

Peter Shaw giving the hydroponic tomato rundown at Cabrillo above. And below, kind of a cool shot of a ladybug larva and pupa on the underside of a nasturtium leaf at my place.

[Jon Parr]

Some seed starts, patiently awaiting my rafts to be finished. Below, my very first two raft troughs, 4' x 20' each. Already learned some "what not to do" items building this raft. I hope to learn the breaks before I tackle the 5400 sq ft main troughs.

[Chris Carr]

Thanks for posting the pics. Really like Michael's front yard IBC system. Looks really sharp. 

[Craig Mullins]

awesome

[Jon Parr]

Hey folks. I am hosting a few Aquaponics workshops, one this weekend Oct 20th, and a couple in November and December. This weekend's class will be a little lecture and a lot of Q and A. After a chef's salad lunch from the aquaponics garden, we will build out a 40 sq ft raft system, complete, start to finish, and a separate two barrel media system. I will have Duraskrim liner available by the foot or the roll, lettuce rafts from Beaver plastics, and some bulkhead fittings for any who want to take home these hard-to-find components to do their own system later. Bring a bucket, fingerlings available too. As always, please stay afterwards for BBQ and music. Meals and workshop $100 each if you mention this forum (reg $200). Check out my website, primative I know, but it's a start.

www.fishnetaquaponics.com

[Paul Trudeau]

Website's not so primitive, Jon!  Looks great.  And hope to get down there for one of those dates (but it won't be Dec 1.) 

[Jon Parr]

Thanks Paul. Is Dec 1 not open because of the Ouroboros workshop? I just looked up dates, and that's cutting it close. I'm teaching up there, too, with Murray and crew. You may as well come on the 1st and call it a 6 day course. You're welcome to pitch a tent Saurday night, if you like.

[Chris Carr]

More than a great start on a site Jon. Congrats on everything coming together.

For anyone reading, if you don't know from this forum already Jon is a very knowledgeable, no BS guy who is willing the share his knowledge to anyone who asks. While in Cali last month I got to meet him and check out his place. If you live in the area, attending one of his workshops is definitely worth your time.

[Jon Parr]

Thanks Chris, I'll take pics for you.

[Paul Holowko]

For all of these who did the Santa Cruz AP tour, here is the information on solar heating your AP system.  This is the system you saw in San Jose.

http://www.gardeningrhythms.com/solar-controller-for-outdoor-aquapo...

 

[Paul Trudeau]

Paul, your solar system plans look extremely awesome!!  Thanks so much for posting it.  Will be very helpful to me even though I was not on the tour you mentioned.