APOTHECARY STAND
SHOP OUR APOTHECARY
To reduce food waste and support Oko Farms’ commitment to sustainability, we created Oko Apothecary—a line of value-added culinary and wellness products made from surplus or slightly damaged farm produce. The program creates additional revenue opportunities for our small farm, while providing hands-on training for our apprentices and youth interns. Through product development and production, they gain the skills and knowledge to create and market value-added products.
APOTHECARY STAND
SHOP OUR APOTHECARY
To reduce food waste and support Oko Farms’ commitment to sustainability, we created Oko Apothecary—a line of value-added culinary and wellness products made from surplus or slightly damaged farm produce. The program creates additional revenue opportunities for our small farm, while providing hands-on training for our apprentices and youth interns. Through product development and production, they gain the skills and knowledge to create and market value-added products.
Introduction to Aquaponics
Designed for individuals and small groups (2-5), this workshop introduces participants to aquaponics farming and its role in strengthening food production within urban communities.
During the workshop, we will explore the similarities and differences between aquaponics, hydroponics, and soil cultivation; examine the benefits and challenges of aquatic farming as a tool for improving food security; and take an in-depth tour of our rooftop aquaponics in the summer months and greenhouse aquaponics system during the winter.
REGISTER HERE
APOTHECARY STAND
SHOP OUR APOTHECARY
To reduce food waste and support Oko Farms’ commitment to sustainability, we created Oko Apothecary—a line of value-added culinary and wellness products made from surplus or slightly damaged farm produce. The program creates additional revenue opportunities for our small farm, while providing hands-on training for our apprentices and youth interns. Through product development and production, they gain the skills and knowledge to create and market value-added products.
CHILDREN'S FOOD FESTIVAL
Join us at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum for the Children’s Food Festival.
Get to know the ingredients of your favorite meals, grow your own food and learn to compost with local farmers, and try different food-inspired art-making activities at this celebration of global culinary traditions.
Oko Farms is hosting a nutrition and culinary workshop for kids where they learn different parts of a plant through sensory exploration.
APOTHECARY STAND
SHOP OUR APOTHECARY
To reduce food waste and support Oko Farms’ commitment to sustainability, we created Oko Apothecary—a line of value-added culinary and wellness products made from surplus or slightly damaged farm produce. The program creates additional revenue opportunities for our small farm, while providing hands-on training for our apprentices and youth interns. Through product development and production, they gain the skills and knowledge to create and market value-added products.
KITCHEN MEDICINE: Kitchen Herbs and Healing Teas
Learn how the herbs already in your kitchen can support everyday health and wellness. In this hands-on, beginner-friendly workshop series, we’ll explore the healing potential of common culinary herbs and simple ways to work with them at home.
REGISTER HERE
Introduction to Aquaponics
Designed for individuals and small groups (2-5), this workshop introduces participants to aquaponics farming and its role in strengthening food production within urban communities.
During the workshop, we will explore the similarities and differences between aquaponics, hydroponics, and soil cultivation; examine the benefits and challenges of aquatic farming as a tool for improving food security; and take an in-depth tour of our rooftop aquaponics during the summer and greenhouse aquaponics system in the winter months.
REGISTER HERE
KITCHEN MEDICINE: Aromatic Herbs, Steams and Broths
Learn how the herbs already in your kitchen can support everyday health and wellness. In this hands-on, beginner-friendly workshop series, we’ll explore the healing potential of common culinary herbs and simple ways to work with them at home.
REGISTER HERE
KITCHEN MEDICINE: Herbal Salad Dressings
Learn how the herbs already in your kitchen can support everyday health and wellness. In this hands-on, beginner-friendly workshop series, we’ll explore the healing potential of common culinary herbs and simple ways to work with them at home.
REGISTER HERE
2-DAY AQUAPONICS INTENSIVE
Join us this Summer to learn aquaponics on our rooftop farm!
Led by Oko Farms Founder and Director Yemi Amu, our 2-day intensive aquaponics course is a deep dive into the history, science, and practice of aquaponics, a unique ecosystem approach to farming that saves water while growing more food sustainably.
Participants will gain insights into the aquaponics ecosystem, its significance in enhancing food security, and its role in promoting environmental stewardship.
REGISTER HERE
Introduction to Aquaponics
Designed for individuals and small groups (2-5), this workshop introduces participants to aquaponics farming and its role in strengthening food production within urban communities.
During the workshop, we will explore the similarities and differences between aquaponics, hydroponics, and soil cultivation; examine the benefits and challenges of aquatic farming as a tool for improving food security; and take an in-depth tour of our rooftop aquaponics during the summer and greenhouse aquaponics system in the winter months.
REGISTER HERE
Introduction to Aquaponics
Designed for individuals and small groups (2-5), this workshop introduces participants to aquaponics farming and its role in strengthening food production within urban communities.
During the workshop, we will explore the similarities and differences between aquaponics, hydroponics, and soil cultivation; examine the benefits and challenges of aquatic farming as a tool for improving food security; and take an in-depth tour of our rooftop aquaponics during the summer and greenhouse aquaponics system in the winter months.
REGISTER HERE
Introduction to Aquaponics
Designed for individuals and small groups (2-5), this workshop introduces participants to aquaponics farming and its role in strengthening food production within urban communities.
During the workshop, we will explore the similarities and differences between aquaponics, hydroponics, and soil cultivation; examine the benefits and challenges of aquatic farming as a tool for improving food security; and take an in-depth tour of our rooftop aquaponics in the summer months and our greenhouse aquaponics in the winter months.
REGISTER HERE
APOTHECARY STAND
SHOP OUR APOTHECARY
To reduce food waste and support Oko Farms’ commitment to sustainability, we created Oko Apothecary—a line of value-added culinary and wellness products made from surplus or slightly damaged farm produce. The program creates additional revenue opportunities for our small farm, while providing hands-on training for our apprentices and youth interns. Through product development and production, they gain the skills and knowledge to create and market value-added products.
2-DAY AQUAPONICS INTENSIVE
Join us on this Summer to learn aquaponics on our rooftop farm!
Led by Oko Farms Founder and Director Yemi Amu, our 2-day intensive aquaponics course is a deep dive into the history, science, and practice of aquaponics, a unique ecosystem approach to farming that saves water while growing more food sustainably.
REGISTER HERE
SUMMER SOLSTICE with Oko Farms
Join us on June 20 from 11:00 AM–2:00 PM for a Summer Solstice Celebration and the launch of an exciting new partnership between Oko Farms and Honey’s Brooklyn: The Oko Farms Rooftop Farm.
This new collaboration reflects Oko Farms’ ongoing commitment to resilience, innovation, and making aquaponics farming accessible to all. Alongside our East Flatbush Greenhouse, the rooftop farm will serve as a vibrant community space featuring farm tours, educational workshops, and a seasonal farm stand.
Celebrate this exciting milestone with us. Take a tour of the new aquaponics system, enjoy delicious food, live music, a plant sale, and more as we gather to welcome the season and the future of urban aquaponics in Brooklyn.
RSVP HERE
Introduction to Aquaponics
Designed for individuals and small groups (2-5), this workshop introduces participants to aquaponics farming and its role in strengthening food production within urban communities.
During the workshop, we will explore the similarities and differences between aquaponics, hydroponics, and soil cultivation; examine the benefits and challenges of aquatic farming as a tool for improving food security; and take an in-depth tour of our rooftop aquaponics in the summer months and greenhouse aquaponics system during the winter.
REGISTER HERE
![[WEEK 4]Hand-spinning Cotton (A 4-Week Series)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/65d435390af822151cd6b9ca/e9bbc086-053b-4bc9-811c-3e37b64d01f0/IMG_1896.jpg)
[WEEK 4]Hand-spinning Cotton (A 4-Week Series)
Rooted in ancestral knowledge and practice, this offering invites you into the slow, intentional craft of processing farm-grown cotton by hand into yarn. Over the course of four weeks, participants will learn the foundational skills of cotton spinning while deepening their relationship with the fiber itself.
This beginner-friendly workshop combines interactive, discussion-based learning with guided, hands-on spinning practice. Together, we’ll engage in a tactile exploration of the cotton plant as we examine its unique qualities, reflect on its layered history and contemporary significance, deepen our understanding of sustainable cultivation, and transform raw fiber into yarn.
By the end of the series, you’ll be able to spin both 1-ply and 2-ply yarn using Brooklyn-grown cotton. You’ll also leave with raw heirloom cotton, a spindle, and printed instructional materials to support your continued practice and yarn-making journey beyond the farm.
This is a weekly class series! Over four weeks, you’ll build the skills and confidence to spin cotton by hand.
Spinning is a meditative process that calls for patience, presence, and care. Through guided practice, you’ll deepen your relationship to fiber, clothing, and the land it comes from.
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
Workshop 1: Wednesday, May 13 (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
Introduction to the Cotton Plant
Indigenous history (The Americas, West African and Southeast Asia).
Exploring the properties of the cotton plant and fiber types.
Activity: ginning by hand and introduction to spinning (using a stick).
Workshop 2: Wednesday, May 20 (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
Western Colonization and the Cotton Industry
Digging into the role of cotton in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Activity: Introduction to spinning using a tahkli spindle.
Workshop 3: Wednesday, May 27 (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion
Slow vs. fast fashion - exploring contemporary textiles.
Activity: Spinning with the takhli spindle.
Workshop 4: Wednesday, June 3 (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
Final Thoughts and Resources
Sharing additional resources and reflections.
Activity: Spinning
[WEEK 3]Hand-spinning Cotton (A 4-Week Series)
Rooted in ancestral knowledge and practice, this offering invites you into the slow, intentional craft of processing farm-grown cotton by hand into yarn. Over the course of four weeks, participants will learn the foundational skills of cotton spinning while deepening their relationship with the fiber itself.
This beginner-friendly workshop combines interactive, discussion-based learning with guided, hands-on spinning practice. Together, we’ll engage in a tactile exploration of the cotton plant as we examine its unique qualities, reflect on its layered history and contemporary significance, deepen our understanding of sustainable cultivation, and transform raw fiber into yarn.
By the end of the series, you’ll be able to spin both 1-ply and 2-ply yarn using Brooklyn-grown cotton. You’ll also leave with raw heirloom cotton, a spindle, and printed instructional materials to support your continued practice and yarn-making journey beyond the farm.
This is a weekly class series! Over four weeks, you’ll build the skills and confidence to spin cotton by hand.
Spinning is a meditative process that calls for patience, presence, and care. Through guided practice, you’ll deepen your relationship to fiber, clothing, and the land it comes from.
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
Workshop 1: Wednesday, May 13 (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
Introduction to the Cotton Plant
Indigenous history (The Americas, West African and Southeast Asia).
Exploring the properties of the cotton plant and fiber types.
Activity: ginning by hand and introduction to spinning (using a stick).
Workshop 2: Wednesday, May 20 (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
Western Colonization and the Cotton Industry
Digging into the role of cotton in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Activity: Introduction to spinning using a tahkli spindle.
Workshop 3: Wednesday, May 27 (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion
Slow vs. fast fashion - exploring contemporary textiles.
Activity: Spinning with the takhli spindle.
Workshop 4: Wednesday, June 3 (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
Final Thoughts and Resources
Sharing additional resources and reflections.
Activity: Spinning
[WEEK 2] Hand-spinning Cotton (A 4-Week Series)
Rooted in ancestral knowledge and practice, this offering invites you into the slow, intentional craft of processing farm-grown cotton by hand into yarn. Over the course of four weeks, participants will learn the foundational skills of cotton spinning while deepening their relationship with the fiber itself.
This beginner-friendly workshop combines interactive, discussion-based learning with guided, hands-on spinning practice. Together, we’ll engage in a tactile exploration of the cotton plant as we examine its unique qualities, reflect on its layered history and contemporary significance, deepen our understanding of sustainable cultivation, and transform raw fiber into yarn.
By the end of the series, you’ll be able to spin both 1-ply and 2-ply yarn using Brooklyn-grown cotton. You’ll also leave with raw heirloom cotton, a spindle, and printed instructional materials to support your continued practice and yarn-making journey beyond the farm.
This is a weekly class series! Over four weeks, you’ll build the skills and confidence to spin cotton by hand.
Spinning is a meditative process that calls for patience, presence, and care. Through guided practice, you’ll deepen your relationship to fiber, clothing, and the land it comes from.
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
Workshop 1: Wednesday, May 13 (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
Introduction to the Cotton Plant
Indigenous history (The Americas, West African and Southeast Asia).
Exploring the properties of the cotton plant and fiber types.
Activity: ginning by hand and introduction to spinning (using a stick).
Workshop 2: Wednesday, May 20 (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
Western Colonization and the Cotton Industry
Digging into the role of cotton in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Activity: Introduction to spinning using a tahkli spindle.
Workshop 3: Wednesday, May 27 (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion
Slow vs. fast fashion - exploring contemporary textiles.
Activity: Spinning with the takhli spindle.
Workshop 4: Wednesday, June 3 (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
Final Thoughts and Resources
Sharing additional resources and reflections.
Activity: Spinning
Introduction to Aquaponics
Come learn about aquaponics!
This workshop engages participants in the history and science behind aquaponics and its implications for food production in urban communities. During this workshop, participants will explore the distinctions and similarities between aquaponics, hydroponics and soil farming; examine the benefits and challenges of aquatic farming as a solution to food security; and take an in-depth look at our greenhouse aquaponics system. This workshop is great for anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of urban farming, sustainable agriculture and environmental implications of green spaces in urban communities. It also includes tastings and light refreshments made with our farm produce.
Hand-spinning Cotton (A 4-Week Series)
Rooted in ancestral knowledge and practice, this offering invites you into the slow, intentional craft of processing farm-grown cotton by hand into yarn. Over the course of four weeks, participants will learn the foundational skills of cotton spinning while deepening their relationship with the fiber itself.
This beginner-friendly workshop combines interactive, discussion-based learning with guided, hands-on spinning practice. Together, we’ll engage in a tactile exploration of the cotton plant as we examine its unique qualities, reflect on its layered history and contemporary significance, deepen our understanding of sustainable cultivation, and transform raw fiber into yarn.
By the end of the series, you’ll be able to spin both 1-ply and 2-ply yarn using Brooklyn-grown cotton. You’ll also leave with raw heirloom cotton, a spindle, and printed instructional materials to support your continued practice and yarn-making journey beyond the farm.
This is a weekly class series! Over four weeks, you’ll build the skills and confidence to spin cotton by hand.
Spinning is a meditative process that calls for patience, presence, and care. Through guided practice, you’ll deepen your relationship to fiber, clothing, and the land it comes from.
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
Workshop 1: Wednesday, May 13 (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
Introduction to the Cotton Plant
Indigenous history (The Americas, West African and Southeast Asia).
Exploring the properties of the cotton plant and fiber types.
Activity: ginning by hand and introduction to spinning (using a stick).
Workshop 2: Wednesday, May 20 (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
Western Colonization and the Cotton Industry
Digging into the role of cotton in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Activity: Introduction to spinning using a tahkli spindle.
Workshop 3: Wednesday, May 27 (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion
Slow vs. fast fashion - exploring contemporary textiles.
Activity: Spinning with the takhli spindle.
Workshop 4: Wednesday, June 3 (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
Final Thoughts and Resources
Sharing additional resources and reflections.
Activity: Spinning
Introduction to Aquaponics
Come learn about aquaponics!
This workshop engages participants in the history and science behind aquaponics and its implications for food production in urban communities. During this workshop, participants will explore the distinctions and similarities between aquaponics, hydroponics and soil farming; examine the benefits and challenges of aquatic farming as a solution to food security; and take an in-depth look at our greenhouse aquaponics system. This workshop is great for anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of urban farming, sustainable agriculture and environmental implications of green spaces in urban communities. It also includes tastings and light refreshments made with our farm produce.
2-DAY AQUAPONICS INTENSIVE
Come learn about aquaponics!
Join us on this Winter to learn aquaponics in our cozy Brooklyn greenhouse!
Led by Oko Farms Founder and Director Yemi Amu, our 2-day intensive aquaponics course is a deep dive into the history, science, and practice of aquaponics, a unique ecosystem approach to farming that saves water while growing more food sustainably.
Participants will gain insights into the aquaponics ecosystem, its significance in enhancing food security, and its role in promoting environmental stewardship.
Can’t join us on site? No problem! We offer a hybrid option for participants to join us live on zoom.
PROGRAM GOALS:
Oko Farms strives to ensure participants exit our program with a strong foundation in Aquaponics System design and fish and plant cultivation. The program emphasizes aquaponics as a natural ecosystem and its permaculture applications. Participants will leave with the skills to design and maintain sustainable aquaponics operations of various sizes; the capacity to engage the public on diverse topics relating to aquaponics, fish welfare, and ecosystem sustainability; and knowledge of small good food business best practices
WORKSHOP DETAILS
Topics Covered: History of Aquaponics; Environmental and Social Impacts of Aquaponics, Microbes + Nitrogen Cycle in AP; Water Quality Parameters; Fish Management and Welfare; Plant Cultivation in AP; Aquaponics Hardware + Design; Business Best Practices
Skill Level: This course is perfect for beginners, experienced farmers, and educators ready to explore aquaponics and expand their knowledge of food production.
Instruction: We use a popular education model to teach sustainable aquaponics farming. We emphasize accessibility of methods and materials, showing that aquaponics can be adapted to projects of any size, location or budget. The course combines lectures and hands-on learning for in-person participants. Students will also be invited to design their own aquaponics systems for review on Day 2 by the instructor and other participants.
Dates:
JANUARY SESSION: Saturday, January 31 + Sunday, Feb 2 | 10AM-3PM EST
FEBRUARY SESSION: Saturday, February 28 + Sunday, March 1 | 10AM-3PM EST
MARCH SESSION: Saturday, March 28 + Sunday, March 29 | 10AM-3PM EST
NOTE: Schedule includes an hour break at 12:00 noon on both days. Tea, coffee, and light refreshments for snacking throughout the day are provided by Oko Farms, participants are responsible for their own lunch.
This program is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under sub award number ENE25-189.
Introduction to Aquaponics w/ USAL PROJECT
FARMING WITH WATER
Step inside a living system where fish, plants, and water work in perfect harmony. In this introductory workshop at Oko Farms, you’ll explore aquaponics as both ancient practice and modern urban tool. Together, we’ll trace its Indigenous roots, unpack the science behind recirculating ecosystems, and see firsthand how food can be grown through relationship rather than extraction.
Participants will tour the farm, learn how fish and plants support one another, and get their hands involved in the fundamentals of propagation, fish selection, and system design. You’ll leave with a working understanding of how aquaponics functions and why it matters, along with tea brewed from Oko Farms’ own harvest.
2-DAY AQUAPONICS INTENSIVE
Come learn about aquaponics!
Join us on this Winter to learn aquaponics in our cozy Brooklyn greenhouse!
Led by Oko Farms Founder and Director Yemi Amu, our 2-day intensive aquaponics course is a deep dive into the history, science, and practice of aquaponics, a unique ecosystem approach to farming that saves water while growing more food sustainably.
Participants will gain insights into the aquaponics ecosystem, its significance in enhancing food security, and its role in promoting environmental stewardship.
Can’t join us on site? No problem! We offer a hybrid option for participants to join us live on zoom.
PROGRAM GOALS:
Oko Farms strives to ensure participants exit our program with a strong foundation in Aquaponics System design and fish and plant cultivation. The program emphasizes aquaponics as a natural ecosystem and its permaculture applications. Participants will leave with the skills to design and maintain sustainable aquaponics operations of various sizes; the capacity to engage the public on diverse topics relating to aquaponics, fish welfare, and ecosystem sustainability; and knowledge of small good food business best practices
WORKSHOP DETAILS
Topics Covered: History of Aquaponics; Environmental and Social Impacts of Aquaponics, Microbes + Nitrogen Cycle in AP; Water Quality Parameters; Fish Management and Welfare; Plant Cultivation in AP; Aquaponics Hardware + Design; Business Best Practices
Skill Level: This course is perfect for beginners, experienced farmers, and educators ready to explore aquaponics and expand their knowledge of food production.
Instruction: We use a popular education model to teach sustainable aquaponics farming. We emphasize accessibility of methods and materials, showing that aquaponics can be adapted to projects of any size, location or budget. The course combines lectures and hands-on learning for in-person participants. Students will also be invited to design their own aquaponics systems for review on Day 2 by the instructor and other participants.
Dates:
JANUARY SESSION: Saturday, January 31 + Sunday, Feb 2 | 10AM-3PM EST
FEBRUARY SESSION: Saturday, February 28 + Sunday, March 1 | 10AM-3PM EST
MARCH SESSION: Saturday, March 28 + Sunday, March 29 | 10AM-3PM EST
NOTE: Schedule includes an hour break at 12:00 noon on both days. Tea, coffee, and light refreshments for snacking throughout the day are provided by Oko Farms, participants are responsible for their own lunch.
This program is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under sub award number ENE25-189.
Introduction to Aquaponics
Come learn about aquaponics!
This workshop engages participants in the history and science behind aquaponics and its implications for food production in urban communities. During this workshop, participants will explore the distinctions and similarities between aquaponics, hydroponics and soil farming; examine the benefits and challenges of aquatic farming as a solution to food security; and take an in-depth look at our greenhouse aquaponics system. This workshop is great for anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of urban farming, sustainable agriculture and environmental implications of green spaces in urban communities. It also includes tastings and light refreshments made with our farm produce.
2-DAY AQUAPONICS INTENSIVE
Come learn about aquaponics!
Join us on this Winter to learn aquaponics in our cozy Brooklyn greenhouse!
Led by Oko Farms Founder and Director Yemi Amu, our 2-day intensive aquaponics course is a deep dive into the history, science, and practice of aquaponics, a unique ecosystem approach to farming that saves water while growing more food sustainably.
Participants will gain insights into the aquaponics ecosystem, its significance in enhancing food security, and its role in promoting environmental stewardship.
Can’t join us on site? No problem! We offer a hybrid option for participants to join us live on zoom.
PROGRAM GOALS:
Oko Farms strives to ensure participants exit our program with a strong foundation in Aquaponics System design and fish and plant cultivation. The program emphasizes aquaponics as a natural ecosystem and its permaculture applications. Participants will leave with the skills to design and maintain sustainable aquaponics operations of various sizes; the capacity to engage the public on diverse topics relating to aquaponics, fish welfare, and ecosystem sustainability; and knowledge of small good food business best practices
WORKSHOP DETAILS
Topics Covered: History of Aquaponics; Environmental and Social Impacts of Aquaponics, Microbes + Nitrogen Cycle in AP; Water Quality Parameters; Fish Management and Welfare; Plant Cultivation in AP; Aquaponics Hardware + Design; Business Best Practices
Skill Level: This course is perfect for beginners, experienced farmers, and educators ready to explore aquaponics and expand their knowledge of food production.
Instruction: We use a popular education model to teach sustainable aquaponics farming. We emphasize accessibility of methods and materials, showing that aquaponics can be adapted to projects of any size, location or budget. The course combines lectures and hands-on learning for in-person participants. Students will also be invited to design their own aquaponics systems for review on Day 2 by the instructor and other participants.
Dates:
JANUARY SESSION: Saturday, January 31 + Sunday, Feb 2 | 10AM-3PM EST
FEBRUARY SESSION: Saturday, February 28 + Sunday, March 1 | 10AM-3PM EST
MARCH SESSION: Saturday, March 28 + Sunday, March 29 | 10AM-3PM EST
NOTE: Schedule includes an hour break at 12:00 noon on both days. Tea, coffee, and light refreshments for snacking throughout the day are provided by Oko Farms, participants are responsible for their own lunch.
This program is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under sub award number ENE25-189.
Holiday Market @ Honey's
Please join us and other wonderful vendors at Honey’s on Sunday, December 14th for a Holiday Market! Come shop our Oko Apothecary for dried herbs and teas, body oils, culinary oils, and bath scrubs — they make perfect holiday gifts for you or a loved one!
Friends of the Farm Holiday Market @ Farm.One
Join us and other vendors at Farm.One on Sunday, December 14th for a stacked lineup of local vendors selling all kinds of goodies — perfect for gifting (or treating yourself, because we all deserve something nice!). Expect greens + herbs, freshly baked goods, pizza, spirits, teas, and so much more!
Plus, there will be a special raffle! You definitely don’t want to miss this one.
Holiday Market @ Welcome Home
Join us at Welcome Home for a holiday market, featuring 9 incredible artists and crafters! The market will have everything from ceramics & jewelry to culinary oils & curated books! Not to mention candles, knits, holiday calendars, and handcrafted items made from secondhand textiles. Come do your holiday shopping and support these talented folks!
Swing by to say hi, grab a pastry and coffee, and support Oko Farms!
Action Works @ Patagonia Brooklyn
ACTION WORKS BROOKLYN @ PATAGONIA
Patagonia Brooklyn | 70 N 6th St, Brooklyn | 1-3PM
Join us THIS SUNDAY at Patagonia Brooklyn for an afternoon of shopping and connection!
Oko Farms will be tabling alongside other local organizations doing vital work in environmental conservation and sustainability. This is your chance to chat with our farmers and with other organizations behind the mission, learn how you can get involved, and celebrate the first-ever Patagonia Work-in-Progress Report!
Come ready to cross off some items on your holiday shopping lists as we’ll have merch, apothecary items, and more!
See you Sunday :)
Introduction to Aquaponics
Come learn about aquaponics!
Join us for our hands-on 1.5 hour workshop that will explore the basics of aquaponics farming including: the history, science, ecological benefits, plant propagation, fish selection and management and design options.
Roots of Connection: D is for Delight + Despair
In a world that pulls us toward disconnection, we’re practicing how to return—to ourselves, to each other, and to the earth.
Whether you're just beginning to explore plants, or you’ve long moved with their medicine...
Whether your body feels distant or deeply known
This space meets you right where you are.
D is for Delight + Despair
We hold delight and despair as two threads of being alive, woven closely together. In this session, we’ll notice how both live in the body, what they reveal about what we hold dear, and how they shape our lives. We’ll spend time with plant allies that steady and nourish us in the presence of each, move through somatic practices that help us honor their truth, and reflect on how community makes it possible to carry joy and sorrow side by side without forcing ourselves to choose one over the other.
Each month, we explore two plant friends, one letter of the alphabet, one emotion, and one somatic practice to reconnect. From Acceptance to Zeal, we listen for the ways our bodies speak, and remember how plants have always connected us through feeling, healing, and change.
This isn’t about fixing or overcoming ourselves.
It’s about learning how to stay with what’s here, with a bit more curiosity and compassion.
Each gathering includes:
✨ one emotion as a guide
✨ plant allies to steady and nourish
✨ a somatic practice to rest, release, or reclaim
✨ a ritual or reflection to carry into your month
This space welcomes both new and experienced plant practitioners.
You don’t need to have it figured out.
Your body is welcome. Your questions are welcome.
Your healing—complex, layered, and real—is welcome.
We begin in August with the letter A for acceptance.
Together, we explore:
🌿 How does this emotion live in my body, and what might it be trying to teach me?
🌿 What plants have supported people through this feeling across time and place?
🌿 What can this plant teach me about being in right relationship—with myself, with others, and with the planet?
🌿 How can I respond with more connection, care, and choice?
Purchasing With Purpose: A Values Based Community Workshop
Join the conversation shaping the future of New York’s food and agriculture—where insight sparks real policy action and lasting change.
This interactive workshop serves as a continuation of our recent values aligned purchasing roundtable with national leaders, focusing specifically on engaging New York practitioners in meaningful dialogue about advancing good food procurement practices. This session provides an invaluable opportunity for local practitioners to share their work, experiences, and challenges while developing actionable policy recommendations together.
The Oko Table: Harvest Feast
Harvest Feast, the second of the series, is a celebration of the resilient spirit of urban agriculture. The menu has been carefully designed by Yemi Amu, our founder and director, who began her journey as a chef and food educator. It showcases the fresh produce from our aquaponics farm, including our ethically-raised carp. Each dish embodies the potential of urban farming to tackle rising food security issues and the ongoing climate crisis.
We invite you to The Oko Table, where you can savor the abundance of our aquaponics farm, appreciate the richness of urban agriculture, and be part of the movement to increase food security for New York City residents.
Farming in the Margins: Diasporic Preservation and Ecological Resilience
Farming in the Margins: Diasporic Preservation and Ecological Resilience brings together diasporic farmers, seedkeepers, land stewards, and food justice activists to explore how farming can preserve cultural knowledge and memory.
About the Participants:
Mandana Boushee: Bridging land, plants, and poetry, Mandana Boushee’s work weaves together the wisdom of ecology, community organizing, and the power of storytelling, drawing on two decades of experience as an earth worker, ethnobotanist, writer, educator, and community herbalist. Whether through her care work as an herbalist, her advocacy for farmers through the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust, or her poetry, the heart-mycelium feeding Mandana’s work remains clear: to connect, heal, and protect through the land and the stories that shape it.
Aliana Ruxin: Ali (she/her) stewards two farm sites with the Red Hook Farms team in Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY. A founding member of the Iraqi Seed Collective, she grows and shares Iraqi seeds and their stories with other Iraqi and SWANA heritage growers in diaspora. She also organizes with food, farm, and hospitality worker collective FIG NYC. Ali’s favorite thing to grow this year was ta’roozi, a crunchy, slightly sweet Iraqi cucumber.
Francis Yu: Francis Yu is a queer Asian-American farmer (Star Route Farm) and a food systems + land access practitioner (West Branch Commons). They have a background in urban planning and policy and currently serve as an Adjunct Professor at NYU Wagner School of Public Service teaching about the intersections of race, class, gender, and the history of public policy and segregation in our cities. They enjoy cooking, hiking and foraging, and developing a poetry and writing practice. Francis has roots in Manila, Philippines, and in occupied Patwin territory (Vallejo, California).
West Branch Commons (WBC) is dedicated to advancing equitable land access as a community land trust. At its core, WBC’s mission is to provide secure, affordable land access to marginalized farmers, using an agroecological approach that de-commodifies land and promotes long-term stewardship. It seeks to do so on 287 acres of farmland in Delancey, Delaware County, New York currently owned by American Farmland Trust. WBC works with constellation of resources to educate the public and farmer lessees on farm viability, regional collaboration, and intergenerational knowledge transfer.
Yemi Amu: Yemi Amu is the Founder and Director of Oko Urban Farms, Inc. In 2013 she established NYC’s first and only publicly accessible outdoor aquaponics farm – The Oko Farms Aquaponics Farm and Education Center. She directs all of Oko Farms’ programs including education, design/build projects and community related activities. Yemi is one of NYC’s leading aquaponics experts and is a committed educator. Over the past decade, she has facilitated the creation and maintenance of over 20 edible spaces throughout NYC; created and implemented various culinary, nutrition and gardening programs for both youth and adults; and promotes aquaponics as a tool for environmental awareness and stewardship. Yemi has a M.A. in Health and Nutrition Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. In 2021, Yemi became part of the inaugural cohort of the Dorchester Industries Experimental Design Lab created by Theaster Gates and Prada.
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[Virtual] Introduction to Aquaponics: LECTURE 6 -Aquaponics Hardware + Design
[VIRTUAL] Introduction To Aquaponics (6-Week Series)
NOTE: THIS SERIES IS CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS BUT YOU CAN STILL SIGN UP! YOU WILL GET RECORDINGS OF THE PREVIOUS CLASSES!
(AUGUST 27 - OCTOBER 29, 2025)
This 6-week class takes a deep dive into the history, science, and practice of aquaponics - a unique ecosystem approach to farming.
Participants will gain insights into the aquaponics ecosystem, its significance in enhancing food security, and its role in promoting environmental stewardship.
PROGRAM GOALS:
Oko Farms strives to ensure participants exit our program with a strong foundation in Aquaponics System operation and design. The program emphasizes aquaponics as a natural ecosystem and permaculture applications. Participants will leave with the skills to develop and maintain sustainable aquaponics operations of various sizes, along with the capacity to engage the public on diverse topics relating to aquaponics, fish welfare, and ecosystem sustainability.
Workshop Details
Dates: Wednesdays (August 27 to Oct 29, 2025)
Time: 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM EST
Intro to Aquaponics (8/27)
Microbes + Nitrogen Cycle in AP (9/3)
Water Quality Parameters (9/17)
Fish Management and Welfare (10/1)
Plant Cultivation in AP (10/15)
Aquaponics Hardware + Design (10/29)
Earthfishing: Cooking with Fire, Clay, and Fish
Join us for the second iteration of Earthfishing, a workshop in collaboration with sculptor and researcher Sasha Fishman, ceramicist Abby Regner, and Oko Farms. Together, we will wrap fish (harvested from Oko’s aquaponics system) in clay, sculpt them, and cook them over open flame. We will then share a meal by the ocean, marking an evening of material exploration, connection with the surrounding waters of New York, and a ceremonial honoring of the fish as they transition into a new form.
Note: A full meal and drinks are included in this event.
About the Facilitators
Sasha Fishman is a sculptor and researcher based in New York. Working with materials such as hagfish slime, algae, and cicada shells, Sasha’s work investigates marine biomaterial extraction, toxicology and genetic engineering as points for critical analysis and mechanisms for sculpting.
Abigail Regner is a ceramic artist and educator based in Manhattan, New York. She earned her BFA in Ceramics from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 2019. For the past six years, she has led workshops in a variety of specialized ceramic techniques—including large scale hand building and wheel throwing, nerikomi, and lustre firing—at studios across New York City.
Oko Farms’ mission is to promote aquaponics as an ecological farming method that mitigates the impact of climate change and increases food security for urban residents while demystifying aquaponics through awareness and education.
Benefit Concert for Oko Farms pres. by Aerthship x PR
Creative Collective, Aerthship, returns to Public Records for a benefit concert in support of Oko Farms.
Join us in raising funds for New York's only aquaponics farm. In 2024, the farm lost its lease. Now, we're helping them build a new, permanent home and community hub.
A first ever musical performance from Aerthship will be followed by a headline debut album performance by Sab Star. Lastly, Signature Cuts closes the night with a vinyl set. Oko Farms will be selling merch and apothecary items in the Garden.
100% of proceeds will be donated.