Where there’s muck there’s brass goes the saying, but in Wakefield they could add that where there’s muck there’s fish, vegetables, wildlife and a training project for long term unemployed people.
The ABLE project is a social enterprise based on 34 acres of Yorkshire Water land at Caldervale sewage works. The former landfill site combines an outdoor learning centre with the sustainable production of fish, honey and vegetables, and works to increase biodiversity and self sufficiency.
Produce is grown organically on a rich soil derived from composted sludges, the residue left from industrial waste and sewage treatment. In just five years, this practice has transformed acres of bare earth and rubble into a hub for an ever increasing variety of birds, insects, reptiles and mammals.
ABLE also uses aquaponics as a sustainable way of farming tilapia, koi carp, catfish and sturgeon. Waste fish water, which is full of plant nutrients, is channelled to plants growing on floating mats. As the plants harvest the nutrients, they filter and clean the water so that it can be circulated back into the fish tanks.
ABLE’s allotments produce vegetables all the year round and the project offers veggie boxes for sale, as well as supplying a number of local cafes and catering orgaisations. Honey production is also increasing at a rapid rate, and ABLE has ambitions to grow enough willow for its biomass boiler to make it self sufficient in fuel.
The project also offers a wide range of training courses. Some, such as training in aquaculture, are accredited, while others are suitable for schoolchildren as part of an educational visit. In addition, ABLE works with the NHS to tailor sessions for people needing help to develop emotional and social skills, or to deal with mental health issues.
Meanwhile, the Able2Build scheme provides training in construction skills to long-term unemployed and disadvantaged young people, with placements available on a second ABLE project to install a fish farm and outdoor learning centre in nearby Kirklees.
More information: http://theableproject.org.uk/