Grow MORE of your own food – Spring, Summer, and Fall Gardening Workshop Series

The Living Lands Agrarian Network (www.livinglandsagrariannetwork.org) is offering an eight-part workshop series with the goal of teaching people to grow more of their own food throughout the four seasons. In these workshops we shadow the farming season as practiced by the various sites of the Living Lands Agrarian Network. From our farmers you will learn about planting schedules, bed preparation, home composting methods, site selection, food preparation and preservation techniques and much more. Throughout the workshop season we will tour our different farm sites while learning practical ways of growing food on a home-scale. Each workshop will end with a farm fresh lunch prepared by In The Kitchen (www.wendyvanwagner.com).

Workshop Dates: All workshops are held on Saturdays from 9:00am to 1:00 pm

February 28th -

We will begin with an opening discussion revolving around what sorts of foods people in the workshop eat, what people cook, and what people would like to grow in their gardens to supplement store-bought produce. Next, we will consider site selection and infrastructure; Is it even possible to garden at your house? If not, don’t worry, we’ll connect you with a community garden or perhaps your neighbor has a suitable site you could use. Thinking about the timing of planting in the Spring and Fall is often one of the things that home gardeners fail to do. We will review the changes that come with the seasons from the farmers perspective in an effort to get planted on time. Finally, in this first workshop we will consider the role of green houses and cold-frames on getting a jump on the season. We will evaluate different structures and begin planting seeds in the green house. We will end with a wintery lunch prepared by In The Kitchen and grown the Living Lands Agrarian Network.

At the end of this workshop participants will exchange contact information and form gardening groups to help and support each other in between meeting times. By the next workshop, gardening sites should be equipped with the necessary infrastructure to move on to the next tasks. This will include a returned soil analysis  from your chosen site.

April 4th –

We begin with a review of goals from last time and discuss any problems, successes or observations. The returned soil analysis will be discussed, compared and contrasted with the rest of the groups.  The seeds we planted last time will be well on their way and we will check to see if we need to transplant them to larger pots or into the fields. Next, we will discuss the various approaches to bed preparation including: amending, fertilizing, digging vs tilling and raised beds vs non-raised beds. After we have prepared several beds together we will begin planting. Some things from the green house will be transplanted into the field while something may be directly seeded into the soil at this time. Proper watering technique and thinning will be demonstrated. Finally, we will move onto the magic of composting. The art and science of this mysterious process will be unveiled by a seasoned composting veteran. Everybody will learn hands on how to create a proper compost pile as well as alternative vermiculture systems. We end with lunch prepared by In The Kitchen.

By the next workshop participants will be responsible for preparing their own beds, transplanting and direct-seeding into their prepared beds, and establishing a composting system near their gardening site.

May 30th –

We open with a review of the last months activities; problems, solutions, needing help, and all the rest. Then, we will pick up where we left off and turn a compost pile and make a new one, this time without the assistance of one of the farmers. We will prepare several more beds for planting and transplant all of our summer crops: tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash, cucumbers, beans, and potatoes. In addition, we will direct seed more things as needed. We will review the concept of succession planting and what this might look like for a home gardener. Next, we will tour one of the other Living Lands Agrarian Network farm sites. During this tour you will be exposed to a different location with a slightly different growing climate. Soil, sun, water, and geographic location all interact to produce a different set of conditions to consider. Back at the main site, we will all help prepare lunch with the guidance of Wendy Van Wagner of In The Kitchen.

Summer crops should all be planted by the next time we meet.

June 27th -

We open with a review from the past month. We will take some time to considering the summer solstice and what it means for the garden and gardener. Next, various farm construction and maintenance tasks will be tackled ranging from trellising to mulching and weeding. By this time we’re really starting to harvest a lot of food. Proper harvesting technique will be reviewed. We observe our garden beds and consider if we need to add further successions of any crops at this time. Backyard poultry will be the next topic covered. How practical is it to have chickens where we are, what are the benefits, drawbacks, proper care, and practical ways of housing them. We will end with lunch.

Observation is the theme. Participants should be focusing in on the needs of the garden.

July 28th -

We will open with an observation period of the main farm site. Afterwards we will discuss what we noticed and compare this to your individual experiences at your own site. This workshop marks the time when we will start planning for our fall and winter garden. We will consider the idea of crop rotation and the practical ways this may work for the home gardener. We’ll move to the green house where we will seed the fall crops in trays. Bed preparation will be followed by direct seeding where appropriate. If there is any garlic or onions to harvest at this time we will do so and demonstrate proper trying technique for storage. A fermentation demonstration will be held at In The Kitchen on Zion St. in Nevada City. Lunch will follow.

Experimentation with fermentation and preparing for a fall and winter garden should be goals at the end of this session.

August 22nd –

If anybody wishes to share a successful fermentation experiment they may. Staying in line with the microorganisms of fermentation, we will revisit the compost system. Next, we will return to the greenhouse where we will seed onions for the fall. We will also take our seedlings and transplant them into the field. A tour of another farm site will be next on the agenda, followed by a canning workshop In The Kitchen and lunch.

Fall gardens should be planted and onions started in flats.

September 19th –

We will discuss how everybody’s gardens are doing. We will return, once more, to the art and science of composting, one of the crucial elements in a successful home garden. Another very important, though nearly forgotten element, is that of seed saving. A seed saving demonstration will be led by of the farms in LLAN. We will harvest many of the summer crops at this time in September: beans, tomatoes, potatoes, winter squash, and even some grains like amaranth and quinoa. We will briefly discuss drying and other forms of food preservation. The benefits of cover cropping, mulching and on-bed composting will all be discussed and we will tidy up our plot at the farm. Lunch, as always.
October 10th –

We’ll consider the impacts of this seasons’ gardening efforts on ourselves and the environment and reflect on the entire experience. Cold-frames as an option to extend the growing season will be discussed. Planting garlic and onions will mark the end of the planting for this year. We will clean up by oiling our tools, and making sure the soil is properly taken care of for the winter slumber. We will finish by talking about being prepared for next year at the right times.  A pizza party with our wood-fired cobb oven and fresh ingredients from the farm will mark the end of the workshop series.
Workshop Costs: $400.00 / individual

Expect additional costs for minimal tools, infrastructure (i.e. fencing, irrigation, etc.), soil analysis, and fertilizers. Seeds and seedlings will be provided. Group deals for the above materials may be an option depending on whether or not one of the local farm supply stores works with us.

Payment can be made all at once or in two $200.00 installments; one by February 18th and the other by May 30th. Checks should be made out to Living Lands Agrarian Network and mailed to Debora Chapman at PO 478 Nevada City, CA 95959. Cash should be transferred directly. To contact LLAN with questions or for transfer of payment you may call Tim Van Wagner at 530 205 8817 or by email at tim_van_wagner@hotmail.com.

Note to the reader: These workshops are geared for people truly wishing to grow more of their own food in their back or front yards. It’s for people wishing to be active participants and wanting to learn and willing to ask for help along the way. Participants who go through this workshop series will learn an incredible amount of information that can be applied immediately to their own site. Assistance along the way will always be available through a phone call or email. Those of you who are worried about being able to do the initial infrastructure in time to begin planting, do not worry. The Living Lands Agrarian Network will be hosting six interns throughout the season, many of whom will be available to assist you at a reasonable rate.

–
Wendy Van Wagner
In The Kitchen
www.wendyvanwagner.com
(530) 277-5126
Work is love made visible.

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