Grow Your Own Food Hands-On Class
Saturday, June 3 2023
1 PM – 4 PM
Bakersville, NC
Refreshments Provided
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5/27/2023 update: this class has been cancelled to to a schedule conflict. I’ll reschedule it at a later date. Thanks!
April greetings from The Little Half Acre that Could … I think I can, I think I can! For those of you who remember the classic children’s story about the little train engine who was unsure if he could climb a steep set of tracks, that’s been our theme here on our half acre homestead. In fact, at the end of the story, the little train engine cries “I know I can, I know I can!” when he finally tops the steep rise. Well, after a learning curve that was my own steep challenge, I am now at the “I know I can” stage.
Years of a hands on, “learning the hard way” type of gardening, followed by a serious Master Gardener course, has me crying “I know I can!” and I’m ready to share that hard won knowledge with others. I’m offering a three part course here at The Little Half Acre on growing your own food. And it doesn’t matter if you have a huge plot of land or a few containers on a patio. You can grow your own food.
Let’s face it. Food costs are not going down. Isn’t funny how – once a certain plateau has been reached – costs (whether food, or energy or anything!) never seem to go back down as far as they went up? Many people are feeling the pinch right now from out of sight grocery prices. I know that our once a month “stock up” trips to the local grocery used to run around three hundred dollars and all we shopped for after that was extra plant milk or produce that I wasn’t growing at the time. Last week that same trip was just over five hundred dollars. That’s a huge jump for a family of two that consumes almost no meat and, unfortunately, I am quite certain that we will never see three hundred again.
So why not grow some of your own food? It’s cheaper, it’s fun and it’s certainly more nutritious than something that was picked a week ago and shipped across the country. I can teach anyone how to grow a tomato in a pot or a bit of fresh salad greens. And if you have space for a small raised bed or two I can show you how to get a tremendous amount of organic produce from those beds. Read on to get the details…
Grow Your Own Food – Section I
Let’s start with the basics. I confess that this is the first year I have had great success with starting my own veggies from seed. After years of seed starting attempts, this is the first time that I didn’t end up having to buy vegetable starts from my local nursery. Turns out I was doing it all wrong. I’ll share that with you, along with the difference between reputable seed companies and big box store “seconds.” We’ll also talk about soil conditions, “potting on” and other techniques for growing great vegetable starts. We’ll even do a bit of seed starting during this section for a make-it-and-take-it project for your own growing area. What are you interested in growing? You choose which seeds to start and take with you.
Grow Your Own Food – Section II
We’ll talk about garden layout, using companion planting and we’ll also get a bit more in depth about soil conditions and how to get free soil tests now through November. After all, good soil is the key to growing good food. And we’ll deal with growing in less than ideal conditions. Clay soil? Rocky soil? On a slope like we are here on our homestead? Not enough sun? We’ve got you covered. We’ll also cover organic practices.
Grow Your Own Food – Section III
In our third Grow Your Own Food section, we’ll get into the fascinating world of polyculture and permaculture and how those methods of growing are polar opposites from the way Big Ag goes about feeding the world. We can talk about terracing, using natural materials, where to find amendments and how to use them. And what about natural pest control? Does it work? You bet it does. Come join us to find out how!
More Details
- We’re offering this three hour class for $75.
- Class will be held on Saturday, June 3rd, from 1:00 to 4:00.
- Refreshments will be provided and we’ll tour around the homestead to show you in real time how our methods for growing gorgeous, nutrient dense foods works.
- Questions are welcome during class as well as in the last half hour or so.
- Sign up using the form below.
- Our apologies but, due to class size limits, we can’t offer refunds. We will, however, allow you to re-book.
- If it rains we’ll meet in our microgreens grow room and if the weather cooperates, we’ll sit outside at the harvest table under our pergola.
Please note – we’re a working homestead on a slope. Appropriate footwear is essential since we free range our chickens and ducks and it’s on a Western North Carolina somewhat rocky hillside.
Register for your class now!
Your email receipt will be from Jackie’s… Naturally. Thank You!
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