April 20 – Starting a Seed Garden
April 21 – SPIN Farming
April 25 – Compost Making
April 27 – Compost Tea and Vermiculture
May 12 – Egg Laying Hens
May 16 – Weed Control
May 23 – Vegetable Harvesting Techniques
June 2 – Food Forests
June 20 – Beekeeping
June 27 – Drip Irrigation
July 6, 13, 20, and 27 – Crop Planning Series
July 18 – Pigs on Pasture
July 25 – Sheep
August 11 – The Lost Art of Canning
September 15 – SPIN Farming
September 29 – Seed Saving
Starting a Seed Garden
Friday, April 20th, 2012
9 am – 12 pm
$45
Learn some of the basic concepts and techniques of growing and collecting your own veggie and flower seeds! Facilitated by one of Canada’s leading seed experts, Bob Wildfong, Executive Director of Seeds of Diversity Canada.
Saturday, April 21st, 2012
10 am – 4 pm
$85
A full-day intensive workshop on SPIN (small plot intensive) farming taught by Everdale’s farm director, Gavin Dandy.
SPIN-Farming is a non-technical, easy-to-learn and inexpensive-to-implement vegetable farming system that makes it possible to earn significant income from land bases under an acre in size. The workshop is also appropriate for backyard gardeners who want to improve their techniques.
Come to the workshop prepared to get your hands in the soil. Workshop participants will receive:
- An introduction to the principles of SPIN farming
- Hands-on training in Everdale’s SPIN gardens
- Ongoing post-workshop support via the SPIN North America list serve
- The option to purchase the how-to manual SPIN-Farming Basics, which will be ordered in advance of each class date.
Wednesday, April 25th
9 am – 12 pm
$45
You’ll never have a stinky compost pile again. Turn your kitchen scraps and garden “waste” into “black gold”. Learn the simple techniques you need to make compost in your backyard or market garden. There will be lots of hands-on activities so come prepared to work outside and have a good time. Appropriate for beginning and intermediate gardeners.
Friday, April 27th
9 am – 12 pm
$45
Using compost tea and worm compost in your garden is a sure-fire way to establish healthy soil and lush garden plants. All it takes is some basic equipment and a bit of time. Once you get started you’ll find out just how easy and enjoyable it is to become a brewer of fine compost tea and top quality worm compost. Learn what is needed to create rich compost tea and keep your worms healthy. We’ll spend time with our red wrigglers and tea brewing set up… Appropriate for beginning and intermediate gardeners.
Saturday, May 12th
10 am – 4 pm
$85
Learn how to keep your own small flock of hens (2-99) in your backyard or small farm. Lots of practical information and hands-on teaching on all aspects of backyard flock care. Topics will include where to find birds, choosing breeds, housing, feed, pasturing, daily care, and of course, eggs! Come prepared to do some real live chicken chores and spend time with day old chicks as well as our happy flock of laying hens.
Wednesday, May 16th
9 am – 12 pm
$45
Yes, it’s true, the biggest cause of “garden shame” is weeds; it doesn’t need to be that way for you. Keeping your garden weed-free doesn’t have to be backbreaking. Learn how easy and enjoyable it is to control weeds and have a beautiful and thriving garden. You’ll get a tonne of hands-on experience in this workshop. Training includes:
- introduction to the right tools
- simple (pain-free!) weeding techniques
- mulching options, and more
Techniques can be applied to ornamentals as well as veggies. Appropriate for beginning and intermediate gardeners.
Vegetable Harvesting Techniques
Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012
9 am – 12 pm
$45
Learn the simple and effective techniques for harvesting your vegetable garden. Maximize the shelf-life, freshness, flavour and nutritional value of your veggies. Training includes introduction to the right tools, simple and effective harvest techniques, and storage options.
Saturday, June 2nd, 2012
10 am – 4 pm
$85
This workshop will introduce you to the concept of food forests. Food forests are a new way of growing food that has the potential to solve many of the farming and food related ecological problems we currently face. Food forests are human-designed multi-species cropping systems that mimic natural ecosystems. Like natural ecosystems they are energy-efficient, self-sustaining, and regenerative.
The workshop is multi-dimensional. It combines theory and practice so come prepared to get your hands dirty and have some fun in Everdale’s fields and gardens.
Wednesday, June 20th, 2012
9 am – 12 pm
$45
Discover the fascinating world of bees and apiculture. Take a tour of Everdale’s hives and see the colonies first hand. Learn the roles and responsibilities of the queen, drones, house bees and foragers. We’ll also discuss the parts of the hive and the environmental issues that we are facing as a society.
Wednesday, June 27th, 2012
9 am – 12 pm
$45
This workshop is ideal for market gardeners and those planning to start their own small-scale operations. Drip irrigation is an efficient way of watering areas a quarter-acre or larger. Learn the simple theory, planning, and costing of a drip system. Workshop also includes hands-on field exercise installing a drip system.
Friday, July 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th, 2012
10 am – 12 pm each day
$145 (includes $25 manual)
A detailed crop plan is essential for market gardening success. This four-part workshop series takes you through the complete crop planning process and is ideal for market gardeners and those planning to start their own small-scale operations. We use Canadian Organic Growers Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers as the manual for this workshop. A copy of the book is included in the workshop fee. At the end of the month you will have a complete crop plan including:
- setting your financial goals
- developing a marketing plan
- field planting schedules
- transplant schedules
- crop maps
- generating seed orders, field plans, and more.
Wednesday, July 18th, 2012
9 am – 12 pm
$45
Raising pigs on pasture is not only more humane and natural for the animals, it is also environmentally sound and produces meat that is more nutritious and flavourful. This workshop is for beginners, small-scale commercial growers and hobby farmers and will cover topics such as purchasing, housing, feeding, fencing/pasturing, safe handling practices, and health.
Wednesday, July 25th, 2012
9 am – 12 pm
$45
Learn the basics of sheep flock care from Everdale co-founder Karen Campbell. This will be an action packed introduction to a wide range of topics and hands-on activities such as:
- daily care
- housing
- feed and water
- pasture rotation
- safe handling, and more.
This workshop is ideal for beginners who are interested in starting a small-scale commercial flock or hobby farming.
Saturday, August 11th, 2012
10 am – 3 pm
$85
From pickles to jams to salsas and everything in between, learn how easy it is to preserve foods in your own kitchen. Hone your canning skills alongside Canadian Red Seal chef Cathy Hansen as you help to create three different canned items in this interactive workshop. We will also discuss equipment, sourcing supplies, and the science of high acid canning so you can confidently produce your own preserves. Discover the canning possibilities that exist year round, even in the depths of winter, and sample a diversity of canned goods made by Cathy. Everyone gets to take home samples of the items we make, plus loads of recipes including the Bernardin Guide to Home Preserving.
Saturday, September 15th, 2012
10 am – 4 pm
$85
A one-day intensive workshop on SPIN (small plot intensive) farming taught by Everdale’s farm director, Gavin Dandy.
SPIN-Farming is a non-technical, easy-to-learn and inexpensive-to-implement vegetable farming system that makes it possible to earn significant income from land bases under an acre in size. The workshop is also appropriate for backyard gardeners who want to improve their techniques.
Come to the workshop prepared to get your hands in the soil. Workshop participants will receive:
- An introduction to the principles of SPIN farming
- Hands-on training in Everdale’s SPIN gardens
- Ongoing post-workshop support via the SPIN North America list serve
- The option to purchase the how-to manual SPIN-Farming Basics, which will be ordered in advance of each class date.
Saturday, September 29th, 2012
10 am – 4 pm
$85
Join Seeds of Diversity’s Executive Director Bob Wildfong as he guides you through the process of saving your own seeds. Everdale’s seed gardens will be your classroom. We have lots of hands-on activities in store for you. You’ll learn the basics of how to collect and save vegetable, fruit, ornamentals and herb seeds; hand pollinating, germination, and recommended isolation distances.
