A weekend of workshops for beginning gardeners
to advanced commercial growers, the 17th Annual Organic Growers
School takes place Saturday and Sunday, March-7, 2010, at UNC
Asheville. The event, which is open to the public, provides
practical, region-appropriate organic growing and permaculture
workshops, homesteading and rural living classes such cooking and
stonescaping, as well as a seed exchange, silent auction, and trade
show. This year’s school offers 75 sessions each day with topics
ranging from beginning gardening to commercial farming to urban
homesteading. The schedule of workshops is designed with all levels
of growers in mind: the professional farmer, the beginning
commercial grower, and the home gardener. Also offered at this years
school is our 6h annual Children’s Program for kids ages 7 to 12 and
a hands-on, on-the-farm session on Sunday, March 7.
Now in its 17th year, The Organic Growers School has grown from a
small gathering of 100 growing enthusiasts in 1994 to a regionally
recognized conference drawing over 1300 attendees, exhibitors and
speakers from 17 different states and Canada. One of the largest
conferences of its type in the region, The Organic Growers School
has served to reinforce Western North Carolina’s role as a regional
leader in organic farming.
Participants may choose any four workshops from among the 69 offered
in the themed tracks: Beginning Gardening, What’s Hot, Nurturing
Healthy Soils, New and Alternative Crops, Commercial Grower,
Appropriate Technology, Livestock, Permaculture, Pest Management,
Sustainable Landscaping, Herbs, Food Preservation, Cooking,
Sustainable Forestry and new hands-on half-day workshops.
Among the specific workshops offered are: Community Gardens,
BioDynamics, Edible Landscaping, Vermicomposting, Bio-Char, Raising
Backyard Poultry, Biomass Gasification, Farmer Panel: Everything
Intern, Extending the Season, Taming the Weeds in Organic
Vegetables, Cut Flower Production, Growing Hops, Vegetable
Fermentation, Urban Orchards, Medicinal Herbs, Making Maple Syrup,
Rain Gardening, Seasonal Cooking & Living, and more!
Half day hands-on workshops with smaller numbers of participants are
offered in: Make your Own Fresh Pasta, Goat Cheese Making, Using
Edible and Medicinal “Weeds”, Raising Heritage Poultry, Building
with Stone in the Landscape, Wild Baskets, Do-it-Yourself Seed and
Germination Equipment, Sustainable Landscaping (separate workshops
for professionals and homeowners), The ABCs of Organic
Certification, Herbal Medicine Making, Chainsaw Safety Training,
Natural Beekeeping, and Plant Walks.
The Organic Growers School is proud to offer its 6th annual program
for kids. The Children’s Program focuses on the importance of
agriculture and the environment. This supervised full-day event is
open to children ages 7-12 years old, with a registration limit of
32 children. Children will explore the world of agriculture through
numerous hands-on activities involving plants, animals, insects, and
food. Cost is $30 per child.
Also offered this year is continued learning through a hands-on,
on-the-farm session on Sunday March 7th. The Sunday session is a
great way for interested commercial growers to add knowledge and
hands-on experience with an intensive session at a well-known area
farm. The Sunday session at Flying Cloud Farm in Fairview, NC is
“Integrated Weed Management for Organic Crops” The session runs from
1-5 p.m. and the cost is $25. Registration for this session is
available with the Organic Growers School Registration form.
The trade show showcases a wide array of exhibitors and products:
local farms, gardening suppliers, and cottage industries that
specialize in organic products, books and resources for organic
growers and Permaculture practitioners, and several non-profit
organizations with information on related topics. A full list of
exhibitors is on the Organic Growers School website and is updated
regularly. Businesses and organizations interested in exhibiting
should contact
meredith@organicgrowersschool.org.
A silent auction will run all weekend, giving participants the
chance to bid on items donated by related businesses, such as
organic car care, garden and farm tools, fertilizers, books,
clothing, and more. Proceeds from the auction go directly to
supporting Organic Growers School educational initiatives for
farmers and consumers alike. Those interested in donating to the
auction should contact
meredith@organicgrowersschool.org.
A Seed and Plant Exchange booth is open throughout the weekend as
part of the trade show. Seed saving and plant exchanges are key
steps in the quest to preserve genetic diversity and protect
regionally adapted varieties. Attendees may bring excess seeds and
small plants to share, barter, or trade. Seed saving supplies and
recommended readings will be provided.
NEW THIS YEAR! The Organic Growers School is partnering with local
businesses and active area non profits to host a “Salon Revival!”,
or open panel discussions on hot topics in the area of food systems
and sustainable agriculture. The salons take place 6:30-8 p.m.
Saturday, March 6. Topics to be discussed:
1. Making Organic Accessible: Healthy Food for ALL Citizens
facilitated by the Organic Growers School and the Bountiful Cities
Project. Location still to be determined (local green businesses
interested in hosting this salon please contact
meredith@organicgrowersschool.org or 828/582-5039).
2. Food Safety and Agricultural Policy: How to be an Effective
Advocate for Change facilitated by the Organic Growers School and
the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. Hosted by Firestorm Café
and Books.
3. Nourishing Tomorrow’s Leaders: Battling Childhood Obesity through
Farm to School Programs facilitated by the Organic Growers School
and the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project. Hosted by Nest
Organics.
The SALON REVIVAL is open to the general public and is FREE to
attend. Interested participants should reserve their free seat by
emailing
meredith@organicgrowersschool.org or by indicating their
salon of choice on the OGS online Conference Registration Form. The
Salon Revival is sponsored by the Mountain Area Information Network,
Firestorm Café and Books, and Nest Organics.
The major sponsors of the 17th Annual Organic Growers School are The
Beattie Foundation, Carolina Farm Credit, Greenlife Grocery, and
Earth Fare with additional sponsorship support from Organic Shopper
Magazine, ABTech BioNetwork BioBusiness Center, Foothills Family
Farms, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Mountain Xpress, BackHome Magazine,
Early Girl Eatery, Earth Tools, Fifth Season Gardening Co., High
Mowing Organic Seeds, Laughing Seed Café, Nature’s NOG, The Organic
Mechanic, Reems Creek Nursery and Landscaping, Sow True Seed,
Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, the Southeast Women’s Herbal
Conference and Yellow Branch Cheese.
The Organic Growers School is organized annually by the Organic
Growers School INC, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Persons who Early Bird Register for the school by February 12th,
2010 at 5PM, have the option to buy our catered $10 lunch buffet
provided by sponsor Greenlife Grocery with local, pasture raised
beef donated by Foothills Family Farms. Beans and Berries, West End
Bakery, and Urban Burrito will also be on site selling lunch items.
The cost for the all-day conference is $40 for those who
pre-register by 5 p.m. February 12. Registration for the Children’s
Program is $30 and for college students is $35. Registration after
February 12 or the day of the school (between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m.) is
$55. Registration for the half-day hands-on workshops and cooking
classes is an additional $5 per workshop and requires Early Bird
Registration by February 12.
Interested participants may register on-line at
www.organicgrowersschool.org or request a mailed
registration form from
meredith@organicgrowersschool.org or 828/582-5039.
Registration forms are also available at area outlets such as Earth
Fare, Greenlife Grocery, other sponsor’s retail stores and area
Cooperative Extension offices.
The Organic Growers School is proud to offer over 100 opportunities
for individuals to attend the conference by means of a work exchange
program. Persons interested in applying for work exchange/volunteer
status should visit the OGS website, click on “volunteer” and fill
out an application. Shifts are filled on a first come, first-served
basis.
Businesses interested in participating in the school as a coffee
vendor, exhibitor or sponsor should contact Organic Growers School
Coordinator Meredith Leigh McKissick at
meredith@organicgrowersschool.org or call 828/582-5039.
2010 ORGANIC GROWERS SCHOOL*
Saturday and Sunday, March 6 - 7, 2010
at the University of North Carolina at Asheville
Schedule
7:30 – 8:30 Registration / Trade Show / Silent Auction / Seed &
Plant Exchange
8:30 – 9:00 Trade Show / Silent Auction / Seed & Plant Exchange
9:00 – 10:30 Session 1
10:30 – 11:00 Break / Trade Show / Silent Auction / Seed & Plant
Exchange
11:00 – 12:30 Session 2
12:30 – 2:00 Lunch / Trade Show / Silent Auction / Seed & Plant
Exchange
2:00 – 3:30 Session 3
3:30 – 4:00 Break / Trade Show / Silent Auction / Seed & Plant
Exchange
4:00 – 5:30 Session 4
CLASSROOM SESSIONS
TRACK A: What’s Hot
• Farming Together: Developing Agreement in Farm Transfer
• Growing Communities through Gardens
• Cut Flower Production: Snapdragons
• Down to Earth Biodyanamics
TRACK B: Gardening
• Starting your First Vegetable Garden
• Endless Summer: Growing Year ‘Round
• Beautiful and Delicious: Designing a Productive Edible Landscape
• Pest Management: Options for the Home Garden
TRACK C: Soils
• Soil Ecology 101
• Vermi-Composting: On Farm and Backyard How-to
• Growing Soil Fertility with Cover Crops
• Introduction to BioChar
TRACK D: Livestock
• Raising Backyard Poultry
• Sustainable Pasture Management
• Organic Dairy for the Future
• Meat Goat Production and Marketing for WNC
TRACK E: Appropriate Technology
• Improving Home Performance in Comfort, Health, Safety and
Efficiency
• Energy Options for the Farm
• Small- Scale Wind Energy for Homes, Farms, and Businesses
• Biomass Gasification
TRACK F: Commercial Farmers
• Update on the State of Food Safety
• Organic Farming: What to Expect Your First Year
• SUNDAY ONLY- Farmer Panel: Everything Intern
• Cash Crops & Cover Crops: Rotation Options for Southern Mountain
Farms
• Extending the Season
• SUNDAY ONLY: Marketing & Branding
TRACK G: Pest Management
• Disease Prevention: The Key to Organic Poultry Health Management
• Taming the Weeds in Organic Vegetables
-SUNDAY ONLY: Bugs Among Us
• Integrated Disease Management in Organic Vegetable Production
• Sharpening your Pest Management Skills in Cut Flower Production
TRACK H: New & Alternative Crops
• Shiitake Mushrooms and Beyond
• Growing Truffles in WNC
• The Joys and Challenges of Growing Hops
• Exploring Muscadine Wine Grape Production
TRACK I: Food Preservation
• Making Chutneys, Relishes, and Jams
• Growing for Winter Harvest and Storage: Eating Fresh Food Year
Round
• Vegetable Fermentation
• Build your own Solar Food Dehydrator
TRACK J: Permaculture
• Sculpting and Weaving Plants: The Fine Art of Biotechture
• Humaure- It’s a Hot Topic
• Soil Enhancement Strategies: Permaculture Style
-SUNDAY ONLY: Weeds: Good, Bad, and “Invasive Exotics”
• Urban Orchards: Creating an Edible Garden of Eden
TRACK K: Herbs
• Green Cleaning Solutions
-SUNDAY ONLY: Organically Grown Healthcare
• Growing and Marketing Woodland Botanicals
• Herbal Companions for the Child Bearing Year
-SUNDAY ONLY: Using Organic Herbs According to Chinese Medicine
• Propagating Medicinal Herbs
TRACK L: Sustainable Forestry
• Making Maple Syrup in the South
• Forest Management for Non-Industrial, Private Forest Landowners
• Native Non-Timber Forest Products and Botanicals
• Organic Christmas Tree Production
TRACK M: Sustainable Landscaping
• Hawthorn Ecology and Utility: Often a Case of Unrefined Culture
• Roses are Plants, too
• Wrangling Raindrops: The Benefits of Natural Irrigation using Rain
Gardens
• Using Native Grasses and Wildflowers to Restore Habitat
TRACK N: Cooking
• Ayurvedic Cooking Foundations
• Seasonal Cooking and Living
-SUNDAY ONLY: Cooking with Chinese Medicinal Herbs
• Feeding the Family Right
• Fast Food for Farmers
HALF-DAY HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS
• Make your Own Fresh Pasta
• Goat Cheese Making
• Using Edible and Medicinal Weeds (Saturday Only)
• Raising Heritage Poultry
• Building with Stone in the Landscape (Saturday Only)
• Wild Baskets
• DIY Seed and Germination Equipment (Saturday Only)
• Sustainable Landscaping (Saturday for Professionals, Sunday for
Homeowners)
• The ABCs of Organic Certification
•Herbal Medicine Making
•Chainsaw Safety Training (Saturday Only)
•Natural Beekeeping for BEEginners
6th ANNUAL CHILDREN’S PROGRAM
A full day of learning for kids from 7-12, focusing on the
importance of agriculture and the environment. Children will explore
the world of agriculture through numerous hands-on activities
involving plants, animals, insects, and food.
_________________________________________________
Sunday, March 7 On the Farm Workshop
• Integrated Weed Management for Organic Crops
*
Sessions as of January 11, 2010. Schedule subject to change.
