Home-scale Growing 101

Service Description

This day-long intensive workshop is designed to equip the beginner and intermediate gardener with the foundational knowledge to successfully build your own home-scale organic food system. After successfully finishing this course you will be able to confidently make decisions regarding which gardening methods suit your context, how to apply those methods and will have gained the appropriate knowledge of where and what to look for when implementing your garden design. In addition you’ll gain exposure to methods of crop planning based on crop selection, spacing and positively maintaining a healthy soil ecosystem which serves as the foundation for plant health and by extension human health. The successful student will gain first hand observation on a working farm, and an appreciation for how the farm operates at scale. Additional topics to be explored are listed below. Morning snacks and a home-grown farm lunch will be provided. Additional sections will be added as demand grows, keep checking back with us. Gardening Methods Survey: advantages, disadvantages, appropriate tooling Garden Design (Master Plan): selecting a method, sun exposure and microclimates, site selection and layout, budgeting, modularity, planning for expansion Irrigation Design: methods and requirements Basics of Soil Health: soil types and amendments, fertility and the home flock, biology and living soils, soil inoculation, basics of plant physiology, macro and micro nutrients, nutrient cycling, foliar interventions, composting for home use, mulching, topdressing, cover-crop basics and sanitation. Cultivation Methods: mechanical, mulching, landscape fabric, tarping Crop Planning: Seed catalogs, crop selection, crop timing, spacing and quantities, seasonal crops vs. storage crops Crop Maintenance: methods survey Setting up the Basic Nursery: lighting, plug flats and grow media, seed storage, seed inoculation, providing the ideal conditions, germination, micro-greens, direct soil seeding, low-tech outdoor options Basics of Organic Pest Management: scouting, timing, application Post-Harvest: hydro-cooling, introduction to preservation, greens are good for you

Cancellation Policy

To cancel or reschedule please give us a 2 week notification so we can attempt to fill your spot. All cancellations are subject to a $40.00 service fee per booking.

Contact Details

• 7650 E Napier Avenue , Benton Harbor, MI 49022, USA

  + (269) 277-9451

  christopher.dicicco@gmail.com