What is Bio-Char? Come learn about bio-char and build a “J” shape rocket stove to make bio-char.
Join us as we talk about this 2,000 year-old practice converts agricultural waste into a soil enhancer that can hold carbon, boost food security, and increase soil biodiversity, and discourage deforestation. The process creates a fine-grained, highly porous charcoal that helps soils retain nutrients and water.
Participants will learn the importance of Bio char and why is it good for soil health and crops. They will also learn how to build a J shaped rocket stove out of standard farm equipment.
Skills Taught:
- Understanding the basics of soil health
- Organic matter management
- Understanding Culture needs of crops
- Designing bio diverse systems
- Determining moisture needs
- Fabricate tools & equipment
- Build soil health & productivity
Register HERE
How to build a spinning compost sifter. Participants will learn the importance of composting- what to compost, what not to compost and build a spinning compost sifter that requires less labor
Skills Taught:
- Fabricate tools and equipment
- Build soil health and productivity
- Cultivate soil
- Establish parts and supplies
- Establish relationship with local institutions
Register HERE
This course will be all worms! Learn how worms can determine your soil health and how to cultivate them. We will also be demonstrating how to build and easy worm bin with minimum inputs.
Instructors: F.A.R.M. & Texas Worm Ranch
Skills Taught
- Build/ install infrastructure
- Build soil health & productivity (e.g., make compost, plant and manage cover and catch drops, integrate crop and livestock production, install crop rotations, add organic amendments if and as required)
- Monitor ecological impact of all production activities
- Implement conservation practices & measures (e.g., buffer strips, water quality management projects, wildlife habitat improvement, strip cropping)
- Cultivate soil
Now that you have multiplied your worm collection, use the castings for compost tea. Compost tea is a great way to love your plants naturally. Compost Tea is a Liquid Gold fertilizer for flowers, vegetables and houseplants. … Very simply, it is a liquid, nutritionally rich, well-balanced, organic supplement made by steeping aged compost in water.
Skills Taught:
- Benefits of compost tea
- How to improve crop growth with compost tea
- Nutrient retention and availability of soil
- Build stronger soil structures with compost tea
Following discussion, we will demonstrate how to build a compost tea brewer!
REGISTER HERE
This session you will learn how to know your markets and grow what they demand. Conduct market research, Building relationships with customers both wholesale and retail; promoting your farm and marketing plans
We will also be learning about implements for no till gardening. Participants will learn how to use a paper pot transplanter and seeder.
- Sell farm products & services
- Distribute farm products (e.g. deliver, ship)
- Obtain customer feedback
- Keep good records (e.g. customer comments, competition, price changes, sales, promotional activities)
- Conduct market research (e.g. research industry, competition, markets/customers, production potential, marketing strategies)
- Prepare marketing plan (e.g. pricing, marketing strategies, logo, product line, target customers, sales potential, promotion, product placement, labor needs, consumer trends, name, organic/”green” label options, potential for value-adding)
- Research legal requirements (e.g. zoning, organizational structure, product handling, liability, tax abatement options, development rights)
- Prepare annual/seasonal marketing plan (e.g. marketing strategies, sales outlets [on-farm, farmers’ markets, retail, wholesale], pricing, value adding).
- Monitor market conditions (e.g. price, supply, competition, consumer trends)
- Develop promotional materials
- Promote farm products & services (e.g. advertise, participate in “buy local” or “green label” campaigns)
- Obtain necessary supplies (e.g. scales, receipt books, cash box, packaging, labels)
- Contact buyers (e.g. retail and/or wholesale)
- Inventory tools, equipment & supplies
- Acquire necessary tools, equipment & supplies (e.g. purchase, borrow, rent)
- Monitor condition of tools & equipment
- Maintain tools & equipment
REGISTER HERE BY AUGUST 7
This workshop will teach individuals how to build wicking beds for vegetable production. Wicking beds are a permaculture technique as an alternative to growing vegetables in the ground. We will be building a wicking bed.
Skills Taught:
- Understanding irrigation systems
- Planning irrigation systems
- Raised Beds
- Soil Moisture testing
- Determining moisture needs
Instructor:
Steve Smith, Army veteran, co-founder of F.A.R.M.
RSVP by November 1, 2018
REGISTER HERE
What is one thing there is never enough of? COLD STORAGE!
Skills Taught:
- Determining Equipment Needs
- Sourcing Eqipment/Supplies
- Cooling
- Cleaning
- Drying
- Dry and Cold Storage
Instructor:
Steve Smith, Army veteran, co-founder of F.A.R.M.
RSVP by December 13, 2018
REGISTER HERE
Wicking beds are a unique and increasingly popular way to grow vegetables. They are self-contained raised beds with built-in reservoirs that supply water from the bottom up – changing how, and how much, you water your beds.
Wicking beds can often be pricey however, we will demonstrate how to build a wicking bed out of re-purposed material. Be sure to bring gloves!
Skills Taught:
- Understanding irrigation systems
- Planning irrigation systems
- Raised Beds
- Soil Moisture testing
- Determining moisture needs
REGISTER HERE
Understanding the basics of organics is understanding your soil.
In this workshop we will discuss and understand the basics of soil health, organic matter management , compost and plant based teas. How to scout for diseases and monitoring and finally beneficial insects that help protect your crops.
Skills Taught:
- Organic matter management
- Understanding basics of soil health
- Compost &plant based teas
- Disease scouting & monitoring
- Beneficial Insects
Want to recycle your food and yard waste at home, but don’t know how to get started? Join the Turn Team for a free class covering the basics of composting in an urban environment. Taught by Turn founder, Lauren Clarke, you will learn
- why composting is important
- how composting works
- various methodologies for DIY in your urban home space.
The class is free, but donations are accepted here
Register HERE
