ALM Organic Farm

Courses at Farm - Spring

Register by phoning (250) 642-3671 OR emailing us at info@almfarms.org

You may also register and pay online using a credit card or Paypal account.

PLANTING CALENDAR WORKSHOP
Get the most out of your garden and take advantage of our mild climate. The key to having food from your garden year round is to create a good planting/seeding schedule. In this course we will create a planting calendar for the year. We will look at pushing planting dates in the spring and fall to extend the season and harvest, planning succession sowing for continual or extended harvest of certain vegetables, and getting more than one crop off a bed in the season. We will discuss materials and shelters that help to extend the season for the more delicate crops. Please bring a blank calendar to the course.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013, 7:00pm - 9:00 pm OR Saturday, March 16, 2013, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Fee: $30

GROW AMAZING TOMATOES
Have the earliest producing and greatest tasting tomatoes in your neighbourhood. Learn how to select the best varieties, propagate from seed, prepare the soil, transplant and train a variety of types of tomatoes. Also learn how to protect your crop from pests and save seed from your favourite tomatoes. Course includes 5 seedlings of a variety of heirloom tomatoes ready to transplant in May. Taught by Mary Alice Johnson at ALM Organic Farm
Saturday, March 30, 2013, 1:00 am to 4:00 pm
Fee: $40

INTRODUCTION TO PERENNIAL FOOD CROPS
Learn the basics of starting and maintaining hardy perennial plants like fruit, beries and rhubarb, that will keep on producing food for you year after year. Learn about choosing and preparing your site, selecting varieties, planting, fertilizing, pruning, propagation, and disease/pest management. We'll have time to see and talk about our large selection of perennial crops.
Saturday, April 13, 2013, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Fee: $40

PLANT PROPAGATION
Am I drowning my seedlings or keeping them too dry? When should I direct seed and when should I start my seedlings in a pot? Which plants need dark to germinate and which need light? Learn how to get vegetables, herbs and flowers started from seed, cuttings and divisions – even the hard ones. Save money and end up with healthier plants by growing them yourself from seed or taking cuttings or divisions from your neighbor’s garden. Practical and hands on taught by Mary Alice Johnson. Participant will go home with cuttings and newly seeded plants.
Bring your own lunch or enjoy an organic farm lunch for $14 Taught by Mary Alice Johnson and Marika Nagasaka at ALM Organic Farm
Saturday, April 20, 2013, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Fee: $55

THE WINTER GARDEN
One of the difficult parts of having food for the winter is remembering to plant the crops in the busy summer months, which is essential to get plants established. In this workshop we'll look at planning, prepping and planting the winter food garden. We'll talk about specific planting dates for a variety of crops, create a planting calendar, explore the importance of bed prep, and start some transplants and direct seed some crops for winter use. There are some difficulties to getting seed to germinate in the hot summer months which we will discuss as well. Participants will go home with some transplants for their own winter garden. Bring your own lunch or enjoy an organic farm lunch for $14 Taught by Marika Nagasaka at ALM Organic Farm
Saturday, June 8, 2013, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Fee: $55

SEED SAVING
It is important to save your own seed for long term sustainability, to improve the quality of your seed, and to save money. Learn how to select, harvest, clean and store seed from your favourite vegetables, herbs and flowers. Which varieties are the easy save and how do you save those that a little more difficult. Practical and hands on taught by a farmer with 20 years experience. Participants go home with 5 varieties of seed. Taught by Mary Alice Johnson at ALM Organic Farm
Saturday, September 14, 2013, 1:00 am to 4:00 pm
Fee: $40

PRESERVING THE HARVEST
Learn how to store food for the winter months in a variety of ways. In this course we will look at the many ways of preserving the bounty of the harvest season (canning, drying, freezing). We will also look at storage techniques for a variety of storage crops (potatoes, apples, winter squash, tomatoes). Bring your own lunch or enjoy an organic farm lunch for $14. Taught by Marika Nagasaka at ALM Organic Farm
TBA

FERTILITY AND WEED MANAGEMENT
In this course we will look at the importance of building and protecting your soil on an ongoing basis. We will look specifically at how to protect the soil through the rainy winter months. Main points of the course will be making compost, green manuring, mulching, and long term weed management. Taught by Marika Nagasaka at ALM Organic Farm

TBA

EDIBLE/MEDICINAL HERB WALK
Join us for a walk and talk about staying healthy through the change of season. As the days get shorter plant energy moves into the roots, so we will focus on 'root medicine' for the Fall and Winter. After gathering the plants we will make a tincture. Bring your own lunch or enjoy an organic farm lunch for $14. Taught by Holger Laerad at ALM farm
TBA

 

Dates of building projects at farm

• Light clay - July

Phone 642-2131 or 642-3671 for information about how to participate.