Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

So good to hear from someone who's been there, Jeanne. It's a looong way
from us so we can't speak from experience. I do try to be mindful of other
parts of the country and post those items others may want to know of -
though I am partial to the high desert southwest ;-)  

paul tradingpost@lobo.net
listowner

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 1/29/2007 at 11:49 AM Jeanne Driese wrote:

>Hi,
>This will be my second year to attend the Organic Growers School.  It has
>much to offer and lots of hands on type classes.  My favorite last year
>was the propagation class.  Everything I did grew and my cardamon plant is
>over two feet tall.
>Jeanne Driese
>Northeast TN zone 6
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: TradingPostPaul 
>  To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org 
>  Sent: Friday, January 26, 2007 5:16 PM
>  Subject: [Livingontheland] "practical information about organic
>agriculture at a reasonable price"
>
>
>
>  Now here's one that looks a lot more practical and affordable than $800
>  "permaculture" classes.
>
>  paul tradingpost@lobo.net
>  -----------------------------------------
>
>  14th Annual Organic Growers Spring School
>  March 10, 2007
>  Blue Ridge Community College, Flat Rock, NC
>  http://www.organicgrowersschool.org/events.html#ss
>
>  The annual Organic Growers School is a weekend of educational workshops
>  focused on growing and marketing crops in the North Carolina Mountains.
>  Beginning gardeners, commercial farmers and any folks interested in
>  sustainable living are invited to benefit from the school's unique
>  curriculum offering classes like "Building Healthy Garden Soil" and
>  "Quality Goat Milk Production". Workshops are divided into four time
>  slots or sessions throughout the day, each an hour and a half long, and
>  within several different tracks. Tracks cover a wide range of topics
from
>  "Homesteading" to "Policy and Research". In addition, the school
>  hosts intensive half-day workshops, plant walks, on-the-farm field days,
>  local food vendors and speakers.
>
>  The schools distinctive structure, practical and timely instruction,
>  community involvement and motivated mission contribute to its repeated
>  success. Over the past 13 years the school has increased in attendance
>from
>  110 students in 1994 to nearly 1,000 in 2005, making it one of the
>largest
>  organic growing events in the South.
>
>  Important details about this year's school:
>  CHOOSE FROM OVER 60 CLASSES! MORE WORKSHOPS THAN EVER BEFORE!
>  NEW TRACKS THIS YEAR: Urban Growing and Sustainable Forestry
>
>  About the Organic Growers School
>  A Brief History
>  In 1993, a group of farmers and specialists gathered to discuss the
>  growing need for a conference that addressed the nuts and bolts, region
>  specific, crop growing information applicable for farmers in Western
>North
>  Carolina.  The Organic Growers School is a grassroots organization that
>  grew out of the volunteer efforts of these agriculturists, with a
mission
>  to deliver very practical information about organic agriculture at a
>  reasonable price.
>  The first Organic Growers School was held in 1994, attracting just under
>  100 participants. By 2006, the school grew to over 1000 participants,
>  drawing farmers, gardeners, and educators from 14 states, and becoming
>the
>  largest event of its type in the South.
>  The School's distinctive structure, practical and timely instruction,
>  community involvement, and motivated mission contribute to its repeated
>  success. The rise in attendance coincides with the national organic
>  industry's annual growth rate of over 20%. Even with its popularity, the
>  original mission of OGS remains the same, and the founders are proud to
>  offer a learning service that contributes to the future of sustainable
>  agriculture while building relationships within the community. 
>
>  http://www.organicgrowersschool.org/about.html
>