2021 Spring Workshop Series at the Giving Garden
Join us for a series of in-person workshops at the Grow Food Northampton Giving Garden this spring! There are a variety of workshops, perfect for beginners and experienced gardeners. Read below for workshop details, descriptions and links to sign up.
No-Till Farming Basics and Bed Preparation at The Giving Garden And Song Sparrow Farm Workshop now full.
Wednesday, April 21 5:30-7pm
What is no-till farming and what are some basic methods to prepare low to no-till garden beds? Join Diego and Ellena to learn some gardening and farming strategies that hold the soil, retain nutrients, and sequester carbon while growing food. We’ll be focusing on bed preparation methods for the beginning of the growing season that can translate to any garden size.
We will look at examples of these techniques, including cover cropping, tarping, and mulching in the Giving Garden and Song Sparrow Farm. Come prepared to get your hands in the dirt! The workshop will culminate with a hands-on component where everyone will have the opportunity to assist with preparing and seeding early season beds.
This is an outdoor in-person event. Participation is limited to 10 people. Standard covid-safety social distancing guidelines followed and masks required. Wear closed-toed shoes and appropriate clothing for garden work.
Shiitake Mushroom Cultivation
Sunday, April 25 from 11am-1pm
Learn the tools and techniques to grow gourmet mushrooms! Join Grow Food Northampton to learn about cultivating shiitake mushrooms in a hands-on work party to grow mushrooms for the Giving Garden as we expand our fresh mushroom donations to local partners. Participants will engage in the multi-step process of inoculating hardwood logs for shiitake cultivation. Come prepared to get your hands dirty! Shiitake logs can weigh up to 20 lbs, we will be using drills, and hot wax.
This is an outdoor in-person event. Participation is limited to 6 people. Standard covid-safety social distancing guidelines followed and masks required. Wear closed-toed shoes and appropriate clothing for garden work. Contact Ellena if you have your own battery powered drill that you can bring.
Shiitake Mushroom Cultivation
Wednesday, April 28 5:30-7pm
Learn the tools and techniques to grow gourmet mushrooms! Join Grow Food Northampton to learn about cultivating shiitake mushrooms in a hands-on work party to grow mushrooms for the Giving Garden as we expand our fresh mushroom donations to local partners! We will demonstrate mushroom gardening techniques on logs and wood chips, and participants will engage in the multi-step process of inoculating hardwood logs for shiitake cultivation. Come prepared to get your hands dirty! This is an outdoor in-person event. Shiitake logs can weigh up to 20 lb, we will be using drills, and hot wax.
Participation is limited to 6 people. Standard covid-safety social distancing and masks required. Wear closed-toed shoes and appropriate clothing for garden work. Contact Ellena if you have your own battery powered drill that you can bring.
Double Digging and Other Strategies for Prolific Vegetable Gardens
Saturday, May 1 11am-1pm
Whether you are a first-time vegetable grower or a seasoned gardener looking for renewed inspiration, you have something to gain in this hands-on workshop on bed preparation. Join Carla Shafer at the Grow Food Northampton Community Garden to learn skills to prepare a new garden plot or refurbish a tired one. Carla will demonstrate double digging strategies to prepare gardens from scratch. During this hands-on workshop participants will work together to convert a new garden plot into garden beds ready for planting.
This is an outdoor in-person event. Participation is limited to 10 people. Standard covid-safety social distancing and masks required. Wear closed-toed shoes and appropriate clothing for garden work.
Sugar Beets And Flax: A Living History of Abolitionism Through Agriculture
Wednesday, May 12 5:30pm – 7pm
Join Grow Food Northampton and the David Ruggles Center for an outdoor workshop to learn about the Lydia Maria Childs Historical Plot. Tom Goldscheider will present on Lydia Maria Childs, David Childs and the abolitionists of the 1800s who lived and farmed on this land in Florence and used agriculture as a means of resisting injustice in their time. At the end of the workshop participants will have the opportunity to prepare the garden beds for planting and assist with planting sugar beets and flax.
This is an outdoor in-person event. Participation is limited to 10 people. Standard covid-safety social distancing and masks required. Wear closed-toed shoes and appropriate clothing for garden work. Pre-registration required.
Succession Planting and Maximizing Your Vegetable Garden at the Foursquare Garden Plot
Saturday, June 5 11am -1pm
Join Carla Shafer for a tour of her Foursquare Garden plot at the Grow Food Northampton Community Garden. Carla will highlight the space-saving vegetable growing methods, compatible plantings, and cover-cropping strategies throughout her garden. Participants will learn about short-term succession planting strategies, and longer term crop rotation. After the tour, participants will be able to ask questions about specific crops and growing practices.
This is an outdoor in-person event. Participation is limited to 10 people. Standard covid-safety social distancing and masks required. Wear closed-toed shoes and appropriate clothing for garden work. Pre-registration required.
