Register for our Cuba Agroecology Tour! April 4-13, 2023 Want to learn from farmers and food activists about Cuba’s transition to agroecological farming practices and its national policies that prioritize sustainable farming and hunger remediation? This is your opportunity to join our 9-day tour of Cuba’s sustainable farms! On our tour, we visit with farmers, NGOs, policymakers, and experts to learn about the history of Cuba, their transition to organic agriculture, and ongoing initiatives to support farmers and expand agroecological practices.

After six years of hard work, the dream of using The Learning Garden as a hub for public gardening education is finally a reality. The Learning Garden, located at the Extension Office, 49 Mt. Carmel Road, is offering the public the opportunity to Visit and Learn in the garden on selected 2nd and 4th Thursdays, February – October. The Thursday in-person programs will consist of five garden-specific series. Visitors can walk around before or after the program and soak in our lovely gardens. Our gardens will open at 9:00 a.m. and all the demonstration programs run between 10-11:30 a.m.  To ensure a good learning experience, attendance will be limited and registration will be required.

Dahlia Series
February 23 – Getting Your Dahlias Ready for Planting
August 3 – Disbudding Dahlias for Better Blooms
October 26 – Dividing and Storing Dahlias

Dye Garden Series
May 4 – Planning Your Dye Garden
June 22 – Introduction to Natural Dyeing
July 27 – Fresh Indigo
August 24 – Botanical Printing: Printing with Leaves and Flowers
September 28 – Dyeing with Hopi Black Sunflower
November 9 – The Magic of Indigo

Rose Garden Series
March 9 – Pruning Roses
April 6 – Climbing Roses
April 13 – Rose Pests and Pathogens
May 20 – Growing Beautiful Roses (Saturday Seminar)

Sun & Shade Garden Series
May 11 – Planting a Native Butterfly Host Plant Garden
June 29 – Foodscaping Edible Plants in Flower Beds
August 31 – Dealing with “the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” Plants
Sept 14 – Native Butterfly Life Cycles in the Fall Garden

Vegetable Garden Series
March 23 – Building an ADA Compliant Raised Garden
April 26 – Planting Root Crops: Leeks, Onions, Carrots, Parsnips
May 25 – Planting a Seed Saving Garden
June 8 – Common Vegetable Garden Pests
July 13 – Kid Friendly Gardening
                                       August 10 – Preserving Your Vegetable Harvest

In addition to the Thursday programs listed above, The Learning Garden will present a series of ninety minute (+/-) hands-on seminars covering various gardening topics. These in-person programs will be held at The Learning Garden on selected Saturday mornings, February – September.

Saturday Seminars
February 18 – Tool Selection and Sharpening
March 18 – Pruning Trees and Shrubs
April 22 – Gardening for the Birds
May 20 – Growing Beautiful Roses
June 17 – Pollinator Plants in The Learning Garden
September 16 – Bulbs for All Seasons

Each of the programs in The Learning Garden will be announced individually through this blog and on our website two weeks before each program.  Each announcement will include instructions on how to register. Mark your calendar and register to attend as many as you can.

The upcoming Journeyperson course is now available AT NO COST! Due to some timely grant funding, we can offer this in-depth farmer training for farmers in years 3-7 with no associated tuition fee! The course consists of monthly cohort meet-ups and 2-3 in-depth workshops, plus mentorship!

In addition, a select number of participants will also receive matched FUNDS for your farm savings account (Savings Incentive Program) and money to spend on a professional development opportunity of your choosing! Want to attend a workshop on livestock management? OGS will contribute towards that fee! Are you saving money for a farm asset? OGS will contribute up to a certain amount to that investment.

The Journeyperson Program is for farmers who have been independently farming for three or more years and are serious about operating farm businesses in the Southern Appalachian region.

Register for our Cuba Agroecology Tour! April 4-13, 2023 Want to learn from farmers and food activists about Cuba’s transition to agroecological farming practices and its national policies that prioritize sustainable farming and hunger remediation? This is your opportunity to join our 9-day tour of Cuba’s sustainable farms! On our tour, we visit with farmers, NGOs, policymakers, and experts to learn about the history of Cuba, their transition to organic agriculture, and ongoing initiatives to support farmers and expand agroecological practices.

Registration will open on December 1, 2022

The Organic Growers School is excited to announce the 30th Anniversary of our Spring Conference, which will take place at Mars Hill University on February 24-26, 2023. This year’s conference will continue our non-profit’s mission to support, inspire and educate people to farm, garden, and live organically by providing affordable, practical, and hands-on education.

This three-day event consists of 60 90minute workshops organized into 15 themed tracks, such as Mushrooms, Herbs, Gardening, Farming, and Sustainable Living. The first day is dedicated to day-long workshops at off-campus sites around Western North Carolina.

OGS is excited to announce a sliding-scale ticket price structure for the event! The event has been the most affordable in the region, but investing in continuing education can still be out of reach for farmers and aspiring growers. OGS will also offer a small pool of scholarships if our sliding scale price is not affordable.

Whether you are an enthusiastic local eater, food system advocate, new to growing, or have a few farming years under your belt, we hope you’ll join us to kick off the new season with the growing community!

Register for our Cuba Agroecology Tour! April 4-13, 2023 Want to learn from farmers and food activists about Cuba’s transition to agroecological farming practices and its national policies that prioritize sustainable farming and hunger remediation? This is your opportunity to join our 9-day tour of Cuba’s sustainable farms! On our tour, we visit with farmers, NGOs, policymakers, and experts to learn about the history of Cuba, their transition to organic agriculture, and ongoing initiatives to support farmers and expand agroecological practices.

After six years of hard work, the dream of using The Learning Garden as a hub for public gardening education is finally a reality. The Learning Garden, located at the Extension Office, 49 Mt. Carmel Road, is offering the public the opportunity to Visit and Learn in the garden on selected 2nd and 4th Thursdays, February – October. The Thursday in-person programs will consist of five garden-specific series. Visitors can walk around before or after the program and soak in our lovely gardens. Our gardens will open at 9:00 a.m. and all the demonstration programs run between 10-11:30 a.m.  To ensure a good learning experience, attendance will be limited and registration will be required.

Dahlia Series
February 23 – Getting Your Dahlias Ready for Planting
August 3 – Disbudding Dahlias for Better Blooms
October 26 – Dividing and Storing Dahlias

Dye Garden Series
May 4 – Planning Your Dye Garden
June 22 – Introduction to Natural Dyeing
July 27 – Fresh Indigo
August 24 – Botanical Printing: Printing with Leaves and Flowers
September 28 – Dyeing with Hopi Black Sunflower
November 9 – The Magic of Indigo

Rose Garden Series
March 9 – Pruning Roses
April 6 – Climbing Roses
April 13 – Rose Pests and Pathogens
May 20 – Growing Beautiful Roses (Saturday Seminar)

Sun & Shade Garden Series
May 11 – Planting a Native Butterfly Host Plant Garden
June 29 – Foodscaping Edible Plants in Flower Beds
August 31 – Dealing with “the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” Plants
Sept 14 – Native Butterfly Life Cycles in the Fall Garden

Vegetable Garden Series
March 23 – Building an ADA Compliant Raised Garden
April 26 – Planting Root Crops: Leeks, Onions, Carrots, Parsnips
May 25 – Planting a Seed Saving Garden
June 8 – Common Vegetable Garden Pests
July 13 – Kid Friendly Gardening
                                       August 10 – Preserving Your Vegetable Harvest

In addition to the Thursday programs listed above, The Learning Garden will present a series of ninety minute (+/-) hands-on seminars covering various gardening topics. These in-person programs will be held at The Learning Garden on selected Saturday mornings, February – September.

Saturday Seminars
February 18 – Tool Selection and Sharpening
March 18 – Pruning Trees and Shrubs
April 22 – Gardening for the Birds
May 20 – Growing Beautiful Roses
June 17 – Pollinator Plants in The Learning Garden
September 16 – Bulbs for All Seasons

Each of the programs in The Learning Garden will be announced individually through this blog and on our website two weeks before each program.  Each announcement will include instructions on how to register. Mark your calendar and register to attend as many as you can.

The upcoming Journeyperson course is now available AT NO COST! Due to some timely grant funding, we can offer this in-depth farmer training for farmers in years 3-7 with no associated tuition fee! The course consists of monthly cohort meet-ups and 2-3 in-depth workshops, plus mentorship!

In addition, a select number of participants will also receive matched FUNDS for your farm savings account (Savings Incentive Program) and money to spend on a professional development opportunity of your choosing! Want to attend a workshop on livestock management? OGS will contribute towards that fee! Are you saving money for a farm asset? OGS will contribute up to a certain amount to that investment.

The Journeyperson Program is for farmers who have been independently farming for three or more years and are serious about operating farm businesses in the Southern Appalachian region.

Registration will open on December 1, 2022

The Organic Growers School is excited to announce the 30th Anniversary of our Spring Conference, which will take place at Mars Hill University on February 24-26, 2023. This year’s conference will continue our non-profit’s mission to support, inspire and educate people to farm, garden, and live organically by providing affordable, practical, and hands-on education.

This three-day event consists of 60 90minute workshops organized into 15 themed tracks, such as Mushrooms, Herbs, Gardening, Farming, and Sustainable Living. The first day is dedicated to day-long workshops at off-campus sites around Western North Carolina.

OGS is excited to announce a sliding-scale ticket price structure for the event! The event has been the most affordable in the region, but investing in continuing education can still be out of reach for farmers and aspiring growers. OGS will also offer a small pool of scholarships if our sliding scale price is not affordable.

Whether you are an enthusiastic local eater, food system advocate, new to growing, or have a few farming years under your belt, we hope you’ll join us to kick off the new season with the growing community!

Register for our Cuba Agroecology Tour! April 4-13, 2023 Want to learn from farmers and food activists about Cuba’s transition to agroecological farming practices and its national policies that prioritize sustainable farming and hunger remediation? This is your opportunity to join our 9-day tour of Cuba’s sustainable farms! On our tour, we visit with farmers, NGOs, policymakers, and experts to learn about the history of Cuba, their transition to organic agriculture, and ongoing initiatives to support farmers and expand agroecological practices.

The upcoming Journeyperson course is now available AT NO COST! Due to some timely grant funding, we can offer this in-depth farmer training for farmers in years 3-7 with no associated tuition fee! The course consists of monthly cohort meet-ups and 2-3 in-depth workshops, plus mentorship!

In addition, a select number of participants will also receive matched FUNDS for your farm savings account (Savings Incentive Program) and money to spend on a professional development opportunity of your choosing! Want to attend a workshop on livestock management? OGS will contribute towards that fee! Are you saving money for a farm asset? OGS will contribute up to a certain amount to that investment.

The Journeyperson Program is for farmers who have been independently farming for three or more years and are serious about operating farm businesses in the Southern Appalachian region.

Registration will open on December 1, 2022

The Organic Growers School is excited to announce the 30th Anniversary of our Spring Conference, which will take place at Mars Hill University on February 24-26, 2023. This year’s conference will continue our non-profit’s mission to support, inspire and educate people to farm, garden, and live organically by providing affordable, practical, and hands-on education.

This three-day event consists of 60 90minute workshops organized into 15 themed tracks, such as Mushrooms, Herbs, Gardening, Farming, and Sustainable Living. The first day is dedicated to day-long workshops at off-campus sites around Western North Carolina.

OGS is excited to announce a sliding-scale ticket price structure for the event! The event has been the most affordable in the region, but investing in continuing education can still be out of reach for farmers and aspiring growers. OGS will also offer a small pool of scholarships if our sliding scale price is not affordable.

Whether you are an enthusiastic local eater, food system advocate, new to growing, or have a few farming years under your belt, we hope you’ll join us to kick off the new season with the growing community!

Register for our Cuba Agroecology Tour! April 4-13, 2023 Want to learn from farmers and food activists about Cuba’s transition to agroecological farming practices and its national policies that prioritize sustainable farming and hunger remediation? This is your opportunity to join our 9-day tour of Cuba’s sustainable farms! On our tour, we visit with farmers, NGOs, policymakers, and experts to learn about the history of Cuba, their transition to organic agriculture, and ongoing initiatives to support farmers and expand agroecological practices.

Register for our Cuba Agroecology Tour! April 4-13, 2023 Want to learn from farmers and food activists about Cuba’s transition to agroecological farming practices and its national policies that prioritize sustainable farming and hunger remediation? This is your opportunity to join our 9-day tour of Cuba’s sustainable farms! On our tour, we visit with farmers, NGOs, policymakers, and experts to learn about the history of Cuba, their transition to organic agriculture, and ongoing initiatives to support farmers and expand agroecological practices.

After six years of hard work, the dream of using The Learning Garden as a hub for public gardening education is finally a reality. The Learning Garden, located at the Extension Office, 49 Mt. Carmel Road, is offering the public the opportunity to Visit and Learn in the garden on selected 2nd and 4th Thursdays, February – October. The Thursday in-person programs will consist of five garden-specific series. Visitors can walk around before or after the program and soak in our lovely gardens. Our gardens will open at 9:00 a.m. and all the demonstration programs run between 10-11:30 a.m.  To ensure a good learning experience, attendance will be limited and registration will be required.

Dahlia Series
February 23 – Getting Your Dahlias Ready for Planting
August 3 – Disbudding Dahlias for Better Blooms
October 26 – Dividing and Storing Dahlias

Dye Garden Series
May 4 – Planning Your Dye Garden
June 22 – Introduction to Natural Dyeing
July 27 – Fresh Indigo
August 24 – Botanical Printing: Printing with Leaves and Flowers
September 28 – Dyeing with Hopi Black Sunflower
November 9 – The Magic of Indigo

Rose Garden Series
March 9 – Pruning Roses
April 6 – Climbing Roses
April 13 – Rose Pests and Pathogens
May 20 – Growing Beautiful Roses (Saturday Seminar)

Sun & Shade Garden Series
May 11 – Planting a Native Butterfly Host Plant Garden
June 29 – Foodscaping Edible Plants in Flower Beds
August 31 – Dealing with “the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” Plants
Sept 14 – Native Butterfly Life Cycles in the Fall Garden

Vegetable Garden Series
March 23 – Building an ADA Compliant Raised Garden
April 26 – Planting Root Crops: Leeks, Onions, Carrots, Parsnips
May 25 – Planting a Seed Saving Garden
June 8 – Common Vegetable Garden Pests
July 13 – Kid Friendly Gardening
                                       August 10 – Preserving Your Vegetable Harvest

In addition to the Thursday programs listed above, The Learning Garden will present a series of ninety minute (+/-) hands-on seminars covering various gardening topics. These in-person programs will be held at The Learning Garden on selected Saturday mornings, February – September.

Saturday Seminars
February 18 – Tool Selection and Sharpening
March 18 – Pruning Trees and Shrubs
April 22 – Gardening for the Birds
May 20 – Growing Beautiful Roses
June 17 – Pollinator Plants in The Learning Garden
September 16 – Bulbs for All Seasons

Each of the programs in The Learning Garden will be announced individually through this blog and on our website two weeks before each program.  Each announcement will include instructions on how to register. Mark your calendar and register to attend as many as you can.

Did you know that three Buncombe County Libraries have a seed library so you can check out seeds?  Each seed library offers vegetable, herb, and flower seeds that you can take home and plant.

If you’re a gardener or want to be a gardener, you can borrow seeds from the library at planting time. At the end of the growing season, save seeds from the plants and return a portion of the seeds to the library to be loaned out the next year. If you don’t have any seeds at the end of the season, that’s OK too. It’s not a requirement, it just helps the seed libraries grow. There is no charge to use the seed library, just visit the Weaverville, Black Mountain or Leicester Libraries and sign up. You’ll find different seeds at each location and you don’t need a library card to use the seed library.

The benefits of a seed lending library are many: it’s a way to have fun, build community with fellow gardeners, and support people who are new to gardening. It also preserves rare, open-pollinated or heirloom seeds and encourages local gardeners to save quality seeds that are suited to our growing area.

For more information on any of our seed libraries, contact the Black Mountain Library, the Leicester Library, or the Weaverville Library.

The upcoming Journeyperson course is now available AT NO COST! Due to some timely grant funding, we can offer this in-depth farmer training for farmers in years 3-7 with no associated tuition fee! The course consists of monthly cohort meet-ups and 2-3 in-depth workshops, plus mentorship!

In addition, a select number of participants will also receive matched FUNDS for your farm savings account (Savings Incentive Program) and money to spend on a professional development opportunity of your choosing! Want to attend a workshop on livestock management? OGS will contribute towards that fee! Are you saving money for a farm asset? OGS will contribute up to a certain amount to that investment.

The Journeyperson Program is for farmers who have been independently farming for three or more years and are serious about operating farm businesses in the Southern Appalachian region.

Register for our Cuba Agroecology Tour! April 4-13, 2023 Want to learn from farmers and food activists about Cuba’s transition to agroecological farming practices and its national policies that prioritize sustainable farming and hunger remediation? This is your opportunity to join our 9-day tour of Cuba’s sustainable farms! On our tour, we visit with farmers, NGOs, policymakers, and experts to learn about the history of Cuba, their transition to organic agriculture, and ongoing initiatives to support farmers and expand agroecological practices.