The Organic Growers School’s Spring Conference offers practical, regionally-appropriate workshops on organic growing, permaculture, homesteading, urban farming, and rural living plus a trade show, seed exchange, raffle, special guests, and pre-conference, on-farm events. More than 150 workshops over the three days including Community Food, Cooking, Earth Skills, Beginning Farmers, Advanced Farmers, Gardening, Herbs, Homesteading, Livestock, Mushrooms, Permaculture, Pollinators, Poultry, Soil, Sustainable Forestry, and Sustainable Living.
The Organic Growers School Spring Conference is a one-of-a-kind event that brings people of all walks of life together for a weekend of learning and networking. Since 1993 the OGS Spring Conference has been the best way to kick-off the season. As the largest grassroots conferences of its kind in the region, Organic Growers School has served to reinforce Southern Appalachian’s role as a regional leader in sustainable food and farming. Attendees come from 18 states and Canada, and have described the event as a kick start to the growing season.
A sampling of classes includes: Community Gardens for Good; Foundations of Indian Cooking; Wild Edibles; Introduction to Flower Farming; Integrated Pest Management; Holistic Gardening; Ginger & Tumeric; Happy Healthy Homesteading 101; Animal Breeding; Medicinal Mushrooms; Appalachian Permaculture Plants; Eat, Prey, Bug; Indigenous Soil Solutions; Horse Powered Logging; Solar for Home & Farm; Restoring Planetary Waters; Cultivating Medicinal Herbs (Half Day); Beginning Cheese Making (Half Day); Grow Your Own Mushrooms (Half Day); Equipment Operation & Maintenance for Women (Half Day).
Pre-Conference Workshops on March 8, 2019 from 9:30 to 4:30. Cost: $55 with any weekend registration $70 without. Pre-Registration is required. Four options:
Finding, Buying, & Loving the Land— Site Assessment & Land Design for Farmers, Homesteaders, and Land Seekers with Peter Bane
Year-Round Growing on the Farm & Garden with Pam Dawling & Ira Wallace
Integrated Animal Agriculture—Incorporating livestock into Your Farm & Homestead with Meredith Leigh
Water and Agriculture—Critical Consciousness for Healing the Planet with John & Jonathan Tod