Grow Your Groceries
Classes and Courses for the Urban Farmer
Soil Born Farms’ Grow Your Groceries program is a beginning farmer and gardener training program designed to provide knowledge and hands-on experience to the aspiring urban grower. Our instructors are experienced masters of organic agriculture and horticulture and experts in farm entrepreneurship. We offer single day classes in diverse subjects such as: preparing spring, summer, fall and winter gardens; building soil fertility; garden design and seasonality; irrigation and water management; natural pest management; composting; fruit tree care; seed saving; beekeeping; foraging wild edibles and more.
Intensive long-form courses include Beginning and Intermediate Home Gardening. Designed for those interested in growing an ample amount of fruits and vegetables in a home, school, or community garden, this course provides in-depth training on concepts and best practices in sustainable annual and perennial fruit and vegetable production.
| Event | Venue | Date | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regenerative Agriculture Farm Tour 5-21-22 | American River Ranch |
| Take a tour of the farm while learning the principles of regenerative agriculture. See how our farmers implement regenerative practices that revitalize the land and restore the historic American River Ranch. |
Register |
| Managing Pests and Diseases Using Organic Practices | American River Ranch |
| We will review common garden pests in the Sacramento areas and how to manage them without toxic pesticides. There will be a special focus on beneficial insects. |
Register |
| Native Plants Walk 6-4-22 | American River Ranch |
| Take a leisurely tour of Elderberry Farms Native Plant Nursery which grows about 120 different local native plant species. Learn about the benefits of growing native plants and their adaptability to limited water resources and climate change. |
Register |
| Irrigation for the Home Gardener | American River Ranch |
| Learn the basic concepts of drip irrigation, tools, design and system management and gain experience on assembly and installation techniques in this hands-on workshop. |
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| Work & Learn: Composting | American River Ranch |
| Turn, stir, sift and layer. Learn about basic composting while we work together to heat up our own Soil Born compost bin. |
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| Ask a Farmer - A Grow Your Groceries Class Series on Zoom | American River Ranch |
| Join us for an inspiring presentation on a seasonal gardening topic each month on Zoom. The classes will provide basic information plus time for your questions. You’ll learn tricks of the trade that will help you create and maintain a thriving edible garden. Get expert advice and learn practical strategies to grow organic nutritious food for you and your family. Beginners and seasoned gardeners will benefit. |
Register |
| Urban Backyard Beekeeping for Beginners 6-18-22 | American River Ranch |
| This class focuses on natural beekeeping practices in an urban setting and strategies to keep bees healthy. Learn the practical skills you will need to prepare your own backyard beehive and discuss bee biology, beekeeping equipment, maintenance and basic troubleshooting. |
Register |
| Regenerative Agriculture Farm Tour 6-25-22 | American River Ranch |
| Take a tour of the farm while learning the principles of regenerative agriculture. See how our farmers implement regenerative practices that revitalize the land and restore the historic American River Ranch. |
Register |
| Growing an Herb Garden 6-25-22 | American River Ranch |
| This class offers classroom and hands-on instruction for growing an array of medicinal and culinary herbs, and an introduction to harvesting and using what you grow. |
Register |
Attending the Grow Your Groceries course helped jump-start my farm career. I have always dreamed of starting a flower farm and, after just 2 or 3 classes, I was selling my flowers wholesale to a local florist. ~ Amber Gardner, Amberchella Flowers
