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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experience the Secret Life of Bees | American River Ranch |
| Experience the secret life of honey bees at American River Ranch. You will learn how bees are vital to our environment and how they live together and function. After a walk around the farm and identifying pollinator attracting plants, you will put on a beekeeping suit and see the bees up close and personal in the apiary. Then you’ll enjoy a honey tasting paired with organic fruit pollinated by the bees you just visited. During the honey tasting, there will be more discussion about bees, pollination and honey. Suggested ages 12 years and older. Participants must wear closed-toe shoes, long pants and socks that cover their ankles. |
Register |
| Edible Gardening in Small Spaces | American River Ranch |
| In this hands-on class for beginners, we will cover all the need-to-know basics of growing food in small spaces. We will cover proper soil, water, sunlight exposure, seasonality of plants, and create a customized garden plan for your space. A majority of class will be outside learning through experience. |
View Details |
| Basics of Homesteading |
| With the recent farm-to-fork movement in our area, people are looking to get back to the fundamentals of living in harmony with nature. While it can seem complicated and intimidating to venture into the world of homesteading, there are a few small ways you can begin to explore this wonderfully rewarding lifestyle. Anne of Anvil Acre Farm, a suburban homestead in rural Sacramento, will help you get started on creating a plan for your own beginner homestead – no matter what your skill level. Topics covered will include: food preservation, rotational gardening, livestock selection and care, homemade products and skills to acquire, property size and layout, and much more. |
View Details | |
| Family Herbalist Course Beginners Program 2019 | American River Ranch |
| Join Candis and her team in learning the basics of Western Herbology while integrating it with Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese medicine. This six-month course will include medicine-making, plant ID, how to treat acute ailments, use of tonic herbs and food for strengthening vitality, as well as how to harvest local herbs for medicine. You will learn about your own constitutional needs and ways to balance yourself for better health and well-being. This program will include herb walks around the farm and the American River. There will be lots of tasting, smelling, and hands-on experience with the herbs! |
Register |
| Preparing a Fall Garden | American River Ranch |
| Summer is the time to start planning your fall garden. Sacramento has a perfect climate for growing a wide variety of vegetables all year. You will learn about seasonal crops, fall garden tasks and how to ensure your garden is productive. We’ll talk about turning over summer crops, and how to think about the changing sunlight in autumn. This class will be a combination of lecture and hands-on gardening. |
View Details |
| Experience the Secret Life of Bees | American River Ranch |
| Experience the secret life of honey bees at American River Ranch. You will learn how bees are vital to our environment and how they live together and function. After a walk around the farm and identifying pollinator attracting plants, you will put on a beekeeping suit and see the bees up close and personal in the apiary. Then you’ll enjoy a honey tasting paired with organic fruit pollinated by the bees you just visited. During the honey tasting, there will be more discussion about bees, pollination and honey. Suggested ages 12 years and older. Participants must wear closed-toe shoes, long pants and socks that cover their ankles. |
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
