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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Urban Backyard Beekeeping | American River Ranch |
| Are you planning to start your first backyard beehive this spring? Or are you just curious about urban beekeeping? Do you consider yourself a beginner beekeeper and want to learn new strategies or brush up on your beekeeping skills? This workshop will cover the basics for a successful start to backyard beekeeping. |
Register |
| Preparing a Spring Garden | American River Ranch |
| Learn how to plan your garden space and prepare, plant and care for an abundant, thriving spring garden. This class is for new gardeners or for gardeners who are new to the region. |
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| The Wonders of Fungi and Mushrooms | American River Ranch |
| Take a journey into the amazing fungi kingdom and learn how certain fungi and mushrooms can benefit your garden, health and the planet. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn easy mushroom cultivation methods you can do at home to grow food, medicine and bring vitality to your garden. |
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| Propagation for the Home Gardener: Starting Plants from Cuttings, Divisions and Seeds | American River Ranch |
| Learn simple techniques for taking your favorite plants and multiplying them through propagation of cuttings, divisions and seeding. Participants will be able to take home a few new plants to share with friends and family. This class will be outdoors and hands-on. Dress for gardening and getting dirty. |
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| Free Composting Workshop | American River Ranch |
| Vermicomposting, the science of composting with worms, is an effective and easy way to put nutrients back into the soil and reduce waste in landfills. In this free class, we’ll discuss the basics of how to start and maintain a thriving vermiculture bin. |
Register |
| Spring Gardening Clinic | American River Ranch |
| Free gardening classes and tours! Learn how to grow vibrant, tasty, and healthy plants from Soil Born Farm’s knowledgeable staff and community educators. This is a rain or shine event. Registration will occur at the event ONLY and be on a first-come, first-served basis. |
Register |
| Beginning Home Gardener Weekend Intensive | American River Ranch |
| Our Grow Your Groceries Beginning Home Gardener intensive will cover the essential topics to help the new gardener create and maintain a thriving, abundant edible organic garden. Combining indoor presentations and interactive demonstrations and hands-on activities, this course will give you the knowledge and confidence to get out and grow food for you and your family. |
Register |
| 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 |
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
