Urban Farming Workshops this summer in SWFL

Every summer, the Alliance for the Arts GreenMarket invites people to participate in free farming and gardening workshops conducted by local growers, master gardeners, homesteaders and educators.

Residents' support for these classes has been strong in the past, with many attending, taking notes and asking questions. The result has been an increase in local homes and communities growing food organically in Southwest Florida.

This year, in addition to a core of sound gardening practices, the GreenMarket is adding workshops on more specialized activities, like beekeeping and vermiculture.

The community is invited to visit the market at 10:30 a.m. on first and third Saturdays in June, July and August to participate in the 2013 Urban Farming Workshop Series.

Learn how to produce food in small areas around homes, businesses and community centers in cities and towns using organic, bio-intensive methods. Explore ways to contribute to your community’s sustainability and long term food security.

The complete schedule of presentations is as follows:

• June 1 – Introduction: The kitchen garden and beyond
• June 15 – Fruit year-round: The right trees for the Southwest Florida yard
• June 29 – Permaculture: Designing long-term, self-sustaining food gardens (Extra date for the 5th Saturday)
• July 6 – The urban chicken coop: How To's for fresh, organic eggs
• July 20 – An introduction to organic beekeeping in yards and on rooftops
• Aug 3 – Earthworms, the magic garden workers: vermiculture in the Urban Farm
• Aug 20 – Preparing the Fall season Urban Farm in SWFL

Pre-registration is not required and the workshops are free, but a $5 donation is appreciated and will help support the market and future educational programs.

The workshops will be conducted outside, under the shade of the trees, but in case of rain they will be moved into a classroom, so they will happen rain or shine