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Community Corner

Organic Vegetable Gardening: A Seminar in Good Taste

United Methodist Preschool, a Danville Area Sustainable Business, helps Sustainable Danville Area & Sustainable San Ramon offer Organic Vegetable Gardening classes to community

Homegrown vegetables taste so much better than store bought and are higher in nutrition too because they are fresh and not plumped up with water to make them bigger. 

Working with the earth to produce food fulfills our needs on many levels; teaching us self-sufficiency, reducing our impact on non-renewable resources, and it is a fun, meaningful activity the entire family can enjoy.

A Better Way to Grow Food

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Did you know that the home garden is the most productive and resource efficient method ever developed for growing food? 

Before the mid 20th century, most people with a patch of earth grew at least a portion of their own food. It was their most reliable source of nourishment and often the difference between a healthy diet and malnutrition.

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In the United States, affluence and urban living has reduced the self-sufficient home vegetable garden to a hobby, but it remains possible for families to grow a significant portion of their own fruits and vegetables in an average-sized backyard. 

The benefits of organic gardening are tremendous:

  • Produce with exceptional flavor picked at the peak of nutrition and freshness.
  • Pesticide-free foods.
  • An abundance of vegetable varieties not available at the grocery.
  • Lighter impact on the earth by reduced use of fossil fuels and wasteful packaging.
  • The security of knowing you can produce your own food and eat well, even if income is limited.
  • Plus, the joy and magic of nurturing the earth and growing food that sustains us.

A Seminar in Good Taste

Sustainable Danville Area and Sustainable San Ramon, with the generous support from Generation Green and one of our very own Danville Area Sustainable Businesses -  are offering a series of classes on the basics of organic vegetable gardening.  

It's the perfect class for those who want to discover the satisfaction and pleasures of working with the soil to grow food for your family, relax and renew out in the fresh air (classroom is air conditioned), create a beautiful garden, and help sustain and recycle the earth’s resources. 

This seminar will help the beginner avoid the big, costly mistakes that discourage many new gardeners before they have a chance to get hooked on the fun of growing vegetables. 

More experienced gardeners will hone their skills, increase their knowledge, and be introduced to additional resources that can set them on the paths of discovery, continued learning and improved harvests.

Essentials of Organic Vegetable Growing

The seminar series is a mix of classroom and garden time. The classroom format is supported by PowerPoint presentations, instructor demonstrations and hands-on group participation.

Topics covered include:

  • Garden site selection
  • Proper soil preparation
  • Crop planting
  • Plant propagation and raising transplants
  • Direct seed sowing and crop spacing
  • Watering; mulching, weeding, fertilization and pest control
  • Crop rotations
  • Season extension techniques
  • Success with individual crops
  • Harvesting the bounty
  • Putting the beds to bed

Demonstrations will include seed sowing techniques, transplanting methods, and ways to calculate food supplies and plantings for one or more persons. 

The class instructor, Carol Rossi, has over 25 years of vegetable growing experience and is a champion of organic and sustainable methods. A native of the San Francisco East Bay, she teaches gardening basics to groups interested in organic growing and works with Sustainable Danville Area to encourage community gardening efforts.

Group discussions will focus on question and answer periods, and methods to form ‘farm circles’ and ‘crop exchanges’.

Farm circles offer you and your friends the opportunity to maximize your available space and labor to grow the most crops for your efforts.

Crop exchanges let gardeners trade an abundance of one type of crop with others who are successful with a different crop. It is a wonderful opportunity to connect with new friends, socialize and learn new gardening tricks from like-minded backyard organic ‘farmers’.

When: Three consecutive Saturdays – July 23, July 30 and August 6

Time: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Location:  United Methodist Preschool,  902 Danville Blvd., Alamo

Fee: $35 per person. Register online to confirm one of the remaining available spots (only 12 left).

 For additional information visit: www.sustainabledanville.com

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