Every summer, the Alliance for the Arts GreenMarket invites folks 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 our area. 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 10:30AM on 1st and 3rd 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 series kicks off on Saturday, June 1 with The Kitchen Garden & Beyond. Other topics in the series include The Urban Chicken Coop, Intro to Organic Beekeeping and Earthworms, the Magic Garden Workers.
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 are “rain or shine.” For more information, visit artinlee.org, search for Alliance for the Arts GreenMarket on Facebook, or call 239-939-2787. While you’re at the market be sure to visit the Alliance Gift Shop and Gallery, both of which remain open every Saturday.
The Alliance for the Arts proudly supports artists and arts organizations in our area as the state designated Local Arts Agency for Lee County. The Alliance campus and galleries are open to the public from 9AM to 5PM Monday through Friday and from 9AM to 1PM on Saturdays, located at 10091 McGregor Boulevard just south of Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.