Download a sign-up form, fill out and return it to us with check or money order to reserve your spot!
Prairie Dock Farm, W4512 Riverdale La. Watertown, WI (View map).
The workshop accommodations are rustic, so dress for the weather!
Robert Frost is a member of Sustain Jefferson’s Project Teams for Sustainable Food and Energy and owns a small farm business, Someday Gardens, LLC. For the past 3 years Robert and his wife have grown organic vegetables for several local restaurants from plots at their home in Johnson Creek and at Prairie Dock Farm while producing 2,000 pounds of compost annually at their home. Robert’s specialities are in small scale agriculture and sustainable suburban gardening using permaculture, edible landscaping, and organic gardening techniques. A primary focus is the building of long term soil fertility literally from the ground up by enhancing natural processes to produce the best quality vegetables to heal both our bodies and our planet.
Meg Kelly has been gardening and farming organically at High Meadow Farm in Jefferson County since 1980. Recently the family gardens at High Meadow Farm have evolved into a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) produce farm providing fresh, nutritious organic produce to many Jefferson County families. Meg has a lifelong involvement with horticulture and has been a landscape designer with McKay Nursery Company for 15 years.
Ellen Klaus never met a patch of soil she didn’t like -- or come to love -- and she’s been cultivating soil for many years, from Chicago urban lots to large plots in Watertown and “lasagna gardens” in her Rock River backyard, with the assistance of husband Mike. She’s a master gardener and coordinated Watertown’s Main Street planting program for several years. Ellen is also a recently retired third grade teacher and the current president of Sustain Jefferson. And for all her gardening questions, she goes to Meg and Rob. She’ll be assisting them at the workshops.
Saturday, March 27
10 a.m. to noon
Gardening 101: Intro to Home Gardening
Geared to the novice gardener - no experience necessary! This class will teach all the basics of growing your own healthy food. Topics will include: preparing your soil; which plants to grow and how to start them; which tools to use; how to handle basic pest, weed, and disease problems; and resources to continue your learning. Garden displays to showcase both Square Foot Gardening and Lasagna (No Dig) Gardening will be on hand and discussed in addition to one of SJ’s Earth Victory Gardens.
Instructors: Frost, Kelly and Klaus.
Fee: $10. Scholarships are available by request.
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Compost: How to Prepare Nature’s Organic Fertilizer
Learn to make the best fertilizer you can’t buy! Ever notice that no one needs to fertilize a forest? That is because Nature recycles everything to produce and distribute the nutrients needed for all plants to grow. Composting allows the home gardener to harness these processes to recycle readily available material like kitchen scraps and leaves into humus to feed your plants and soils. This session will cover compostable materials, composting techniques, problem solving, as well as the multiple uses of finished compost. We will also tour multiple bins on site to provide ideas on the various ways to compost at home.
Instructor: Frost
Fee: $25
Sunday, March 28
10 a.m. to noon
Living Soils: Healthy Plants Come From Healthy Soils
Ready to deepen your gardening knowledge, root around in new concepts, and learn the real dirt on growing healthy plants? A single teaspoon of rich soil can contain billions of organisms, and it is this rich, diverse ecosystem that is the true engine of any garden, providing for true miracle growth. This session will introduce the attendees to the vital roles that soil organisms play in cycling nutrients for use by plants and the incredible interconnections between plant roots and this ecosystem. Learn how to promote and foster a thriving subterranean ecosystem that will in turn provide your plants with what they need to produce the healthiest and most nourishing produce for you and your family. Feed the soil to feed the plant!
Instructor: Frost
Fee: $25
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Season Extension Techniques
Have you ever hoped to have fresh delicious vegetables well into the fall or wished that you could have really fresh, nutritious and LOCAL produce in the winter months? It may be easier than you think to grow these things at home and provide your family with vegetables year round from your garden. In this session we will be talking about season extension methods such as cold frames and hoop houses, seed varieties that hold up well in the colder months and finding the motivation to stay active in the garden year round.
Instructor: Kelly
Fee: $25
Register for all for four workshops for $70, the two Saturday sessions for $30 or the two Sunday sessions for $45
There will be a one-hour lunch break both days. Participants may bring their own lunches or leave the site to eat lunch. Or, better yet - have a light, fresh, locally-sourced lunch on the farm provided by Sustain Jefferson! Lunch reservations and a suggested donation of $5 per meal are appreciated.
Download a sign-up form, fill out and return it to us with check or money order to reserve your spot!
Download the Workshop poster, print it and post it where allowed!
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