Garden Primer- Soil, Plants, and Bed Building

 Registration is closed for this event

Discover the possibilities and benefits of starting your own vegetable, herb, and/or flower garden!

Taught by Farm Manager, Andrew Horn, this beginner level class will provide a broad overview of soil and plant health and even human health and the ways in which they are connected. We’ll talk about ecological design and the important aspects to consider before starting your garden. Also, learn how to formulate your very own planting plan. 

After the planning stage we will delve hands-on into the steps for creating a new garden bed, focusing on bio-intensive methods.  This class is suited for beginner gardeners and will allow ample time to answer questions and discuss a multitude of topics.

Participants will get an overview of these three main topics:

  • Soils: Evaluating site and soil conditions, determining planting bed types (standard, raised bed, garden box, etc), increasing soil health, compost, and managing for long term soil health.
  • Plants: Transplanting and direct sowing, cultivating (tips from knowing when/how much to water, trimming/pruning, etc.), harvesting (meristem vs older leaves, time of day, the eye test, the feel test, the taste test), and storing crops.
    • Seeds: Saving (heirloom vs open pollinated vs hybrid), storing, starting, and transplanting/potting-up, buying/procuring seeds, supplies, designing a field plan and planting plan
  • Bed Prep: Methods, techniques, tools, ergonomics/efficiency, cover crops, and mulching

About the Instructor:

Born in York County, Andrew earned his Business Management degree from Shippensburg University. After graduation, Andrew traveled with World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) to New Zealand, where he lived and learned on organic farms. Captivated by his experience, Andrew wanted to continue his journey in small-scale agriculture and sought to find a place where he could apply, develop and learn new skills. He found the Horn Farm Center through an Introduction to Permaculture class. Since successful completion of the Farming Internship, Andrew has pursued his exploration of a career in farming as the Farm Manager at the Horn Farm Center. He runs the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program and guides participants through hands-on instruction in the Regenerative Farming Training Program.


Health and Safety

Due to COVID-19 the Horn Farm Center is offering on-site educational programming with some modifications in order to ensure the health and safety of our visitors, volunteers and staff. All classes will be held outside and are limited to 10 participants per class. If more than one class occurs on the same day, start times will be staggered to reduce the number of individuals arriving at the same time. Multiple hand sanitizer stations are available. We will adjust as needed as time passes and things change.
Participant expectations are as follows:

  • Participants are required to bring a mask and wear it when proper physical distancing cannot be maintained. We have a limited supply on hand if you forget yours.
  • Physical distancing of 6 feet must be maintained except in case of family members.
  • Do not attend if sick or recovering.
When
March 27th, 2021 from  1:00 PM to  4:00 PM
Location
4945 Horn Rd
York, PA 17406
United States
Contact
Phone: (717) 757-6441
Event Fee(s)
Garden Primer Class Fee $25.00