Tuesday, 24 September, 2013 at 7:00pm – Thursday, 26 September, 2013 at 10:00pm
Option to participate in harvest on Friday, 27 September, morning
Cost: $295 + applicable taxes (includes lunch and dinner on Wednesday & Thursday)
The resurgence of interest and demand for regionally produced food has created a huge opportunity for those who want to become growers and has expanded possibilities for those who are already farming.
Join veteran farmers Michael Ableman and Josh Volk for a two-day intensive agricultural workshop covering both urban and rural growing techniques, and learn the strategies of a successful market farmer.
The course applies an in-context learning style set on the 120-acre organic farm of Michael Ableman on Salt Spring Island.  Through presentations, discussions and case study analysis the workshop will focus on production, from procuring land to seed selection and propagation, crop planning to marketing and sales.
This is a nuts and bolts workshop that will cover a range of both perennial and annual crops, and enable participants of all experience levels to skill-up and prepare for a serious career in sustainable agriculture.  Don’t miss this fantastic educational and networking opportunity with pioneers of the organic movement.
Michael Ableman is a farmer, educator, writer, and photographer. He is the author of three books:From the Good Earth: A celebration of growing food around the world; On Good Land: The autobiography of an urban farm; and Fields of Plenty: A farmer’s journey in search of real food and the people who grow it. He is the founder and executive director emeritus of the Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens, one of the oldest and most diverse organic farms in southern California, where he farmed for 20 years. Michael lectures extensively in Canada, the U.S. and Europe, and he is the co-director of the SOLEfood urban agriculture project in Vancouver. He lives and farms at Foxglove Farm, where he also directs the Center for Arts, Ecology and Agriculture.
www.fieldsofplenty.com
www.solefoodfarms.com
Josh Volk has been immersed in the study and practice of vegetable farming in the Northeast, desert Southwest, California and the Pacific Northwest for over 20 years. He helped to develop and manage the very successful Sauvie Island Organics CSA, an intensive 20-acre vegetable farm outside of Portland, Oregon where he trained over 20 apprentices. Along with farming, Josh has been working as a consultant, writer, and teacher assisting numerous small-scale farmers and gardeners.
www.slowhandfarm.com

Register for this event