This two-part workshop connects all of the aspects of producing vegetables in the backyard or on small acreage into a cohesive system. It is designed for experienced and new gardeners, backyard growers, and back-40 farmers alike who want more details on tools and techniques for producing a consistent harvest of vegetables any time of year. You'll start inside, looking at fundamental concepts, and then move outside to demo tools and techniques appropriate for gardeners growing on just a small patch (but that are also used by production farms of all sizes).
The goal of intensive gardening is to harvest the most produce possible from a given space. Learn how to grow more in a small space in this practical class for the urban agriculturist. Discover simple ways to maximize your garden through soil prep, succession sowing, and companion planting.
This class is part of the Urban Growth Bounty series, presented by the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. For details and registration, visit:
Are you a new gardener looking for some tips and resources to get your garden started? If so, look no further: this fun and accessible class is for you! Get an overview of organic gardening basics from setting up your beds and which tools to use to adding fertilizers and compost. Learn what and when to plant, including which crops are the easiest to start with to ensure a successful first season.
This class is part of the Urban Growth Bounty series, presented by the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. For details and registration, visit:
Growing vegetable crops from seed is incredibly fun and rewarding, and allows you to grow the healthiest plants from seed to harvest. Save money on transplants this spring by learning how to tend your own seedlings indoors. Increase seed germination and learn simple techniques; gather useful tips for soil mixes, heat, and light requirements; and find out more about transplanting, fertilizing, and watering. Join us for this fun hands-on class and let’s get those seeds started!
Spring is right around the corner, and it’s time to start planning your vegetable garden. What will you grow? How much should you plant? Which varieties will perform best? Attend this class to learn practical planning techniques for selecting seeds, optimizing space, and increasing harvests. Maximize your bounty by applying new space-saving strategies in your home garden.
This class is part of the Urban Growth Bounty series, presented by the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. For details and registration, visit:
Growing fruit in the city is not nearly as difficult as you might think. Fruit types covered in this class include tree fruits (e.g., apple, pear, fig, peach, cherry, plum), cane berries (marionberry, raspberry), bush fruit (blueberry, currants), vines (grapes, kiwi), strawberries (June bearers, everbearing, day-neutrals), rhubarb, and maybe even a few more unusual fruits (pawpaw). Topics will include recommendations for varieties of fruits to grow in the city, grafting and pruning techniques, planting recommendations, training and trellising, maintenance, and harvesting techniques.
The Alberta Coop invites all interested community members and garden enthusiasts to a biking tour of community gardens in NE Portland on Sunday, August 1. It'll be a great opportunity to see the variety of ways people are gardening cooperatively in the city. We'll meet at the Coop at 10 am, and depart for the first garden at 10:15. We'll also be taking a short break for a lunch picnic in Fernhill Park, so bring along a lunch or something to share! The tour should wrap up around 1 pm.
Calling all gardeners and people interested in learning about gardening! Come on out to the Tin Shed Garden Cafe on Tuesday, April 20 for the Alberta Coop Grocery's April open forum. Enjoy some of the Tin Shed's food and drink, bring a seed or plant start if you have any you'd like to exchange, and hear about the Urban Farm Collective's exciting new project! Also one lucky attendee will win a grand prize: a free work party in their garden (see below for more info).
