gardening/farming

Fresh fruit grown on trees-from apples to peaches to cherries to plums-thrive in the Pacific Northwest, but to grow and maintain your own fruit trees, you'll need targeted continuing education to yield the maximum amount of high-quality fruit.

What you will learn:

Basic fruit tree horticulture
Site selection and planting
Basic Integrated Pest Management for fruit trees
Fruit variety and rootstock selection
Fruit tree pruning and grafting
Seasonal maintenance

Learn the ancient art of saving seeds in this hands-on workshop held at one of Portland's oldest and most established urban Permaculture gardens. Each participant will get to collect unusual and interesting varieties of seeds to take home with them.

Sign up on Growing Gardens workshop page: http://growing-gardens.org/our-programs/workshops/

Presenter Information: Connie Van-Dyke is a master of self-sufficiency and grows a large percentage of her food, year round in her urban Permaculture garden.  Connie has been an instructor at Portland Community College for 16 years.  Inviting people to come to her urban garden she shows them ways to close the loop and be more self-reliant.  Courses like urban farming, permaculture, rug making, weaving, medicine making, natural dyeing, cannin, raising meat in the city and seed saving show students how to get their needs met without money.  She gleans, barters, wildcrafts, and grows most of her daily needs.

Growing Gardens believes the seeds of a healthier world are planted in our own back yards! To find out more about Growing Gardens visit us at www.growing-gardens.org

Learn the basics of keeping bees for honey in your own backyard.  This workshop will cover materials, maintenance and harvesting.  It will be held at an urban farm where participants will get to see a real bee set up.  This workshop is in partnership with Sowing Circle Farm.

Sign up on Growing Gardens workshop page: http://growing-gardens.org/our-programs/workshops/

Presenter Information: Sowing Circle Farm was founded in 2009 in the small front yard of Seth & Kenya's NE Portland home.  Initially raising ducks and growing vegetables, they moved on to raising goats and keeping honeybees.  The animals soon attracted so much attention that they found themselves giving impromptu workshops to curious passersby.  Kenya is certified in organic gardening practices as well as Permaculture and has worked with Growing Gardens, the Multnomah Public Library and OSU Extension Service to teach workshops.  Seth is the Farm Manager and is a self-taught arborist, plant propagator, and hugelkulture enthusiast.

Growing Gardens believes the seeds of a healthier world are planted in our own backyards.  To learn more about Growing Gardens visit us at www.growing-gardens.org

Growing Food All Year Long with Oregon Tilth

Saturday, July 27

2 Options:  9-10 am OR 11-12 pm
$12/$10 Tilth Members

Do you like the idea of plucking fresh salad greens, tender broccoli shoots and delicious root vegetables from your garden all winter long? If so, this is the best time to prepare your soil and begin planting. Explore season extension techniques, from cloches to cold frames, enabling you to extend the garden season beyond the fall and into next spring. With a little planning and some simple techniques, learn just how easy "off-season" gardening can be.

Sponsor a table or bring your picnic blanket and join us on the farm for an evening of unforgettable summer fun.

- Search for signs of wildlife on the farm, a leaf you can eat and more on the Whole Foods Market Scavenger Hunt. Everyone gets a loaf of Dave's Killer Bread* and one lucky hunter will win a $100 Whole Foods Market gift certificate.
- Caroline Oakley of Pickathon fame will be supported by banjo and fiddle as she calls the square dance
- Killer barbecue with all the fixins' courtesy of Bon Appetite
- We've saved the best for last with dessert from Organic Valley
- Silent auction featuring art, outdoor gear, great kid stuff and premium wine
- Cold Widmer beer and Oregon wines will  be available for purchase

Adults - $25

Kids under 12 - $5

Table for 6 - $375.  Skip the buffet line and grab your seat at the table. We'll serve your meal family style at a picnic table set with wildflowers, beer and wine.  The cost, just $375, is the same as a full class scholarship including transportation.  Sponsor names and/or logos will also be listed on our website and on event signage.

The Sauvie Island Center educates kids about food, farming and the land through field trips, camps and other farm-based events. Please help us make farms a part of more kids' lives and purchase your tickets today.