UNITY, Maine — From the basics of beginning an organic garden to an in-depth conference on soil microbiology, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) has more than a dozen talks and workshops scheduled for this spring.
David Smith of Sparky’s Apiaries will teach a one-day course on February 11 on the basics of beginning beekeeping. This short course will cover the essentials to get you going in the world of beekeeping, such as where to locate your apiary, characteristics of different races of bees, where to purchase bees and equipment, how to assemble that equipment, and how to establish your first hive and get it through the first season.
Richard Wiswall of Cate Farm and “The Organic Farmer’s Business Handbook” will join us once again to teach a 1 1/2-day course on advanced business planning for farmers. Join Wiswall on February 26 and 27 to take the next step in organizing your business.
Our yearly, daylong Spring Growth Conference digs deeply into topics that impact farmers, whether a specific crop, technique or management practice. The 2017 conference will focus on soil microbiology and will take place on March 4 in Unity.
MOFGA’s Organic Orcharding Workshops begin on March 11 and run through August. This series covers pruning, renovating old apple trees, grafting and bud grafting, top grafting, and basic care, including pest management. These workshops will take place in a few locations around the state.
On Wednesday, April 5 (and other dates in a few communities), from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., MOFGA will pair with Maine’s Adult and Community Education programs to offer a “Grow Your Own Organic Garden” class at more than 30 locations around the state. These workshops are open to the public and to people of all levels of gardening skill and experience. The class provides the essential skills and knowledge needed to transition from conventional to organic gardening, including information on soil preparation, composting, crop rotation and pest control.
Other events include
* a free Seed Swap and Scion Exchange at MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center in Unity on March 26 (no registration required)
* Farm & Homestead Day at MOFGA on June 17 to teach all you need to know about living in rural Maine
* a Poultry Processing workshop on May 25 and July 6
* a Conservation Biocontrol short course taught by the Xerxes Society on July 23 in Unity
For fee and registration information on these and other events, including information on available scholarships, please click on the Events tab at www.mofga.org.
–MOFGA
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