John Jeavons workshop

Biointensive gardening expert John Jeavons will be coming to Harrisonburg VA this year to teach a 3-day intensive workshop on GROW BIOINTENSIVE mini-farming. I have been reading Jeavons' book How to Grow More Vegetables, and am becoming increasingly interested in this style of agriculture. Quoting from the brochure on the workshop, "All of life on Earth…depends on six-inches of topsoil and the fact that it rains! The soil is a living organism that must be fed and nurtured to keep it feeding us. This basic understanding is not a major focus of most current forms of conventional agriculture. In this workshop John will share eight essential aspects of GROW BIOINTENSIVE including: Deep Soil Preparation, Raised Beds, Composting, Intensive Planting, Companion Planting, Carbon Farming, Calorie Farming, The Use of Open-Pollinated Seeds, and A Whole-System Farming Method. John will also provide time for questions and answers concerning northwest small-scale farming, long-term sustainable soil fertility, and specific crops." The workshop will be held October 23-25. Yes, this is a little early, but put it on your calendars and we'll make sure to post an additional reminder. These workshops are popular and it pays to sign up in advance if you know you can make it!

Also, visit the Ecology Action website for more information -- biointensive methods are a great way to maximize the yield in any backyard garden, and are perfect for those who have limited space. Even if you're not a fanatic, attending Jeavons' workshop will definitely help deepen your repetoir of organic gardening techniques. For those who are seriously interested, Ecology Action provides apprenticeship and teacher training opportunities.