THE NEW ORGANIC GROWER (SMALL SCALE FARMING) WORKSHOP

ABOUT

Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Garden

COURSE OUTLINE

Farming is not for everyone. When it comes to learning about farming, nothing beats hands-on experience. This masterclass will give you the confidence to begin your learning by doing discovery.

This masterclass is an online programme designed to help new growers elevate their game, work fewer hours, increase quality of their produce, make better profit, enjoy a better quality of life and create food security.

Date: 13 November

Time: 09:00 - 12:00

Venue: Online

Here’s What We’ll Deliver:

+ BROAD BASICS

We will start with a broad base discussion of the basics of production, economics, people and marketing.

The discussion will help you to:

• Think carefully about why, what and how you want to farm

• Think about how to secure land, water, tools, infrastructure and seeds

• Think: Is it profitable? (Economics). How will I pay for it? (Finance)

• Think about soil fertility

• Think about your goals and objectives

• Key success factors

+ CROP PLANNING

Crop planning is the number-one factor in achieving success for your farm. The fivestep process will help you think about how to optimize space and time, increase productivity, reduce mental anguish and complexity, and maximize returns from every square metre. It is the most important decision-making tool available to growers, and is basically a farmer’s guide to staying on track.

This discussion will help you to:

• Establish your annual goals and financial objectives

• Establish your game plan

• Establish your operating calendars

• Develop your production calendars

• Order seeds, equipment, and materials

+ MONEY

There are three issues when it comes to money: economics, finance and taxes. In economics we ask the question “Is it profitable?” Economics involves the application of the three secrets: reducing overheads, improving gross margin/unit and increasing turnover. In finance we ask different, but related questions: How do I pay for it? How does the cash flow? If economics is our business’s engine, finance is the fuel that makes it go. We can have the engine in perfect working order, but if we are short of fuel (cash) we won’t get very far. The money discussion will help you think about the financial health of your business.

+ THE TOOLSHED

When you’re just starting to farm, you can easily get lost when considering all of the options for tools. However, deciding which tools to buy is an important step. It is crucial to choose your farm tools and equipment wisely as this will directly influence not only your ability to work the soil properly, but also your overall efficiency and results.

This discussion will help you to:

• Use the best tools

• Know every tool you need

• Save thousands of dollars on tools

• Save time and generate better results

Includes:

• Walk-behind tractor tutorial

• Permanent raised beds

• Cultivating tools

• Technical sheets

• Recommended tools list

+ NURSERY AND PLANT PROPAGATION

The nursery provides a great environment for plants to make a great start so they can produce to their maximum quality once transplanted into the field. Maintaining good management of the nursery helps to reduce losses and produce the right number of transplants, thus ensuring profitability. In this discussion, we will shares tips, techniques and strategies to successfully organize and manage your nursery to achieve optimal results.

This discussion will help you to:

• Save time and resources

• Organize your nursery more efficiently

• Increase sales

• Grow more high-quality vegetables

+ IRRIGATION

Irrigation supplies crops with the necessary water and nutrients that they need. Therefore, a successful market garden requires implementing a successful irrigation system. Discover techniques for better irrigation systems and learn the strategies to reproduce some of these systems for your market garden.

This discussion will help you to:

• Set up an irrigation system

• Grow high-quality vegetables

• Increase crop yields

+ COVER CROPS

Cover crops, or “green manure” as they are often referred to, are an essential part of creating healthy soil for your market garden. They can play different roles and are used in different contexts, but for the most part, we rely on them to protect the ground from soil erosion, improve soil structure and feed our soil web.

This discussion will help you to:

• Grow abundant and beautiful crops

• Prevent erosion of your topsoil

• Create a healthy and uncompacted soil profile

• Fertilize your crops properly

+ WORKING WITH LIVING SOIL

By replacing mechanical tillage with no-till strategies, and by using natural amendments, such as fungi, to support plant health and build soil fertility, you can develop a great foundation to grow food that is healthy and nutritious for your customers. In this discussion, you will learn new strategies about how to minimize soil disturbances and enhance soil life to support optimal crop yields and nutritional value.

This discussion will help you to:

• Replace mechanical tillage with biological tillage

• Work with fungi to support plant health and build soil fertility

• Develop regenerative cropping systems

• Improve soil biology

• Grow better vegetables

+ SEASON EXTENSION

The growing season in your area might be relatively short. In this case, a farmer needs to develop tricks to beat the cold and generate revenue for as long as possible. Learn the techniques to consider for extending the growing season into the colder months, including the use of low tunnels, floating row covers, hoop houses and other ways to keep producing well into early winter.

This discussion will help you to:

• Understand caterpillar tunnels and row covers

• Understand cold frames

• Know where to get these tools

• Produce vegetables during the winter

+ INSECT, PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Insects, pests and diseases represent a challenge to organic farmers. Sometimes, despite all screening and prevention efforts, the only way to save crops is to use biopesticides. Even though they are less harmful than synthetic pesticides, they are still dangerous and therefore require some safety procedures.

This discussion will help you to:

• Learn how to use biopesticides

• Improve your pest control tactics

• Grow more vegetables