Green City Growers can't wait to begin the March Urban Farming Course, where we teach the skills needed to plan, plant, harvest and maintain gardens at home and in the community, and what to expect from a Boston urban garden. Think you've seen it all? Not by a long shot! We'll also spend some time teaching how to get started on a few of our favorite "Creative Crops"...
- Chickens – Did you know that the modern chicken industry is rife with animal cruelty and exploitative business and labor contracts? The system "keeps farmers in a state of indebted servitude, living like modern-day sharecroppers on the ragged edge of bankruptcy,” writes Christopher Leonard in his new book The Meat Racket. A DIY chicken coop is one ticket to delicious, organic, cruelty-free chicken and eggs.
- Mushrooms – Mushrooms only need a small amount of indirect light (but plenty of moisture) to thrive, so Green City Growers farmers help our clients grow mushrooms in all kinds of surprising places: garages, basements and or even on dining room tables. Since mushrooms get nutrients from things people throw away daily, such as coffee grounds and cardboard, you can grow mushrooms at home and reduce your waste too.
- Sprouts – Sprouts, like mushrooms, can thrive while growing indoors. Seeds take just days (days!) to germinate and grow into nutrient-dense local food powerhouses. Year-round vegetables are possible in New England thanks to home-grown sprouts.
- Bees – Bees enhance crop yields and local biodiversity and even help keep us humans healthy. If you are suffering from asthma or allergies, and think you might be able to overlook any fear of being stung for long enough to invest in your own hive, we highly recommend showing up to class to learn about urban beekeeping. Considering the dangers of colony collapse, maintaining a beehive is a service to yourself and our world!
- Vermicomposting – Wouldn’t it be nice to reduce your waste and get free, nutrient-rich soil in the process? We'll teach you how to let worms do the work with a vermicomposting system! We use a Worm Factory system here at Green City Growers HQ. If you have a garden, bring your odorless compost out back, and if you haven’t started your outdoor garden yet, keep it indoors and help bring mushrooms and sprouts to life.
Whether you want to add "Creative Crops" to expand your traditional backyard farm, or you're new to growing vegetables of any kind and need raised bed vegetable gardening for beginners, get the skills and knowledge you need all in one weekend March 21-23, and avoid the pitfalls of growing in New England. Thanks to Article 89, it's easier than ever to have your own urban farm, so why wait? Space is limited, with only a few seats remaining!
