2009 Spring Classes

Detroit Urban Gardening Education Series

(classes are on rain or shine, unless noted!)

January 29th, 6-8PM  BAKING BREAD Learn the basics of bread making from a local artisan.  Hands-on experience in TJ’s kitchen and a tips from a seasoned baker will get your bread risin’. You must RSVP for this class – contact Kido at 313-237-8733 x 243 to reserve a spot.

February 14th, 1-3PM, STARTING SEEDS INDOORS Learn how to grow your own transplants by starting seeds indoors! Whether you are starting seeds in your basement, your classroom or in a greenhouse, this class will cover the basics of growing, including scheduling, materials and plant care. Participating community & school gardens will receive transplant starter kit. You must RSVP for this class – contact Kido at 313-237-8733 x 243 to reserve a spot.

February 16th, FOOD FOR HEALTH! Nutrition Basics for Families  Nutritionist Dr. Katherine Alaimo will share her expertise in the basics of nutrition and healthy eating.  Learn simple tips to improve your diet and how to prepare healthy meals. 

February 26th, PLANNING FOR PROFIT with Susan Houghton, formerly of Giving Tree Organic Farm  Making a profit from your garden takes more than just putting seeds in the ground.  Learn from a seasoned farmer how to earn a profit using tools for budgeting, garden planning and best practices for managing your time and resources.

March 3rd, City Chickens 101 We’re excited to offer our first-ever class in animal husbandry this March. City Chickens 101 will cover a range of topics including the City of Detroit’s relevant laws, the benefits of keeping chickens in your garden, a history and overview of the majestic chicken, basics of care, and time and money considerations.

March 14th, Fruit Tree Basics; Planting & Pruning Where do I plant my fruit tree? How often

should I prune? Learn the essentials of planting and caring for fruit trees in your garden at Fruit

Tree Basics.  Bob Tritton from MSU Extension will cover the fundamentals of fruit tree care

including: site assessment, preparing the area for planting, planting the tree, first year care and

pruning basics.

March 26th, Dirt on Detroit, Getting to Know Our Soils Good soil is the foundation of a flourishing garden, but how do you know if you have good soil?  Get your hands dirty and learn about soil quality, composition and health as well as common characteristics of Detroit soils in this earthy class.

March 28th, Tips for Gardening with Youth: Ideas for educational lessons and fun activities that engage our young gardening leaders! There are hundreds of ways to make gardening fun, educational and productive at the same time. Come learn creative ways to get your youth engaged and excited about growing food!

April 4th, 4-Season Garden Planning with John Biernbaum, MSU Horticulture Professor & MSU Student Organic Farm Planning your garden can increase productivity, reduce labor, and maximize the productivity of your garden space.  Professor John Biernbaum will lead us through a half-day workshop on: choosing which vegetable to focus on, how much to grow, where to plant, when to plant and much more.

April 23rd, Lowdown on Lettuce Vandalia Gardens  Lettuces are a vegetable with a fascinating cultural history and versatile use in the garden. Learn the lore of lettuce as well as the many ways to plant, tend and harvest this green goddess of the garden!

April 30th: Common Pests;  Pest Management & Weed Prevention  Pest such as aphids, squirrels and flea beetles (to name a few) can turn your garden bounty into a garden boo hoo! Learn the essentials to identifying, understanding and dealing with these common pests. Don't give up your bounty! RAIN LOCATION: St. Suzanne's Church, 9357 Westwood at W. Chicago.

May 2nd: Cultivating Community; Getting People Involved, a Community Organizing 1/2 Day Workshop Getting people involved in a community project requires creativity, thoughtfulness and planning. At this 1/2 day workshop seasoned community organizers will provide you with useful tools to get people involved and engaged. Learn what it takes to build a collaborative of folks that just can’t wait to get things done!

May 9th: Sweet On Detroit; Introduction to Beekeeping This workshop is an introduction to the art of beekeeping including an overview of the biology of honey bees, the structure and parts of a beehive and a look at how honey is produced. Come learn what the buzz is all about!

May 12th: Small Spaces; Container and Vertical Gardening With limited space a gardener may need to get creative to have his/her own vegetable paradise. From buckets to bathtubs, give a plant the right environment and it can grow. Learn unique ways to grow plants outside the standard in-ground plot or raised bed in this space saving class.

RSVP only!! May 18th: Pizza from the Garden Everybody loves pizza, but not many people know how easy it is to make. Learn how to make a great pie with your fresh grown veggies from Dave Mancini, owner of Supino’s Pizza. Before Supinos Pizza we never knew potatoes and squash on a pizza could taste so good!

May 21st: Harvesting and Post Harvest Handling When do I start harvesting my collards? Why does my lettuce wilt so soon after I pick it? How can I keep my tomatoes looking good until I get to market? Answer these questions any many more about how to keep vegetable fresh, flavorful, and safe after you harvest them with help from our veteran urban growers from the Grown In Detroit cooperative.

RSVP only!! May 28th: Watering and Low Tech Watering Systems Trouble keeping your veggies watered? You don’t have water on your site? Come learn about water saving techniques including how to build a low tech gravity irrigation system for your garden. The first 30 community gardens to RSVP for this class will receive a low-tech irrigation kit.

June 6th: Intermediate Perennial Fruit; Harvest and Care Once your fruit trees are planted and start their life of plentiful fruit production they are faced by their next challenge: pests and diseases. Learn about how to address and prevent common issues as well as harvesting, sorting and storage techniques.

June 13th: Autumn Harvest; Succession Gardening Don’t fret when your summer harvests are starting to wane, you can plant fall crops. This class, taught by Jeremy Mohgtader, instructor at MSU’s Student Organic Farm will discuss the ins and outs of fall crops fromchoosing varieties, and timing planting to bed preparation and pest issues.

June 25th: Growing and Harvesting Root Crops: Planting, Harvest, Tools, Storage Root crops are very versatile with many varieties to choose from. With their great storage capabilities they are a wonderful addition to any garden. From carrots and potatoes to rutabagas and parsnips learn the characteristics of many root crop varieties as well as planting harvesting and storage techniques for these earthbound wonders.