We regularly conduct classes on a variety of topics. We’re also available to speak to groups large or small. Here’s a few of the many topics we speak about:
- Vegetable Gardening
- Drip Irrigation
- Starting Transplants
- Soil Biology
- Permaculture
- Composting
- Compost Tea
- Using a Microscope for Soil Biology
- Buying a Tractor
- Selling to Restaurants
- Starting a Small Farm
Upcoming Classes
What is Permaculture? – 1.5 hours
Feb 2, 2019 in Forth Worth
This brief introduction to the fascinating and vast subject of permaculture, which is in essence a sustainable, more permanent system of growing, is intended to provide you information that will allow you to start applying basic concepts to your own property. Through careful consideration of a number of factors, you’ll learn about optimal placement of buildings, gardens, and pathways. You’ll learn about creating self sustaining eco-systems, water saving techniques, and creating abundance on your property.
Raised Beds for Immediate Gratification – 2 hours, hands on
Feb 2, 2019 Fort Worth
In this hands-on class students will learn all about using raised beds to jump start their home gardens. Students will learn about different raised bed designs, soil considerations that accompany the use of raised beds and how to assemble a basic drip irrigation system for a raised bed. Students will have the opportunity to explore commonly available raised bed kits, will get hands on experience in assembling beds from items obtained from the big box stores, and can work with drip irrigation parts.
Introduction to Vegetable Gardening – 1.5 hours
February 19, 2019 1:30-3:30 Rockwall County Extension
If you’re new to vegetable gardening or a pro, you’ll learn something new in this comprehensive overview of how to vegetable garden in NE Texas. You’ll learn which vegetables and varieties are easiest to grow, how to plant them and care for them.
The Complete Guide to Successful Vegetable Gardening in North Central Texas – 5 hours, hands on/lecture
March 2, 2019, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Forth Worth
Flummoxed by vegetable gardening? You’ll learn how to be successful this season in your garden with this mix of presentation and hands on seminar. A wide range of topics will be covered including site selection, irrigation, soil biology, specialty gardens like herb, salad and salsa gardens, and much more.
Grow your own Cut Flower Garden! – 2 hours
May 4, 2019, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Fort Worth
Save money and enjoy the process of growing your own cut flowers. Learn which varieties to start with, how to grow them, proper harvesting techniques and holding techniques to get the most out of your flowers.
Culinary Herb Gardening – 2 hours
May 4, 2019, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Forth Worth
Join the team from Barking Cat Farm and learn about growing herbs for your home usage. You’ll learn what to plant when, best care practices, harvesting tips and storage ideas.
Organic Pests and Diseases – 5 hours, hands on/lecture
June 1, 2019, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Forth Worth
Join us for this day long workshop and you’ll learn how to identify common garden pests, diseases and nutrient deficiencies. Learn how to identify the root causes of common problems and the best steps to take to fix these problems. With the help of a microscope, students will examine their own garden soil under a microscope. They’ll learn how to test plant material with a refractometer and how to use different sprayers.
Dig Deeper: Organic Vegetable Gardening – 2 hours
Expand your vegetable gardening knowledge by learning about how plants eat, soil biology, water quality, why you should use organic seeds, cover crops, common pests & diseases, season extensions techniques, pruning and more.
Dig Deeper: Gardening & Soil Biology – 2.5 hours
The key to having nutrient dense food is having a healthy, functioning soil food web in your garden. This course will give you a good foundation in understanding how to use biology in your organic gardening to grow tasty, healthy, nutritious food. Pair this class with the hands-on ‘Dig Deeper: Soil Under the Microscope‘ for a deeper dive into this fascinating subject.
Dig Deeper: Soil Under the Microscope – 2.5 hours
The organisms living in soil and the ecosystem they help maintain are crucial to soil health, and healthy soil is the most important requirement for a successful garden. In this hands-on class, participants will work with microscopes to identify the different types of organisms that live in the soil. This class is a companion to the class “Dig Deeper: Gardening & Soil Biology”, and it is strongly recommended that they be taken together for a more complete understanding of the soil organisms we’ll be discussing and viewing.
Dig Deeper: Composting – 2 hours
All compost is not created equal. Learn why hot composting is the best way to generate compost for your garden and to use in compost tea. Learn how to make compost that meets the needs of your soil, how to determine whether your soil needs fungal or bacterial compost, and the best way to use each type.
Dig Deeper: Aerated Compost Teas & Compost Extracts – 2 hours
Interested in taking your composting knowledge even further? Then join us for this class on aerated compost tea (ACT) and learn why spraying your soil with ACT is a more cost effective way to inoculate your soil rather than spreading compost directly. Learn the right way to make ACT and the right way to apply it so that you get all that good soil biology working for you.
Dig Deeper: Start Your Own Transplants
Want to start your own transplants but are unsure how to approach it? This hands-on seed starting workshop will step you through the “art” of starting transplants, including potting soil considerations, seed depth, watering and food needs, lighting requirements, environmental control, and more. Tuition covers a variety of seeds and planting materials. You’ll go home with an understanding of seed starting and seeded pots that can become the foundation for your home garden. Seeds and planting materials will be provided.