Gardening Course: Grow Your Own Food!
Registration is open!
REGISTER now to reserve your spot in the 2023 course.
Do you want to grow your own vegetables and herbs, but don’t know where to start? The Farmers on 57th have instructional garden plots just for you!
Come experience the joy of growing your own vegetables under the guidance of professional grower and educator Alyssa Dawn who is thrilled to be sharing her passion with you. The learning will be hands-on: you will plan, plant and tend your own garden plot, with instruction and support throughout the growing season. Along the way, you’ll learn about garden planning, soil health, seed starting, transplanting, weeding, watering and organic pest management.
You will learn all that is necessary to start, maintain and eat from your own garden. We meet 6:30-8pm, every 2nd Tuesday, from April 11 to September 12, 2023, comfortably distanced outdoors. To keep the class smaller for the first two sessions there is a second start date of April 18, with a subsequent class May 2. Sessions every second Tuesday resume May 9, after everyone’s plots are planned and seeded.
If you can’t attend every class, don’t worry—there are hand-outs and opportunities to catch up. Expect to visit your garden 1-3 times a week outside of ‘class time’ to water, weed, and harvest your bounty! We will be outdoors, so please dress for the weather. Bring gardening gloves if you want them. Other supplies are included and the food you grow is yours to enjoy. We encourage you to visit your plot with 1-2 people but please just one person attending the 12 instructional sessions.
COVID-19 Safety
We are NOT be able to accommodate groups or multiple people per plot during Thursday instructional sessions. Course participants are welcome to work on their plot with other household members provided a) your household members have signed the waiver and reviewed the orientation information and b) can maintain physical distancing from other individuals while at the garden.
There is no access to washrooms after 7pm. Before 7pm strict protocols must be followed to access washrooms inside George Pearson Centre, a residential health care facility: mask, Vaccine Passport, front door screening. We encourage course members to plan their visit to the garden & instructional sessions around their need for washroom facilities. Go before you come!
Other COVID 19 measures and safety protocols will be reviewed upon course registration. Note: we do not require people to wear masks while outdoors at the garden site.
Location
On the grounds of George Pearson Centre, a long-term residential facility, 780 West 57th Ave. Near the corner of 57th Ave & Heather Street, tucked in between George Pearson Centre and the ONNI Sales Centre & Parking Lot.
6:30pm, every second Tuesday, April 11 to September 12, 2023.
$325 for 12 instructional sessions, supplies and optional use of a garden plot approx. 4’X8′
REGISTER now to reserve your spot in the 2023 course.
Testimonials
Here’s what past participants have to say about the course:
“This was really great! I’m so happy I took this course, and I will recommend it to others. What a great learning experience. Thank you!!”
“The garden is an awesome place that I never knew existed in the city. And the course is a great extension of the urban farm to spread the knowledge on gardening and grow the community.”
“It is a good family activity. We learnt the basic knowledge about veggie gardening in a structural way. It helps us to properly plan our own backyard veggie garden next year.”
“So happy! I can’t believe how productive my plot has been.”
“The course exceeded all expectations.”
“I’m really happy with the experience. I’d say 90% of what was discussed I had already read about, but the discussion with experienced gardeners and application has gone a long way in building my confidence/competence as a gardener. “
REGISTER now to reserve your spot in the 2023 course.