The Organic Growers School Spring Conference at UNCA March 5 & 6, 2011 is a one-of-a-kind event that brings people of all walks of life together for a weekend of learning and networking near Asheville, North Carolina. Since 1993, the OGS Spring Conference has been the best way to kick-off the season, with over 70 classes and hands on workshops on a variety of topics, from starting your first vegetable garden, baking bread, and saving on home energy costs, to raising your own goat herd. The mission of OGS is to provide down-to-earth, practical advice on growing and sustainable living, while remaining affordable and accessible to anyone wanting to participate.
The 20 I I Virginia Biological Farming Conference,February 11 & 12, will provide two days of educational presentations concerning ecological agriculture. Many participants in the conference are members of the Virginia Association for Biological Farming. The Virginia Association for Biological Farming (VABF) is the primary organization in the state of Virginia concerned with organic and biological farming and gardening.
A primary speaker is Elliot Coleman who was interviewed in the Mother Earth News way back when. He’s been a forerunner when it comes to innovative ways to extend the season year round. In Maine he does not can food, but eats from his garden and root cellar all winter. Elliot is also married to female garden guru, Barbara Damrosh who wrote The Garden Primer. Another thing he’s known for is designing tools for the small farmer – things that a CSA or large garden would use. Most machinery and tools are geared towards industrial farms but Coleman creates tools and supplies for appropriate, local-size growing.
