Attending the 2010 Organic Growers School

This past weekend Eliza and I went up to Asheville, NC to attend the 17th annual Organic Growers School conference.  It was a fantastic time.

Throughout the two days that we attended the conference we got to sit in eight different hour-and-a-half classes/lectures on all sorts of agricultural, organic, and sustainable practices.  I learned a lot about a wide variety of topics and all around left the conference feeling like I had learned a lot about organic farming and gardening that I had not previously known anything about.  Here is the run down of the classes I took.

Saturday:

• Shiitake Mushrooms and Beyond
• Growing Black Perigord Truffles
• The Joy and Challenges of Growing Hops
• Urban Orchards

Sunday:

• Making Maple Syrup in the South
• Bugs Among Us
• Integrated Disease Management in Organic Vegetables
• Exploring Muscadine Wine Grape Production

These were all fascinating sessions with engaging speakers.  There was also a vendor display to browse through a bunch of stuff (especially seeds).  Saturday night Eliza and I, and a few other friends who attended the conference, went to the Laughing Seed Cafe for dinner having a wonderful vegetarian meal.

All and all the conference brought back memories of when I worked for two summers for a Greenhouse/Nursery in Vermont (Paquette Full of Posies) and how much I enjoy working with plants.  It got me really excited about getting to do some vegetable gardening this summer and further got me thinking about my future and disciplines of study I might like to pursue.  A great way to spend a weekend right on the cusp on spring, right before the growing season really kicks into gear.

~ by Nathaniel on March 9, 2010.