Mayberry Farm
Growing Organic Food in Reno, Nevada
Grow Nourish Sustain
Organic Micro Farm Series
Class Descriptions
All classes 9:00 am -12:00 pm
Cost: $100 for the series (please pay in advance)
RSVP required
$20/pp drop-in
Tom grew up in the time of Victory Gardens in the small town in northern Iowa. The family garden included a hammock under apple trees, a large grape arbor, and a big vegetable garden with birdhouses for wrens and martins. Tom studied horticulture at Iowa State University and earned a Master’s degree in Recreation and Parks from San Jose State University. He taught horticulture and landscape architecture in New Zealand at the university level and continues to teach organic gardening at the River School. Tom is the principle Landscape Architect with Interpretive Gardens, Inc., the parent company of the River School and Mayberry Farm. His passion is advocating and teaching organic urban food production with the goal of assisting this High Desert community in the Truckee Meadows to grow 20% of its food by 2020.
General Class Series Description
Be part of creating and establishing a small production organic urban farm from the ground up at our Valley Road site. Through a series of lectures and hands-on experiences, you will learn about organic growing practices that produce nutrient dense foods. Come prepared to work in the dirt: bring gloves, hat, water, and bring your favorite gardening tools if you have any! Learn about:
• Cool season and annual VEGETABLE
• Medicinal and culinary HERBS
• Edible and cut FLOWERS
• Making and using COMPOST
• Chickens for manure and EGGS
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• Bees for pollination and HONEY
April 11: Soil Preparation & Raised Beds
Learn about the properties of soil and how to create healthy soils to grow nutrient rich foods. A soil rich in organic matter and humus is the single most important ingredient for a productive organic garden. The class will cover: (1) the soil food web, (2) physical, chemical and biological properties of soil, (3) preparing seedbeds, (4) building raised beds, and (5) transplanting seedlings.
April 25: Irrigation & Water Harvesting
Applying water sustainably is the most important practice to understand when growing food in the semi-arid High Desert. Learn the basics of irrigation design and the practical application of installing a drip irrigation system. Taking advantage of rainfall and using this precious resource to supplement irrigation will also be covered.
May 9: Direct Seeding and Transplanting Vegetable Crops
What are the best cool and warm season vegetables to grow in the Truckee Meadows? Which ones can be seeded and which ones transplanted? Now that beds are built, soils are prepared, and irrigation is installed, learn about planting! Be part of the micro-urban farm community by direct seeding, transplanting, installing row covers, and applying organic mulches.
May 23: Backyard Composting
What better way to turn your garden and kitchen waste into “dark brown gold” than using worms and micro-organisms? In this class you will help create compost and learn how to use it in your food garden. Topics covered include carbon-nitrogen ratios, suitable materials for the heap, and how to manage both winter and summer piles for creating the ideal compost for your crops.
June 6: Poultry Management
A few chickens and ducks in your back yard can turn your kitchen scraps into manure for feeding your garden and provide eggs for your breakfast! Learn about how you can put the chickens to work getting rid of pests and weeds, and how the manure can power your compost pile. Topics addressed include: chicken coop design, breeds that are hardy, buying and raising chicks, protecting poultry from predators, and maintaining flock health. Check out the Green Building Workshop: The Pallet Chicken Coop on May 30th on our Programs Page
June 20: Beekeeping for Honey and Pollinating
An introduction to Topbar and conventional beekeeping. We will discuss how and why to keep bees, how to keep them healthy, demonstrate beekeeping practices, and discuss where to find suppliers and equipment. Go here for more info on Topbar hives.
