February 5th - November 4th, 2019

1st Wednesday of the month 

People's Food Coop, 3029 SE 21st Ave, Portland, OR

$185 for all 10 classes, $100 for a 5 class series, or $25 per class

This workshop series is designed to help you maximize your yields and endeavors in the garden by providing an overview of key activities to engage in at the right time each month from February through November.

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Facilitator Marisha Auerbach has spent many years observing and interacting in her garden and in the greater bioregion. She has been growing most of her own produce year round for the past decade. Each month, she will provide you with a checklist for the month ahead. We will discuss different subjects that are pertinent to the garden each month with supported handouts.

This year's schedule of Classes: 

Wednesday, February 5:  Planning, Design, & Framework

Wednesday, March 4:  Indoor Seedstarting, Early Season Plantings, & Perennial Vegetables

Wednesday, April 1:  Cole Crops, Greens, & Soil Building

Wednesday, May 6:  Warm Season Crops, Edible Flowers, & Attracting Pollinators

Wednesday, June 3:   Maintenance & Harvest

Wednesday, July 1:  Berries, Herbs, & Water Catchment

Wednesday, August 5:  Seedsaving & the Winter Garden

Wednesday, September 2:  Putting up the Harvest

Wednesday, October 7:  Garlic, Cover Crops, & Compost

Wednesday, November 4:  Nourishing Soups, Wildlife in the Garden, & Planning for the Coming Year

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For more information,  visit Permaculture Rising or send Marisha an email to marisha.permaculturerising@gmail.com.  

www.permaculturerising.com 

Link for registration for full series:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/grow-your-own-produce-series-tickets-53982456982

Planning, Design and Framework

Wednesday, February 5th,  7-9pm

This opening session will focus on garden planning and design. From the Macro perspective to the microclimate, we will discuss Permaculture design strategies that will help you design your landscape based on the aspect and conditions of your landscape.  Thoughtful planning will help you maximize your yields and diversity of crops throughout the season. Fruit trees, berry bushes, and other large landscaping elements will be discussed as the framework for your landscape. Each participant is encouraged to come with a base map of their site. Please contact Marisha if you need support before class to have this available.

Indoor Seed-Starting, Early Plantings and Perennial Crops

Wednesday, March 4th​,  7-9pm

In March, it is time to begin planting seeds both outdoors and indoors. This session will focus on those early plantings, including many root crops, and the varieties that perform best for our climate. To aid in planning the garden, we will discuss crop rotation.  Our conversation begins about the importance of good compost and how to develop a composting plan that works for your household. More information on soil building will continue in April’s class. Perennial vegetables can be transplanted at this time. Since many perennial vegetables are new to gardeners, Marisha will share about growing and cooking some of her favorite types. Seed catalogs and other resources will be available as references for each participant to make a personalized planting calendar.

Cole Crops, Greens and Soil Building

Wednesday, April 1st,  7-9pm

April is a key time for all of the Cole Crops, such as Broccoli, Kale, Cauliflower, Collards, and Cabbage. It is also a time of planting greens. As many plants are being planted in the garden during this month and the months to come, we will highlight soil building strategies.  We will continue our discussion on composting while highlighting various methods that students can use local materials to build their garden beds and enhance fertility onsite. Students will learn how to assess their soil and determine the best local materials to use to provide a optimal growing environment for their plants.

Warm-season Crops, Edible Flowers and Attracting Pollinators

Wednesday, May 6th,  7-9pm

 In May, the weather typically gets warmer and many flowers begin to bloom. We will discuss reliable varieties of warm season crops to grow in your garden. Now is the time to talk about Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant, Cucumbers, Melons, Squashes, Tomatillos, and Basil.  Our cool evenings in the summer requires strategies to maximize microclimate and production for many warm season crops. Many of these plants require insects for pollination. You will learn about pollination, pollinator insects, and flowers that are useful for attracting these special critters. Many of these flowers have multifunctions. We will highlight edible flowers, their functions in landscapes, and recipes.  The month of May provides good conditions for our cultivated plants and for weeds.  This class includes a discussion on common weeds in Oregon gardens, how they propagate, and strategies to prevent these plants in your garden.  If you have a pesky weed in your landscape, please send a picture and email to Marisha prior to the class.  

Maintenance and Harvest

Wednesday, June 3rd 7-9pm

June completes our planting of the summer vegetable garden and then it is time to focus on maximizing the harvest. For the urban gardener, this may mean optimizing a small space to produce as much food as possible. We will discuss strategies for optimizing yield of your vegetable crops throughout the growing season, including the best types of trellises for plants that like to grow up.  June is often a time when we need to water the garden more frequently.  Strategies for watering the garden are included in this class.  Pests and diseases start to show up in the month of June.  This class includes a discussion on organic and natural ways to help prevent and discourage these problems.  If you have a pest or disease issue, please email a picture so we can help you find a solution!

Berries, Herbs and Water Catchment

Wednesday, July 1st, 7-9pm

 This workshop will focus on different types of fruiting crops that are available right now through visits to local gardens. We will taste different varieties of berries.  Our field trips provide students with the opportunity to see the size and shape of various berry bushes and fruit trees.  Recipes and tips to store the bountiful harvest of berries will be included in this class. We will talk about water catchment and how to determine what type of system would work best for your household. Handouts will include a to do list for the month, herbs for tea, and other pertinent information.

Seedsaving and the Winter Garden

Tuesday, August 6th,  7-9pm

In August, it is time to begin saving seeds. The weather has been dry and many plants are ripening their seed. This workshop will cover the basics of saving seed and offer you the opportunity to gather some hands-on experience. August is a key month to get many starts in the ground for harvest in the winter and early spring. This class will highlight what is happening in the garden in August, how to save and store seeds, and what plants need to go in the ground for fall, winter, and spring harvests. 

Putting Up the Harvest

Wednesday, September 2nd,  7-9pm

The abundance from the garden and orchard is coming in.  It is time to put it up for storage and winter meals.  In this class, we will discuss the options for storing food for the winter including:  canning, dehydration, fermentation, & freezing.  A key component of this class will be focused on how to assess what your family will eat in the winter and the space that you have available for storage.  This class has an active component as students will actively participate in preserving some of the abundance for winter.    We will cover the last of the plantings for the year as the last of the winter crops should be in the garden by the Autumnal Equinox.  As always, this class will highlight what is happening in the garden in September, how to preserve your harvest, and prepare for the coming month.  Handouts will include a to do list for the month, information on canning and food preservation, and other pertinent information.

Garlic, Cover Crops and Compost

Wednesday, October 7th, 7-9pm

October is a time for returning inward and thinking about nourishing the soil for the future garden. This class will highlight soil building methods including mulches, composting, leaf mold and more. We will discuss types of cover crops for building soil tilth and fixing nitrogen. Mushrooms can be inoculated in the garden in October.  Garlic goes in the ground this month for summer harvest. We will talk about the different types of garlic and best varieties for our region. As our weather turns colder in October, gardeners may want to provide some shelter for their plants.  We will discuss strategies for sheltering plants from the cold.   This class highlights what is happening in the garden in October, how to tend to your garden, and prepare for the coming month. Handouts will include a to do list for the month, information on soil building methods, and other pertinent information.

Wildlife in the Garden, Nourishing Soups and Planning for the Coming Year Wednesday, November 4th 7-9pm

In November, the weather has become cold and the garden has been put to bed.  The birds, insects, and other critters need habitat to keep them around. During this class, we will discuss ways to encourage these allies to spend the winter in your garden.  By having active food webs, like these,  in the garden, we invite collaboration and enhance fertility cycles on site.  As this is our final class for 2020, this class will provide relevant information to help you begin planning for the 2021 garden season.  We will also highlight nourishing soup recipes from local herbs, veggies, and stocks. As always, this class will highlight what is happening in the garden in November, how to tend to your garden, and prepare for the coming month.  Handouts will include a to do list for the month, information on wildlife, soup recipes, and other pertinent information.