Golden Oak Farm is offering a series of workshops for up to 15 people of all ages and abilities. These workshops will offer specific, essential information on seed starting, various organic garden practices, chicken husbandry, and food preservation. The benefits from the workshops for those who attend will be better informed about chicken health and well being, nutrient dense growing practices in gardening, and better nutrition through food preservation.

Persons attending will learn organic sustainable practices for vegetable growing, chicken husbandry, and food preservation techniques that they can put into practice in their own lives. The workshops can be held at the farm or at a location of your choice.

Gardening

Persons attending the gardening workshops will learn:

       How to select seeds and start seedlings:
                  Timing
                  Conditions
                  Feeding
                  When and how to plant a large variety of
                         vegetables, herbs, and flowers

       Soil care:
                  Soil nutrient density
                  How to read a soil test
                  Determining soil amendment needs and
                         how to apply them

      Plant and garden care:
                   Foliar feeding and drenches
                   Harvesting practices
                   Planting rotational crops
                   Using cover crops

           Participants would be encouraged to keep a record from year to year of what they plant in their garden and any additives that are added.  This information could then be used to determine why pepper seedlings stopped thriving or why carrots did not do well with a cover crop as mulch.

Chicken Husbandry

Proper and sustainable management of poultry is essential to healthy birds. Chicken husbandry workshops will cover:
                     Feeding practices
                    Nutrition
                    Safe handling practices
                     Health
                    Predator control
                     Manure management systems
                    Pest control
                    Managing a laying flock
                              Behavior management
                              Culling

Chicken nutrition information would be used to determine
why a pecking episode occurred or why egg shells are soft.

Food Preservation

These workshops will increase the knowledge of various food
 preservation techniques including:

                     Canning
                     Freezing
                     Dehydrating
                     Pickling
                     Root-cellaring
                     Maintaining a Pantry

These basic skills would enable enjoyment of
complete food preparation and nutrition.


Other Workshops

Course Materials

Persons attending will receive written materials on the
practices used on the farm:

                            Gardening guides and soil facts
                            Poultry data
                          Nutritional information

 These materials will also be made available on the internet.

Cost

  Each 1½ hour workshop is $60.00.  Size limit is 15
people. The charge is for the workshop and materials,
not per person.