Urban Farm Skills Day

Event Description

Come for one topic or stay all day!

Topics will include Homebrewing, Home Cheesemaking, Intro to tools, Backyard Chickens, Composting, Medicinal Herbs, Pollinator Gardens/Habitats, Soil Building, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Beekeeping, Farm tour with harvest tips, AND Fermented Vegetables!  Suggested donation of $10 per session or $30 for the day. Lunch will be provided for those attending the full day.  

Schedule:

First session - 9:00am-11:00am

Homebrewing 101 - William Brant, CO Brew - An informative class on how to brew your first beer at home. Learn about ingredients, process, and recipes as we walk through an entire one gallon brew day.

Home Cheesemaking - Meg Caley, Sprout City Farms - Learn the basic ins and outs of traditional cheesemaking and the animal husbandry, botany, and microbiology behind it, as well as the different types of cheese and how to make fresh cheeses at home! In this hands-on workshop we’ll explore how to turn milk into curds and whey and stretch your own fresh mozzarella for you to take home!

Building for the Beginner - Quentin Hartman - This session will introduce attendees to some of the most important tools for maintaining their homestead and taking on projects to improve it. We will cover both manual and power tools that would be used for basic construction, electrical, and plumbing work. The first half of the session will be going over the basics at a high level and reviewing hand out material. The second half will be practicing hands on exercises.

Second session: 11:15am-12:15pm

Backyard Chickens - Katie Huzszca, Sprout City Farms - Chickens can make a great addition to your backyeard ecosystem. In this workshop we will cover everything you need to know to get started including zoning, basic care, pests and diseases and predator exclusion.

The World Inside - Your Microflora Ecology - Amanda Brant, Amanda Brant Wellness - Get to know the symbiotic relationship between the ‘good bugs’ and your gut and how to best support your overall health by addressing your gut health first.

Home Composting - Nelson Heider, DUG Master Composter and SCF MAP intern - This workshop will teach you everything you need to know to get started composting or to troubleshoot your existing compost. Several different ways of composting will be covered so that you can turn kitchen and garden waste in garden gold whether you live in a home with a yard or a small apartment.

Lunch : 12:15pm-1:15pm - Lunch will be provided for full day participants

Third session: 1:15pm-2:15pm

Medicinal Herbs - Mavis Salazar, Ceiba USA & Grandmother's House of Herbs and Cures - Come learn about medicinal herbs that are easy to grow and commonly found in and around the city.

Feeding the Bees: Attracting (and Keeping) Pollinators in Your Garden - Amy Yarger, Horticulture Director at Butterfly Pavilion - Successful crops often rely on pollination from bees and other beneficial insects. In this design workshop, instructor Amy Yarger will present the ecological principles of creating a sustainable pollinator habitat, from site selection to which plants to use to managing pests.

Soil Building - Dan Goldhammer, Horticulture Agent for CSU Extension Denver County - It all starts with the soil! Come and learn about how to build and be a steward of your garden soil. You will leave this workshop with a basic understanding of the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. We will then discuss and demonstrate how best to manage your garden soil for healthier plant growth and a healthier planet!

Fourth session: 2:30pm-3:30pm

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - Dan Goldhammer, Horticulture Agent for CSU Extension Denver County - Insect pests and plant diseases are issues that every grower must deal with. Please come to this workshop to learn about how you can help prevent insect and disease infestations before they start. You will also learn general and specific strategies to deal with insects and diseases once they show up in your garden. Finally, we will cover how to use organic pesticides responsibly and legally.

Beekeeping - Ophelia Pulsinelli, Urban Pollination Project - Ophelia loves educating others about pollinators and invites you to join her for a fun, informational workshop for anyone who would like to know more about Honey Bees!

Farm Tour with Harvest Tips - Katie Huzszca, Sprout City Farms - We will take a tour around Mountair Park Community Farm and take a look at best harvesting practices for the vegetables we have growing. Proper post harvest handling and storage will also be covered so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor long into the winter.