15th Annual Organic Growers School

Note: We attended this last year, and really enjoyed ourselves. Vance participated in the Childrens program, and made a scarecrow which is still standing in front of our garden area! - Mark Tyson Getting ready to kick off the 2008 growing season? Registration for the 15th Annual Organic Growers School is now officially open! This year's tracks will include: Beginning Gardening, Back by Popular Demand, Nurturing Healthy Soils, Fruit Production, Commercial Grower, Sustainable Energy Options, Livestock, Homesteading, Pest Management, Sustainable Landscaping, Herbs, Urban Growing, Cooking, Sustainable Forestry and new hands-on, half-day workshops. Here is a sampling of some of the 69 classes we offering this year: Growing Heirloom Tomatoes, Introduction to Organic Beekeeping, Drought-proofing Your Garden, Soil Science 101, On Farm Composting, Minimal Tillage, Beneficial Insects, Solar and Wind Energy Systems, Transitioning to Organic Production, Food Safety Issues, Pastured Lamb Production, Backyard Egg Production, Herb Kitchen Gardens, Stonescaping for Your Yard, Landscaping with Native Plants, Passive Solar Greenhouse Design, Tailgate Marketing, Sustainable Forestry, Home Orcharding, Organic Inputs that Work, Local Food Traditions, Wild Foraged Foods, and Food Preservation. Half day hands-on workshops this year will include: Honey for Medicinal Use, Mushroom Production, Draft Horses, Fruit Tree Grafting, Dry Stack Stone, Native Plants, Food Preservation, Goat Cheese Making, and Organic Home Brewing. Early Bird Registration ends February 28, 2008 at 5PM, so register now and save! For more information, or to register, visit our website: www.organicgrowersschool.org Businesses interested in participating in the school as a food vendor, exhibitor, or sponsor, should contact Organic Growers School Coordinator Meredith Leigh McKissick at meredith@organicgrowersschool.org, or call (828) 450-7996.

4th Annual Children's Program The Organic Growers School is proud to offer its 4th annual program for kids. The OGS Children’s Program seeks to convey the importance of agriculture and the environment by guiding kids through numerous, hands-on activities that involve plants, animals, insects, and food. This supervised, full-day event is open to children ages 7-12 years old, with a registration limit of 30 children. Cost is $30. Click here for more information about the Children's Program.

Chocolate Cook Off at Library on Sunday

The Friends of the Library invite you to sample the area's best chocolate confections at our Chocolate Cook-Off on Sunday, February 10 from 2-5 in the Library auditorium.

This event will help raise money for the Library. Entry tickets are $5 and include samples from all participants and a chance to vote for the People's Choice award. Refreshments will be available for $1.

At last count, there were 14 different entries into the contest. Come support the library this Sunday, and satisfy that sweet tooth at the same time!