Therapeutic Horticulture
Learn the foundations of growing your own food. Whether you're a first-time gardener or experienced grower, there's a course for you! Programs range from a 6-week foundations course with support for starting a garden at home to specialized horticulture workshops that dive into topics such as growing space design, raised bed/container gardening, food preservation, beekeeping, and more!
These programs are available for FREE to veterans enrolled in the VA.
If you have more detailed questions,
contact Katie at knuber@equicenterny.org.
Check back for new program updates throughout the season!
AUGUST 2020
Veteran Farming + Wellness - Session 2
Week of 8/3 through Week of 9/7
Live Zoom Classes: Wednesdays 5 - 7pm (Session 2)
VETERAN FARM + WELLNESS is a 6 week virtual horticulture program for veterans covering the foundations of growing food at home. The program will include weekly live ZOOM video instruction by EquiCenter Farm staff, access to the online Veteran Farm + Wellness course, and materials for hands-on activities.
SEPTEMBER 2020
Veteran Farming + Wellness - Fall Growing
Week of 9/12 through Week of 10/19
Live Zoom Classes: Saturdays 10am - 12pm
VETERAN FARM + WELLNESS is a 6 week virtual horticulture program for veterans covering the foundations of growing food at home in the fall. The program will include weekly live ZOOM video instruction by EquiCenter Farm staff, access to the online Veteran Farm + Wellness course, and materials for hands-on activities.
Week 1 (9/12): Why Grow a Garden? & The Dirt on Soil Health
Week 2 (9/19): Planting
Week 3 (9/26): Maintaining Your Growing Space
Week 4 (10/3): The Garden as an Ecosystem: Pollination, Beneficials, & Pests
Week 5 (10/10): Farm Food Safety & Proper Harvesting Techniques
Week 6 (10/17): Planning for the Future: Seed Saving & Propagation
Preserving the Harvest: the Foundations of Food Preservation & Farm Food Safety
Wednesday 8/26 2:00 - 3:30pm
Learn the foundations of preserving food -- a great way to enjoy your harvest even after the growing season. The workshop will cover the principles of farm food safety and highlight a variety of preservation methods, including drying, freezing, pickling, and canning.
Composting: Turn Your Kitchen Scraps Into Garden Gold
Wednesday 9/23 3:00 - 4:40pm
Learn how to take your leftover kitchen scraps and yard waste and make all natural, homemade garden fertilizer.
Extending the Growing Season Workshop Series: 4-part workshop series
September 1st - 4th 1:00 - 2:00pm
Part 1: Fall Gardening
Part 2: Sowing Cover Crops for Soil Health
Part 3: Planting Garlic & Spring-Blooming Bulbs
Part 4: Weather Protection, Row Covers & Cold Frames
EXTENDING THE GROWING SEASON is a 4-part virtual workshop series on managing your growing space for late season abundance. Learn how to maintain a fall garden with hardy varieties, plant now for early spring blooms, manage your soil health with cover crops, and even extend your growing season with weather protection. (Use the same link to sign up for one or all of the workshops in this series):
Virtual Farm Tours
September: Growing for Seed with Petra Page-Mann of Fruition Seeds
Tuesday 9/15 time: 3:00 - 5:00pm
October: TBD
November: CSA and Market Farming with Wild Hill Farm
Wednesday 11/18 5:00 - 7:00pm
December: TBD
VIRTUAL FARM TOURS is a virtual workshop series for veterans that spotlights local farmers who are running unique small farm businesses, crops, and methods. Interested in growing your passion for farming into a business or community resource? In each workshop you will hear from a local farmer or horticultural organization about how they got started, the challenges and successes they've experienced, and ways to get involved or start your own farming project! These workshops are also a great way to connect with other growers, from the new home gardener to the aspiring small farmer.
Link to Register for Any/All workshops in this series:
WHAT’S COMING UP NEXT SEASON
Winter Wellness Coming JANUARY 2021
Healthy Body: Making Beeswax Skin Salves for Dry Skin
Healthy Mind: Active Meditation w/ Indoor Planting
Healthy Community: Dried Flower Wreath-Making
Health & Nature: Nature Walk & Forest Bathing
Blurb: This 4-part workshop series will keep you connected to the natural world around you and help you hone your growing skills all winter long.
Greenhouse Growing Coming MARCH 2021
Part 1: Covered Cultivation Basics
Part 2: Starting Seeds Indoors
Blurb: Get a jump start on the growing season this spring with this 2 part workshop series on growing in greenhouses and high tunnels.
Check out EquiCenter Farm’s Self-Paced Online Courses at:
equicenter-farm-therapeutic-horticulture.teachable.com/courses
Want to dive deeper into horticulture? Check out EquiCenter Farm’s self-paced online courses! These courses are open to anyone who wants to learn about growing food at home. Veterans enrolled with the VA can email Katie at knuber@equicenterny.org for a coupon code for any class FREE. Some of the topics include:
Introduction to Beekeeping
Join EquiCenter Farm’s staff and beekeepers as they cover the basics of beekeeping, benefits of pollinators for your growing space, and a live bee hive inspection with EquiCenter's BEElieve in Heroes apiary.
Horticulture at Home: Farm & Garden Design (3 part workshop series)
Learn the basics of selecting and setting up your at-home growing space. This workshop series includes 3 recordings of ZOOM video instruction sessions by EquiCenter Farm staff and access to EquiCenter's Farm & Garden Design online course, which you can complete at your own pace.
Horticulture at Home: Raised Bed Construction
This workshop will cover the basics of setting up and planting in raised beds for more accessible gardening.