Agricultural Skills Course 11: How to Grow Stuff & Keep It Real
Class 11: How to Grow Stuff & Keep It Real with Ken Barrett, Starbright Acres Family Farm
Join Ken for a tour of his Rough & Ready site where this year he is rotating in cucurbits and nightshades. Starbright Acres Farm produces over 30 types and hundreds of varieties of certified Organic vegetables and garden starts on one acre in Grass Valley and 5 leased acres in Nevada City and Rough & Ready. Learn about tried and true growing techniques and annual trials of new ideas. Ken will talk about exponential growth, farming multiple sites, and how to make a living farming without getting discouraged by unmet visions of perfection.
BUILD YOUR AG SKILLS
Ag Skills provides a season of hands-on learning for beginning farmers. From building soil to harvesting and sales, each class focuses on tangible skills necessary for farming success in the foothills. Peer-to-peer classes are taught on-farm, by farmers and each includes a farm tour. Ag Skills courses are geared towards commercial farmers and are a great way to network within the farming community and hone your farming skillset. Download the 2021 Ag Skills, Course Calendar for details.
Classes are Tuesdays 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. from June 29th to September 28th.
$22 per class with a discount when you register for 7 or more classes. Join us for any or all of this year’s courses:
- Class 1: June 29th – Starting a Farm with Peter Hidalgo, Son of Something Farm
- Class 2: July 6th – Identifying Pests, Beneficial Insects & Management Options with Cindy Fake, UCCE Horticulture & Small Farms Advisor @ Food Love Farm
- Class 3: July 13th – Understanding & Improving Foothill Soils with Cindy Fake, UCCE Horticulture & Small Farms Advisor @ Food Love Farm
- Class 4: July 20th – Crop Planning with Antonio Garza, Feeding Crane Farm
- Class 5: July 27th – Soil & Field Preparation with Jeremy Mineau, Super Tuber Farm
- Class 6: August 3rd – Low-Till, Intensive Farming with Leo Chapman, Chapman Family Farm
- Class 7: August 10th – All About Flowers with Deena Miller, Sweet Roots Farm
- August 17th, No Class
- Class 8: August 24th – In the Field: Planting, Irrigating & Cultivating with Michael & Shanon Whamond, Hillview Farms
- Class 9: WEDNESDAY, September 1st – Harvest, Wash & Pack with Patrick and Diane Bollinger, Foothill Roots Farm
- Class 10: September 7th- Soil Occultation & Season Extension with Bryanna & Steven Eisenhut, Stone’s Throw Farm
- Class 11: September 14th – How to Grow Stuff & Keep It Real with Ken Barrett, Starbright Acres Family Farm
- Class 12: September 21st – Successful CSA’s with Jake Benedict, Mountain Bounty Farm
- Class 13: September 28th – Farm Scale Composting with Marney Blair and Lisa Bjorn, Fulcrum Farm
Here’s what people are saying about Ag Skills:
“A truly fantastic learning experience made all the more impressive considering the obstacles COVID 19 and the fires present to any classroom. Sierra Harvest goes above and beyond to ensure safety; all present are masked-up, classes take place outdoors, all are reminded of the importance of practicing social distancing, N-95 masks were distributed to all given smoky air quality. I’ve signed up for every class I can get my hands on and have been wildly impressed and informed with each. Thank you, Cam and the entire Sierra Harvest team for your brilliant work!”
Note: Current COVID-19 protocols at Ag Skills classes.
