By Emma Castleberry
Organic Growers School (OGS) is partnering with Mother Earth News to jointly produce the OGS 29th Spring Conference from Friday, March 18, through Sunday, March 20, at Mars Hill University. “We expect this partnership to create a hybrid intersection of mission and values leveraging regional farm and gardening connections with powerful branding and an expanded market to cultivate food equity and diversity initiatives, self-sufficiency, health and well-being, and environmental sustainability in local communities,” says program coordinator Avi Li.
Brandon and Marc Williams
The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and includes a variety of workshops, presentations and vendors. The pre-conference workshops on Friday are full-day experiences, with deep, detailed explorations of the following topics: “Carbon Farming and Agroforestry,”
“Build It, Plumb It, Hack It: The Basics of Fix, Mend, and Make for the Farm and Garden,” “Mushrooms, Mold, and Mycorrhizae,” and “Water Resilience and Mitigation: Practical Adaptations for Farm and Home.”
Saturday and Sunday will include nine half-day workshops as well as a variety of short sessions in subject matter such as cooking, forest farming, herbs, permaculture and living on the land. “Our conference and market caters to beginner and advanced growers and farmers alike,” says Li. “Whether you’ve been farming for 40 years or are just getting started gardening, we have workshops and classes that are great for any level of experience.”
New to the conference this year will be the Mother Earth News Fair. “The Mother Earth News Fair provides you a rare opportunity: a living and breathing marketplace where you can interact with exhibitors, authors and innovators whose passion for what they do is matched only by their authority in the industry,” says Li. “Our exhibitors are ready and willing to demo and discuss a vast array of products that will help you live better. Now you can shop the latest sustainable products, compare prices, witness demos and take advantage of exclusive deals and incentives, all in one place.” In addition to the fair, Mother Earth News will host a bookstore that sells relevant books and those written by conference instructors. There will be author talks and Q&As throughout the weekend.
Tickets range from $60 to $135. Mars Hill University is located at 100 Athletic Street, Mars Hill. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit OrganicGrowersSchool.org/conferences/spring.
