ORGANIC GARDENING CLASS NEWSLETTER #10:
Thank
you Matthew Martin for you enlightening talk on carrots, tomatoes and drip irrigation.
Matt revealed some of his secrets of carrot culture, and you can extrapolate from this information the basics of winter
vegetable production. Anyone who has tasted Matt's carrots realizes that this guy knows what he is doing. One
of the keys is to plant in August, not October. Unlike previous sessions when the camera was malfunctioning, this session
may be available in video format sometime soon. We will announce it when it is available.
Tomorrow at 1:30 at the Chico Grange Hall, I will be talking about tools, organic methods
and (and why it does matter), some of my methods for growing vegetables, and future possibilities for the local organic gardening community.
We can have a group discussion toward the end of the session. Let's talk about how to make our local area ecologically
sustainable, particularly through small scaleorganic food production and distribution.
Please
come to class with your ideas for future topics, speakers, field trips, or projects. On paper would be nice.
We will have blank paper at class, but please bring your own pen. We are working on a canning and preserving series
for summer, and Bruce Balgooyen is offering to do a class on seed saving when seeds are ripening. The sky is the limit
for your ideas, but I don't promise anything. What kind of community-focused businesses would you like to see? Let's
make Chico sustainable and secure before the compost hits the fan.
The Valley Oak Tool Company warehouse is open Thursdays 4-6 and Saturdays Noon-3. Stop by and say hi.
Tomato stakes are $1.50, and 10 for $12.50. Trellis netting is 25 cents a foot, 20 cents for 100 feet or more.
The Earthway seeders are in. And of course you can check out the wheel hoes. If you want to try before you
buy, you can rent one for $5 a day plus deposit (refundable with purchase). 633 Orange Street #6 at the corner of 7th
Street (back side of the tan stucco building).
New Organic Gardening Class
series starting April 19: The schedule and registration form should be coming via e-mail tonight. Yes,
I did raise the price, but it is still a bargain. Please note you can save $10 by mailing your registration before April
14. The amount of work involved is overwhelming, and I really appreciate Hazel Van Evera's help in organizing the second
round.
See you in class,
David Grau
Valley Oak Tool Company
P.O.
Box 301
Chico CA 95927
telephone 530-342-6188
