In the garden with the Urban Farmer Certification Program

Since January, 24 participants have been learning how to turn their home growing spaces into productive gardens as part of the Pringle Creek Community Urban Farmer Certification program.

In its second year the program is designed to teach aspiring Urban Farmers skills such as:

• Compost and soil health
• Organic seed starting
• Vegetable garden planing and planting
• Garden Tool Maintenance
• Irrigation
• Identifying beneficial bugs for the garden
• Backyard chickens
• Home Orchards
• Preparing for winter

Our instructors include local farmers, community members, OSU Master Gardeners, and university faculty.

Along with practicing their new gardening skills at home, some of our urban farmers have filled individual plots in the Pringle Creek gardens with even more vegetables and fruits. Utilizing this space allows these participants to practice using a drip line irrigation system, different growing conditions then they may have at home and enjoy gardening in a community garden style space.

2012 Urban Farmer's learn to mix seed starting soil, identify beneficial bugs and grow vegetables successfully.

The Urban Farmer Certification program is a 10 month course, January from October. Participants meet at Painter's Hall for 2 hours, one Saturday a month.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Urban Farmer Certification curriculum or joining our next class in January 2013, contact Nicole McDavid, Pringle Creek Community's Urban Farmer at nicole@pringlecreek.com