Saving the Honey Bee, Saving the Earth – Addressing Colony Collapse Disorder Naturally (with Gunther Hauk)
Saturday, April 19
10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Fee: Donations to Spikenard Farm, a non-profit research and educational institution are appreciated

Honey bees are responsible for 70% of the pollination of fruits and vegetables. Without their services, there would be no harvest. In recent years, half the world's honey bees have disappeared from a mysterious disease called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Though many theories have been postulated, no one knows for certain what is causing this disease. Methods for strengthening the vitality and promoting the survivability of honey bees, however, are known. Gunther Hauk is the author of, Toward Saving the Honeybee, and is President of Spikenard Farm in Carrollton, Illinois, where he is creating an apiary and honeybee sanctuary. Learn what can be done to address this serious challenge to our environment.

Composting 101 Workshop – using earthworms and biodynamic herbal preparations (with Frank LeBeau)
Saturday, May 3
10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Fee: $30 (sign up for all three workshops and pay only $75!)

Compost is organic material that has been broken down by microorganisms into a dark, carbon-rich material that nourishes and properly structures the soil. Compost occurs naturally when leaves fall and decompose into fertile soil. On the prairies of the Great Plains it took thousands of years to build the rich layer of topsoil that produces the abundant crops of America's agricultural production. This same process can be accomplished in a backyard compost pile in a fraction of the time. Good compost is all you need to add to your garden to produce healthy vegetables and flowers. Learn how to use earthworms and herbal preparations to create your own "black gold" compost from kitchen scraps and leaves.

Wildly Abundant Gardening – organic fertility methods that produce amazing yields
Saturday, May 17
10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Fee: $30 - $20 for those who have attended a previous workshop

JJohn Jeavons of Ecology Action has calculated that if the United States converted its 94 million acres of suburban lawns into vegetable gardens, we could grow enough food for all Americans to thrive.  His Biointensive methods have been proven in all parts of the world to produce yields that are 5 to 6 times higher than conventional agriculture.  Learn how to convert your back yard into a vegetable and flower oasis that will provide you with a bounty of healthy organic food.  Learn all about companion planting - placing two or three different compatible species together to repel insect pests and enhance flavor and growth. Learn also how to use organic fertilizers, compost teas, cover crops and biodynamic preparations to boost yields and nutients in plants.  This will be a hands-on workshop in which we will plant some of the Schlafly Gardenworks beds. 
 

Read about the farmers market at Bottleworks.