Sat, November 5, 2016 1:00 AM - 4:00 AM UBC FARM. $39 ($32 for registered students -- valid student ID is required) + GST. Participants will learn how manage soil to improve the overall health, fertility, and resiliency of their garden or farm.
This workshop will begin by giving participants a glimpse into the players and processes of the soil system, how they relate to soil fertility and health, and how we can encourage and support biodiversity in the soils we tend. We will also cover the role of soil organic matter and strategies for building it.
The second part of the workshop we will cover soil physical properties with a hands-on activity where participants will learn how to quickly and easily determine soil textures and the different management requirements of different soil types.
About the Instructors: Emma Holmes studied sustainable food systems (B.Sc.) and soil chemistry (M.Sc.) at UBC. She surveys and assesses soils and compost for urban farmers and backyard growers, and provides management recommendations to improve growing success. Emma has recently completed an internship on a permaculture homestead, and is now pursuing more ways to get her hands dirty and grow good food!Dru Yates was first exposed to soils in her undergraduate degree, where she learned the importance of healthy soil to healthy agricultural systems. The more she learned, the more she found soil to be one of the world’s most undervalued resources. Dru now has her M.Sc. in Soil Science from UBC, and currently works on farmland throughout the Lower Mainland as a consultant with E.S. Cropconsult Ltd.
Contact: carly.koenig@alumni.ubc.ca