As part of its continuing workshop series, (Re)learning to Feed Ourselves, Post Oil Solutions will sponsor a workshop that covers a number of basic issues for a would-be successful gardener.

The event will be held on Sunday, March 7, and will begin promptly at 1:00 PM in the Rotch Building, School for International Training, Kipling Road, Brattleboro.

Building a sustainable homestead garden involves the use of composts, green manures, animal manures, and proper rotations. Attention to these activities will reduce fungus and insect pest problems as well as feeding a soil with locally available materials that are free for the taking. To mulch or not to mulch, that is the question. What are the basic hand tools that support the garden? Learn new approaches, as well as share your experiences with your fellow gardeners.

Our fee is a sliding scale, $2/$20, with no one refused for lack of funds. Pre-registration and pre-payment are required, however: please call 641.715.3900, ext. 85789 to leave your registration information. Please note: Unregistered admissions at the door will be charged $20, firm, and admitted only if there is room. Light refreshments will be provided.

Our workshop will again be led by Post Oil's garden guru, and designer of our (Re)learning series, Robert King. Robert has worked with many “master gardeners” over the past 40 years. His interests include sustainable agriculture as found in Rudolf Steiner’s Bio-Dynamic scientific/organic methods, Shaker agriculture, and low-tech appropriate technology (including hand tools).

Additionally, we are offering a companion "textbook" to accompany our workshops. Published by the University of Maine, Smart Gardener: A Learning Guide for Home Vegetable Grower is an invaluable 72-page learning guide that will teach you how to make the most of your home vegetable gardens, large and small. Each of the 12 lessons focuses on a specific aspect of gardening know-how, such as soil, seeds, garden design, mulches and weeds, and is a very useful supplement to our workshops. We will be selling this at the workshop for $6.

For information about additional workshop offerings in the months ahead, please go to www.postoilsolutions.org.