Hoop House Workdays!Help Construct a Hoop House
Join us March 28th and April 11th as
we construct a hoop house at our Micro-Farm located at The Food Group
food bank in New Hope, MN. Volunteers are needed on two separate
building days to assist with assembling and installing the "hoops" as
well as constructing the end walls. Once completed, the hoop house will
help us grow even more fresh veggies for area food shelves. Hoop House Building Day 1Eric Larsen with Stone's Throw Urban Farms will guide us as we work together to construct a hoop house season extension system. Building Day 2 will include a short lecture during our lunch break. In this workshop, we'll look at the importance and functionality of simple structures that are commonly used to extend the growing season, focusing on small 'quick hoop' systems and larger hoop houses. We will learn how these typically unheated structures are implemented by farmers and backyard gardeners on different scales, what types of crops grow well inside of them during various seasons, and look at some of the economic implications they have for small farmers.
Saturday, March 28th, 10:00am - 2pm
The Food Group food bank - Micro-Farm
8501 54th Avenue N. New Hope, MN 55428
Cost: Free!
For more details and to register, click HERE
Hoop House Building Day 2
Saturday, April 11th, 10:00am - 3pm
The Food Group food bank - Micro-Farm
8501 54th Avenue N. New Hope, MN 55428
Cost: Free!
For more details and to register, click HERE
Spots are limited for this unique volunteer opportunity and hands-on learning experience. Sign up today at www.fruitsofthecity.
Upcoming Fruits of the City Classes
Planting and Caring for a Backyard Fruit Orchard
With Jim Lipka, Orchardist at Le Verger de Nadine
Thursday, April 16th, 7:00 - 8:30pm
The Wedge Table
2412 Nicollet Ave S. Minneapolis, MN 55404
Cost: $10 ($5 for Wedge Co-op Members)
To register, call Wedge Customer Service at 612-871-3993 or sign up at the Customer Service desk in store.
Jim
Lipka and his wife Nadine Snead have been growing tree, bush, and
ground fruits for over a decade. Their orchard is in Columbia Heights,
MN on a standard urban lot. The orchard includes over 100 trees -
including apples, pears, plums, and cherries. The collection includes
all the publicly released named apple varieties from the University of
Minnesota as well other cold-hardy fruits; over 70 varieties in total.
Jim is an experienced fruit tree grafter, nurseryman, and orchard
grower. He will discuss rootstock selection (which controls tree size),
the best varieties to grow in the Twin Cities, how to plant and care for
your trees, and pruning methods (including espalier techniques). Yardscaping with Fruit: Apples, Berries, Cherries, and More!
With Rebecca Koetter
Saturday, May 23rd, 10:30am - Noon
Maplewood Nature Center
2659 East 7th Street Maplewood, MN 55119
Cost: $5
To register, call 651-249-2170 or visit www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/nc
Edible
Landscaping is made up of several tiers of plant types and each is very
important for maximizing the production of food on your urban
landscape. This class will focus on the different cultivars and species
of the tree and shrub layer. Each one of the plants highlighted bear
delicious and edible fruits that can be used for eating, baking,
juicing, drying, and more!Rebecca Koetter is a consultant working with various edible trees and shrubs throughout the Metro area. She has experience designing, selecting, implementing, harvesting, and processing with nearly every fruit from a woody plant growing in MN. Rebecca has an undergraduate from Dept. of Forest Resources, Master’s degree from College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Science and worked with the Dept. of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota for five years.
