Please join us for our intensive growing series in May! We will answer your questions! 

Based on Permaculture and regenerative gardening theory, we will explore and learn the following skills/topics:

In Depth Permaculture Growing

Permaculture includes growing practices such as organic and regenerative agriculture. Permaculture is design system that works with your home landscape to increase yields and reduce redundancies.

Preparing the growing space for planting:

From bed aeration techniques to the timely application of amendements and everything in between! Preparing the growing space for the season will set you off for success.

Garden Methods 

There are several schools of thought when it comes to the method of crop production for the backyard garden. Join us as we examine each method and help you to determine which work will best for you and your family.

Composting Methods

Compost is a wonderful addition to any home garden. Learn how to properly create compost that is safe and beneficial. There are a variety of composting methods- let’s learn the one that works for you!

Greenhouse/High Tunnel Growing

There is an art to the indoor growing space. Come learn the craft that not only extends the season, saves on the home budget and is extremely satisfying. Let us simplify the growing process for you.

Soil Amendments

How to balance your soil so that you can reap the rewards of the spring sow. We grow by the mantra “Feed your soil- not your plants”. Learn all the regenerative practices for caring for your soil.

Pests

Addressing pests can seem like a daunting task for the backyard grower. Let us simplify the process and provide you with the knowledge you need to defend your food crops. We will learn how to invite the assassin bug team to your garden to help defend your plants from infestation. We will also learn the flowers that should be included in every growing space.

How to determine Plant deficiencies

What is wrong with my plant? Plants speak a language that we cannot hear…plants show us any deficiencies in their appearance. Learn how to decipher common crop issues and how to correct them.

And so much more!

We will meet from 10 AM- 2 PM: May 20th-May 22nd.

The location of the course is a private residence in Palmer. Please note that we will provide this information upon registration.

Intensive Garden Series

Thank you for joining us! We will provide a lovely lunch and refreshments. We are limiting this series to 10 participants only.

$250.00

Register Below!

Permaculture Design/Site Analysis/Microclimate: $30.00

We will learn how to locate the perfect placement for a new garden or enhance the design of an existing one. Learn the skills you need to create your own Permaculture Garden designs.

By applying the fundamental Permaculture design process, we will locate the existing microclimates on your property. Defining microclimates increases the diversity of food crops we can grow in the Arctic.

Soil: Regenerative Theory $30.00

April 11, 2019

Healthy soil is the foundation for healthy food crops. Come and learn as we venture “below” and learn how to care for the delicate yet persistent soil food web. We will learn cost effective ways to determine our soil type, pH, texture, soil tilth and how to care for your soil regeneratively.

Seed Starting: We provide the seeds and the soil: $45.00

April 25, 2019

We supply the seeds and the soil!

Organic, Heirloom and open pollinated varieties. Everyone will go home with at least 72 seed starts.

Starting seeds can extend the growing season 4-6 weeks! Learn how to provide your starts the nutrition and care they need.

Our first three classes will be held indoors at the Annex in Palmer from 6:30pm-8:30pm!

The Annex is located at 247 S Alaska St!

Permaculture Design

One of our most popular classes! Please join us as we learn how to use Permaculture to design our growing spaces!

$30.00

Soil: Regenerative Theory

There is so much to learn about soil. Come explore organic, regenerative and nature inspired soil care.

$30.00

Seed Starting Class

We provide the seeds and the soil! Everyone will go home with a minimum of 72 seed starts! Heirloom, organic, open pollinated- you can save the seed!

$45.00

Discounted Three Class Series

Because we are so grateful, please accept our offer of a $15 savings for our first three classes.

$90.00

This has been quite the year! We had many opportunities for growth, maturity and enrichment.

We made some mistakes and we had so many successes. We are solidifying our dreams and as we walk through the process, the dreams seems to change.

There is no greater satisfaction for us (in regards to community) to be a part of people learning how to grow their own food in a matter that is regenerative. The food is nourishing and enhances the local environment.

As we move into 2019, we have access to nearly 4 acres of land to hold our classes, grow food, enhance the land and teach Permaculture! What an amazing gift we have been given.

Please join us as we navigate this new adventure. We are so happy to share this will all of  you!

 

You can pay with Paypal, debit or credit cards!

Online Presentations

Unable to come to the live class? Presentations are tailored so they can be viewed online. Questions are welcomed!

$10.00

We will learn how to locate the perfect placement for a new garden or enhance the design of an existing one. By applying the fundamental Permaculture design process, we will locate the existing microclimates on your property. Defining microclimates increases the diversity of food crops we can grow in the Arctic.

Soil: The Food Web/Types/Properties

Healthy soil is the foundation for healthy food crops. Come and learn as we venture “below” and learn how to care for the delicate yet persistent soil food web. We will learn cost effective ways to determine our soil type, pH, texture and soil tilth.

Prepare for Planting: Mulch/Water

Food growing spaces need preparation before direct sow or transplanting. Knowing the steps and the systems to install early in the season will save us time (so we can fish)! Following several Permaculture techniques, we will explore all the benefits that mulch ha stop offer. Most mulch material we can obtain for free! Water is a critical resource especially in the dry summers under the midnight sun. We will learn how to use water catchment in our growing spaces.

Transplanting: Hardening Off/Compost

Right around this time everyone is ready to set those beautiful starts outside….NOT YET! Transplants need a gradual introduction to the Summer Sun. We make the hardening off process easy. In this class we will also explore composting in depth with free recipes and how to guides to ensure a safe and healthy compost!

Greenhouse Gardening

We play the role of Mother Nature when we grow in the greenhouse. Learn expert tips of proper humidity, water, amendments and hand pollination.

Soil Amendments/Integrative Pest Management

Feed the soil web! We will make our own fertilizers! Integrating beneficial insects into our garden reduces the need to use pesticides!

Plant Health: Vitality

What is wrong with my plant? We will explore plant deficiencies and how to correct them. Its not too late to save your crop!

We post new classes every other week!

Folks,

We have 2 Arctic Permaculture Kits available. This kit includes:

Our favorite Arctic heirloom variety seeds: (6) Seeds of 13 different vegetable varities and 2 of our favorite heirloom flowers to invite the pollinators!

The varieties are:

Five Color Swiss Chard

Purple of Sicily Cauliflower

Dwarf Siberian Kale

Romanesco Italia Broccoli

Purple Top White Globe Turnip

Violate Cabbage

Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin

Lungo Bianco Squash

Dragon Tongue Bush Bean

Borlotto Di Vigevano Nano

Dorinny Sweet Corn

Speckled Lettuce

Atomic Red Carrot

Cosmos

Yarrow – Cerise Queen

The kit also includes a Permaculture Based Square Foot Gardening Style Design for the Seeds that are provided.

This kit also includes our infamous Seed Starting Presentation: Where to grow! How to grow! How to amend! AND How to save the seed!

We have two options available:

The Online presentation only

The online presentation provides information on seed starting, plant families and soil amendments. Presentation access will be provided within 24 hours of purchase!

$10.00

1 Arctic Permaculture Kit

The Permaculture Garden Design and the online seed starting presentation will be emailed with 24 hours. Cost includes USPS mail for the seeds! Seeds will be shipped within 48 hours of receipt! Kits are restricted to 1 per person!

$30.00

It has been a BUSY couple of weeks! We held 1 Free Permaculture Class, 2 Permaculture Gardening Classes and 4 Seed Starting Classes!

With over 102 participants in the Seed Starting classes…..together we started 4,575 Seeds!!!

What are the possibilities with these seeds? They are endless: from creating nourishment and nutrients, to feeding the soil and improving a cultivated ecology to brining folks empowerment and success. The possibilities are truly endless and it all starts with 1 tiny little seed.

We are truly grateful for those folks who support us! We LOVE what we do!!!

We have updated our online course format! We NOW have a discussion board!

There are two classes online available now, with the rest of the series being added after each “live” class!

Come and join us!

Our Online Series!

It has been a busy couple of weeks! Our Arctic Permaculture Garden Series is in full swing, we hosted a free kids seed starting class, we has the Permaculture in Northern Climates Symposium today…… AND

We have started over 2,000 seeds this year. Our radishes and kale in the greenhouse are loving the 30 degree overnight temperatures. We do not have supplemental heat/lights: the cold weather plants thrive!

The next few weeks will continue to be busy as we have 3 seed starting classes and we are screening the regenerative agriculture film on May 5th. So much going on!

We hope that everyone is enjoying the hustle and bustle of Spring in Alaska. As we wake from our winter slumber to long sunny days and lots of play!

Good Morning Folks!

Thank you to everyone for supporting our mission!

Join us! Movie Night at The Annex in Palmer! May 5th at 7pm!

Please email seedsandsoilorganics@gmail.com if you would like to attend. $5.00 at the door. Please make checks payable to The Annex!

Sometimes it can feel like the environmental, economic and social issues the world is currently facing are too big, too overwhelming, to be dealt with by individuals. Climate change, resource limits, economic downturn, social disconnection. Surely these issues can only be properly managed by our governments?

Living the Change explores solutions to the global crises we face today – solutions any one of us can be part of – through the inspiring stories of people pioneering change in their own lives and in their communities in order to live in a sustainable and regenerative way.

Directors Jordan Osmond and Antoinette Wilson have brought together stories from their travels around New Zealand, along with interviews with experts able to explain how we come to be where we are today. From forest gardens to composting toilets, community supported agriculture to timebanking, Living the Change offers ways we can rethink our approach to how we live.

Each and every one of us has the power to create change. Living the Change sets out to inspire us to do just that. There are so many exciting and important ideas and initiatives out there, so much hope and inspiration. We want to generate discussion as widely and deeply as possible about how each of us views the future and our part in it.

It is from one seed that an entire forest can grow. It is from one seed that we (the people) are able to eat. The power of one. Seeds are embryos that carry with them the future. What an amazing encapsilation of energy that is held within a tiny husk.

For the Far North Growers, we know that starting seeds indoors will provide us with an extension in our growing season. We are able to grow artichokes, celery, peppers and many others by starting seeds weeks and months ahead of time.

Now is the time to sow many long season plants. In our home, it is an exciting time! Our (almost) 5 year old daughter starts many seeds on her own. She reveres each one as if they were little babies, snuggled in their mothers arms. When the first sprouts appear, she speaks to them and welcomes them into the world. Just as our daughter is the future, so are seeds.

Seeds sprout and grow into nourishment. Nourishment that is energy that fuels our bodies. Yet, seeded plants also provide habitat for beneficial insects, food for pollinators and feed our soil. Seeds are a renewable resource that if we manage properly increases the diversity in our food systems.

So when we hear that folks are sowing their seeds under the midnight sun, they are doing more than growing food….they are securing our future.

This is the last weekend of the annual Permaculture Design Course. It is a bittersweet time……a time for reflections.

This was my first year co-teaching the design course. As I listen to all the participants share their designs, I have to pause and ask myself “Do they have everything they need to create designs that are functional, sustainable and efficient”? Are they prepared to go our into our beautiful state and harness change?

It feels like parenting….. a little.

As a teacher, I give the best of myself in the hopes that folks will become inspired and hungry for more information to grow healthier food, feel the warm sense of “home” in their heart for the environment of Alaska and spur a desire to share their new found knowledge of design.

A weekend of reflections.

We will hold another event next year. Thank you to everyone!

My Dad told me “Jennifer, if you want to change a system, you start from the inside out; you start with your Children”.

Watching our daughter (who is almost 5) start her own seeds and care for them throughout the season is one of the sweetest gifts that I have received in my life.

We want our children to be healthy, vibrant and have access to nourishing food. Come join us for a free event where kids can play in the soil and start some vegetable seeds.

This is a free event! This class is for kids!

We do ask that parents participate please!

We provide the seeds and the soil!

We will start 6 vegetable starts to bring home for transplanting.

Please email us if you would like to participate! seedsandsoilorganics@gmail.com

Location information is coming…

When I look deep into my soul and ask myself what Permaculture is, I am directed towards food production. Some folks will disagree with me (and that is ok). Growing food with permaculture is slightly different than how I was taught….When we take the principles of permaculture and apply them to our food production the results are amazing, but they are slow.

Permaculture tells us to build our soil over time by increasing the amount of soil organic matter and applied organic matter. Permaculture instructs us to carefully take care of the soil food web that is living underground. Permaculture shows us that many amendments, pesticides, herbicides that we use damages the soil food web and in essence damages our ability to grow food easily.

A seed has been blown in near a forest. The tiny seed forces its way down through decaying leaves, layers of humus and into a living soil. When we start our seeds following the principles of Permaculture, we are using a living soil that has many aspects of the soil food web. This allows us to use less amendments/fertilizers as we grow our transplants.

Another principle of Permaculture is using and valuing renewable/non renewable resources. What does that mean? For the purpose of seed starting, this principle directs us to use the resources that are on hand and readily available. Our seed trays/cells are made of plastic and not manure from cows. Why? Because plastic seed trays/cells are readily available and they can be used for years if proper care is used.

Food Forests and Permanent Agriculture use perennial food crops to create systems where inputs are minimized. Some struggles we have living in a Polar climate is that some popular perennial food crops will not overwinter here, and it takes longer than the lower 48 for certain perennials to be established and bear their fruits.

We mimic a forest. Forests have long lived perennials and they have short lived annuals. Forests have diversity. We take our annuals we interplant them in a polyculture with our perennials and our long lived food crops are slowly establishing themselves in the background. This is a slow process……but the annuals are feeding us. If we use open pollinated varieties and save our seed we just established another year of harvest. We use only open pollinated/heirloom varieties so that the seeds can be used in the futures. Seeds are a renewable resource that we value!

When we grow varieties that are cold hardy, frost tolerant and easy to grow, we feel success. We feel empowered! It is such an amazing feeling to grow your own food and provide for our families.

Growing warm climate food is so much fun! But they have to be started weeks or months ahead of time and they require indoor lighting systems. They take work and time.

Rotating seed trays for hardening off consumes much of my spring days. So we start cold hardy and frost tolerant varieties so that as soon as they sprout they start the hardening off process. These varieties can handle hardening off earlier so they can be transplanted earlier. We mimic the natural environment in which they are accustomed.

So what makes our class a Permaculture Seed Starting Class? We follow the principles of permaculture, we are establishing a slow transition to perennial food plants, we are building our soil by decreasing they use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, we are using open pollinated/heirloom varieties where folks can save the seed for the next year and we are providing a service as low cost as possible so that everyone can grow their own food. That is Permaculture Seed Starting.

Our series is Full! Thank you Everyone!

All of our presentations are available online after the live class takes place!

Our policy: If you are unable to attend a “live” class but have made payment, we will provide the online presentation and credit your account $5.00 towards a future course.

Online Presentations

Unable to come to the live class? Presentations are tailored so they can be viewed online. Questions are welcomed!

$10.00

Payment options listed below!

$150.00 for the entire Series: This includes all 10 classes, The Seed Starting Class (72 seed starts of 12 different varieties and 3 Artichoke Transplants).

March 29, 2018: Permaculture Design/Site Analysis/Microclimates: $15.00

We will send you the online version of this class. It is very in depth!

We will learn how to locate the perfect placement for a new garden or enhance the design of an existing one. By applying the fundamental Permaculture design process, we will locate the existing microclimates on your property. Defining microclimates increases the diversity of food crops we can grow in the Arctic.

April 12, 2018: Soil: The Food Web/Types/Properties: $15.00

This class is located at the Annex in Palmer! 247 S. Alaska Street.

Healthy soil is the foundation for healthy food crops. Come and learn as we venture “below” and learn how to care for the delicate yet persistent soil food web. We will learn cost effective ways to determine our soil type, pH, texture and tilth.

April 26, 2018: Seed Starting: We provide the seeds and the soil: $35.00

This class is located at the Annex in Palmer! 247 S. Alaska Street.

We supply the seeds and the soil! Organic, Heirloom and open pollinated varieties. Everyone will go home with at least 72 seed starts. Starting seeds can extend the growing season 4-6 weeks! Learn how to provide your starts the nutrition and care they need.

May 10, 2018: Prepare for Planting: Mulch/Water: $15.00

This class is located on Lazy Mountain in Palmer at a private residence. Address information will be provided at the previous class!

Food growing spaces need preparation before direct sow or transplanting. Knowing the steps and the systems to install early in the season will save us time (so we can fish)! Following several Permaculture techniques, we will explore all the benefits that mulch ha stop offer. Most mulch material we can obtain for free! Water is a critical resource especially in the dry summers under the midnight sun. We will learn how to use water catchment in our growing spaces.

May 24, 2018: Transplanting: Hardening Off/Compost: $15.00

This class is located on Lazy Mountain in Palmer at a private residence. Address information will be provided at the previous class!

Right around this time everyone is ready to set those beautiful starts outside….NOT YET! Transplants need a gradual introduction to the Summer Sun. We make the hardening off process easy. In this class we will also explore composting in depth with free recipes and how to guides to ensure a safe and healthy compost.

June 7, 2018: Greenhouse Gardening: $15.00

This class is located on Lazy Mountain in Palmer at a private residence. Address information will be provided at the previous class!

We play the role of Mother Nature when we grow in the greenhouse. Learn expert tips of proper humidity, water, amendments and hand pollination.

June 21, 2018: Soil Amendments/Integrative Pest Management: $15.00

This class is located on Lazy Mountain in Palmer at a private residence. Address information will be provided at the previous class!

Feed the soil web! We will make our own fertilizers! Integrating beneficial insects into our garden reduces the need to use pesticides!

July 12, 2018: Plant Health: Vitality: $15.00

This class is located on Lazy Mountain in Palmer at a private residence. Address information will be provided at the previous class!

What is wrong with my plant? We will explore plant deficiencies and how to correct them. Its not too late to save your crop!

July 26, 2018: Season Extenders/Cover Crops: $15.00

This class is located on Lazy Mountain in Palmer at a private residence. Address information will be provided at the previous class!

August 9, 2018: Seed Saving/Winter Harvest Gardens: $15.00

This class is located on Lazy Mountain in Palmer at a private residence. Address information will be provided at the previous class!

Saving seed is like putting money in the bank. It can be a little overwhelming for the novice though. We make it easy, simple and fun.

Our policy: If you are unable to attend a “live” class but have made payment, we will provide the online presentation and credit your account $5.00 towards a future course.

10 Course Arctic Gardening Series

Join us as we learn Permaculture Gardening in the Arctic. Classes are Thursday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm. Pay in full for all 10 classes and receive a $15 discount!

$150.00

Online Presentations

Unable to come to the live class? Presentations are tailored so they can be viewed online. Questions are welcomed!

$10.00