Cooperative Extension Classes offered through Gorham Adult Ed!
February 8th, 2012Preserving the Harvest
Need a solution to using all those great garden vegetables you raised or purchased at the farmer’s market? Canning and freezing them is easier than you think. Bring a pot holder and practice the basic steps for safe food preservation in this hands-on workshop. Kate McCarty is the Food Preservation and Food Safety Program Aide at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension office in Cumberland County.
Tuesday, 5/15, Gorham Middle School, 5:30-8:30pm, $15
Creating a Wildlife Friendly Backyard
Come learn how to attract wildlife while adding to the beauty of your home landscape using shrubs, trees and other plants to benefit birds, butterflies, mammals and other wildlife during all four seasons. This workshop focuses on the four survival requirements of wildlife, the components of habitat and the principles for enhancing and managing your backyard habitat. Gretchen Kamilewicz is a volunteer and Habitat Steward for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and National Wildlife Foundation.
2 classes, Wednesdays, 4/4 & 4/11, 6:30-8:30pm, Gorham Middle School, $15
Grow Your Own Organic Garden
Are you concerned about the rising cost of food? Unsure what the term “certified organic” means? Interested in learning how to grow your own vegetables in sustainable manner? Join us for an evening workshop on how to grow your own garden. We’ll talk about the basics of soil science and how to enrich your soil to produce healthy, high-yielding plants. The course will also cover the basics of making and using compost, the principles of crop rotation and how to incorporate green manures and manage nutrients in the garden. Other topics will include how to tell the difference between cultivated plants and weeds, basic weed control strategies, and common insect pests and methods of natural insect control. Richard Brzozowski has served as an Extension Educator for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension since 1987. Heis responsible for planning, implementing and evaluating educational programs for farmers and gardeners in Cumberland County. He currently serves on the Maine Master Gardener Development Board.
Thursday, 5/17, 6:00-9:00pm,Gorham Middle School, $10
Growing Your Own Fruit Trees
Do you want to grow fruit trees, but don’t know where to begin? Join Master Gardener Joel Leak as he provides basic information on how to grow apples, pears and stone fruits (including peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots and cherries). He will discuss varieties, planting, pollination, insect pests, diseases and pruning. Joel has been gardening for 40 years and started with a small vegetable garden when he was young. He graduated from the Cumberland County Master Gardener program in 2001. He has over 40 fruit trees, 10 grape vines, many berry bushes, and a large vegetable garden.
Wednesday, 3/14, 6:00-8:00pm,Gorham Middle School, $10
To register for any of these classes, contact Gorham Adult Education, 106 Weeks Road, Gorham, ME 04038. 207-222-1095 kima@gorhamschools.org or visit their web site at http://gorham.maineadulted.org/
Tags: extension classes, fruit trees, Organic gardening, Preserving, wildlife
Posted in course, News, school
