Collaborative Agriculture: Farming with nature using
Permaculture and Agroforestry Techniques and principles.
Footehills Farm is happy and proud to announce, and launch, our first season of farm classes and workshops. This year’s sessions, in April, June and September, feature hands on, interactive, practical and useful instruction and demonstration of techniques, tools and tips that can make your efforts sustainable and profitable. Each session’s topics will reflect the jobs and needs of a farm during that part of the growing season it is offered in and demonstrate ways to get ready for the next part of the season.
Torie and Thom Foote started Footehills Farm in 2012 while Thom was getting his Permaculture Design Certification from Michael “Skeeter” Pilarski, a well-known master permaculture teacher. The farm has since grown to 1 acre of culinary and medicinal (they are the same) herbs and produces over 10 temperate climate spices and spice combinations. Along the way we have put our efforts into building and maintaining health soil. Because of this, we have gained a reputation for growing the best herbs and spices from some of the healthiest soil in the county. We have been featured in the Inlander and have hosted instructional tours from the WSU Extension and from Spokane Community College. This good stewardship is not only good for the earth but yields healthier plants. This in turn is a benefit to our neighbors and our community.
We started out with the goal of not only learning how to farm in a forest but teaching others how to do that same. In that vein, we welcome you sign up for the sessions and learn new, and traditional, farming techniques and ideas.
Thom and Torie Foote
Footehills Farm
509-808-3876
Summer Class Descriptions
- 3 sessions
Spring – April 18
Summer – June 27
Fall – September 12
12 people per session
$25 per person per session
$65 for all three sessions
2 scholarships – 30% discount
Bring your own lunch – drinks provided
- Spring Session
Saturday, April 18
10am – 3pm
TOPICS:
Introduction and tour (Design considerations)
Questions
Introduction to Permaculture and Agroforestry
Garden Preparation
- Paths
- Low tunnel building (season extenders)
- Priorities
Bed preparation
- Soil testing (types of soil)
- Fertilizers and amendments
- Cultivation (broadfork, 5 tine, double digging)
- Cool weather crops
- Warming the soil
- Planting seeds
Soil amendments
- Biochar
- Coffee grounds
- Compost
- Fertilizers
- ph
Irrigation
- Types
- Planning
- Installation
- Frequency
Planting Planning
- Companion planting
- Succession planting
- Biological control of pests
- Disease prevention
- Transplanting starts into pots
Compost production and use
Rooting woody plants
Summer Session
Saturday, June 20
10am – 3pm
TOPICS:
Introduction and tour
Questions
Soil and Plant Care
- Mulch (Purpose, Types, Application)
- Compost
- Compost tea
- Amendments
- Cultivation
- Low tunnels and shade cloth
Fertilization
- Types of fertilizers (NPK, micronutrients)
- Types of application (sidedressing, foliar application)
- Frequency
- Sources
- Compost tea
Succession Planting
- Purpose
- Companion Planting
- Soil Preparation (recovery, rehabilitation)
- Seed preparation
- Timing
Irrigation
- Types
- Frequency
Harvesting
- Timing
- How to harvest (cutting vs breaking, tools)
- What to do with the harvest
- Preserving
Fall Session
Saturday, September 12
10am – 3pm
TOPICS:
Introduction and Tour
Questions
Building next year’s new soil
- Lasagna method
- No till
- Sheet mulching
- Ruth Stout
- Sources of materials
- Amendments
Season Extenders
- How to bend hoops
- EMT vs PVC
Storing Your Harvest
- Root cellar storage
- Canning- Hot bath vs Pressure
- Refrigerator jams and jellies
- Freezing
Preparing Beds for Winter
- Cleaning
- Mulching
Seed saving
- Drying
- Storage
- Trading
Planting Garlic
- Timing
- Varieties
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