GrowTogether Garden

Intro to Soil Blocking
2024-02-24 14:00 - 15:30 UTC | Heber-Overgaard Fire District, 2061 Lumber2061 Lumber Valley Rd,, Overgaard, 85933, United States
Intro to Soil Blocking.

Date: Saturday, February 24th
Time: 2:00-3:30 PM
Location: Heber-Overgaard Fire Station

Limited to 20 attendees.

Want to start your plants without all the plastic pots, and less transplant shock? Soil blocking may be for you! In this class, you’ll learn reasons to choose soil-blocking, three types of starting recipes, an overview of some common herbs to grow in the house (or at least for the winter), and soil-blocking techniques, tips, and tricks. You’ll get to “play in the mud” a bit and go home with a couple of herb blocks (it’s too early to start outside plants) and hopefully a helpful new tool in your gardening repertoire.

You will learn:

Why you may want to soil-block,
Types of soil mixes with three specific recipes,
Soil blocking equipment,
Techniques, tips, and tricks,
A little bit about some common herbs
How to form soil blocks, and “up-block” as plants grow.

About the Speakers: Sandie DeMarco-Branche and Katy Neild

Sandie is technically still a gardening newbie, especially with gardening here in Heber-Overgaard. As a full-time resident for only a year and a half, she’s learning quickly through the knowledge of experts in our Community Garden, YouTube University, reading anything she can and experimenting.
Sandie and her husband Mike enjoy the challenges of growing food in a tiny and limited space and sharing with others. Bring it on!

Katy grew up gardening, harvesting, and preserving at the feet of her grandmother in Northern New York. Most of her gardening experience has been in New York and Pennsylvania, but she loves the challenge and incredible community of gardeners in Heber-Overgaard. She and her husband, Jerry, enjoy working on and sharing their garden, and spending time with their three grown children and six grandchildren.

Exchange: Free for Garden Members + Friends of the Garden.

Sign-up Today!

Hydroponic Gardening
2023-11-18 14:00 - 16:00 | Heber-Overgaard Fire District, 2061 Lumber2061 Lumber Valley Rd,, Overgaard, 85933, United States
Register below.
Want to grow fresh veggies year-round in your home? Let’s talk about Aeroponics & Hydroponics!

Aeroponics & Hydroponics: Commonalities & Differences
Why a Tower Garden?
Basic Components and Operation
Benefits and Challenges

Participate in the Salad Jar Social at the end of class!

Bring your own clean pint jar with a cover.
Bring two fun salad toppings to share with everyone.
Nina will provide the beautiful, fresh-grown greens!
Take home a tasty Salad in a Jar!

Our Speaker: Nina Triolo

I am a full-time resident of Heber/Overgaard. My husband, Tom, and I fell in love with this area 8 years ago. I am a retired educator and worked previously in the corporate world after graduating from the University of CA, Riverside, with a BS in Business Administration. Combined, Tom and I have four adult children in CA and NY and three grandchildren in each state. I’m grateful for opportunities to serve our community in helpful and meaningful ways. I enjoy serving on the hospitality and greeting teams in my local church. I joined the Mogollon Medical Board to help serve and expand medical care in Heber-Overgaard. I’m a friend of our HOCRN GrowTogether Community Garden. Physical labor, as well as class participation and teaching have been enjoyable challenges for me. I recently became a partner with JPTower Garden company because I believe aeroponic growing is a science-based solution to many challenging growing environments and a healthy, fresh food source with generous opportunities for school grants and community participation. Let’s grow!!!

Sign-Up Today!

Exchange: Free for Garden Members + Friends of the Garden.
Non-members: Suggested donation of $5.

The Sustenance of Life: BREAD
2023-11-04 14:00 - 16:00 | Heber-Overgaard Fire District, 2061 Lumber2061 Lumber Valley Rd,, Overgaard, 85933, United States
Join us for a frequently requested class on the basics of bread making.
You’ll learn:

Nutritional value of homemade bread/sourdough
Techniques for sourdough management, English muffins, and whole wheat sandwich bread
Recipes for glass bread and everyday sourdough

Also: free sourdough starter for all participants!
Sign Up TODAY!

Three of Our Favorite Speakers: Leti Porter, Michele McGuinness, and Bonnie Leedy

Learn from three experienced bread bakers! Leti will share from her nutrition background the benefits of sourdough and baking your own bread. Michele will concentrate on sourdough techniques and Bonnie is known for her fresh whole-grain creations. Get the whole picture to get you started, and go home with some sourdough starter and recipes to begin your journey!

Exchange: Free for Garden Members + Friends of the Garden.
Non-members: Suggested donation of $5.

Garden Party Potluck
2023-09-23 17:00 - 19:00 | GrowTogether Garden, 3450 Mustang, Heber, AZ, 85928, United States
Join us for a Garden Social!
Date: Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023
Time: 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Location: Community Garden
SIGN UP Today!
Details:

BYOC (chair) and BYOB (non-alcoholic – the garden is on school property).
Bring something to share (Main Dish, Side Dish, or Dessert).
Plates, plasticware, napkins, and lemonade will be provided.
There will be Door Prizes!!

Putting Your Garden to Bed for the Winter
2023-09-16 14:00 - 15:30 | Heber-Overgaard Fire District, 2061 Lumber2061 Lumber Valley Rd,, Overgaard, 85933, United States
Leti Porter will teach us how to prepare our garden beds for winter.

Ready to be done in the garden for the season? Let’s talk about it!
Register Here!

Steps/Considerations to Prepare for Winter
Soil Building
The Value of Cover Crops
Planting Ahead

About the Speaker: Leti Porter

Leti Porter is an Organic Grower and jokes that she really is in the business of growing people, mostly kids. She has been growing her entire life thanks to her dad, who took the time to teach her when she was young that there was so much more to gardening than just pulling weeds. She finds joy in learning about life and how to grow in real time in her favorite place—Nature. She believes that the earth has the ability to heal us and that it is our responsibility to protect it by growing things, especially each other.
Leti planted her roots in Heber 20 years ago and still claims it is the perfect place to raise free-range kids and build community by creating opportunities/space for others to gather and grow. Her background is Human Nutrition• organic growing• planting flowers & trees• common sense• hard work• building relationships• constantly learning from others• serving• loving people• mothering & making her family and her faith in God a priority.

Exchange: Free for Garden Members + Friends of the Garden.
Non-members: Suggested donation of $5.

Basics of Seed Saving
2023-09-07 18:00 - 19:30 | Heber-Overgaard Fire District, 2061 Lumber2061 Lumber Valley Rd,, Overgaard, 85933, United States
Saving seeds from your successful vegetables and flower is easy, fun, saves you money, and leads to better-adapted plants.
Join us for an introduction to this seed-saving class. Learn the reasons why you should:

save seeds
basic botany for gardeners
what types of seeds are recommended for saving
how to ensure healthy, true-to-type saved seeds.

We will also cover tool and equipment recommendations as well as tips and tricks to get the most out of the seeds you save, as well as ways to share your saved seeds with your community.
*Melissa Kruse-Peeples is a certified Master Gardener with the Maricopa County Master Gardeners program, a Community Garden Coordinator with ASU Garden Commons, and former Seed Educator with Native Seeds/SEARCH. She has co-authored the regional guide Saving Seeds in the Southwest: Techniques for Seed Stewardship in Aridlands. Melissa has a PhD in Anthropology from Arizona State University where she investigated the sustainability of ancient farming practices in the Southwest. Her motto is that your garden and your seed stash can never be too large as there will always be people to share it with.

The Basics of Canning
2023-09-02 14:00 - 15:30 | Leedy’s Home, 3085 Aspen Rd., Overgaard, AZ, 85933, United States
For those who had requested a class on the basics of canning (during our Preserving Your Harvest class), we will offer a follow-up class on September 2 from 2:00-3:30 pm. Bonnie Leedy will teach from her home and will contact those who signed up. If you would like to attend, but didn’t sign up, email Bonnie directly.

Go Wild for Mushrooms
2023-08-26 14:30 - 16:00 | Heber-Overgaard Fire District, 2061 Lumber2061 Lumber Valley Rd,, Overgaard, 85933, United States
David Bachman will teach us:

Mushroom/Foraging Safety
Common Local Varieties, such as Morel, Chanterelle, Porcini,
Coprinus Comatus (Shaggy Mane), and Lion’s Mane
Basic Mushroom Science
Poisonous Species
Recommended Guidebooks
AZ Mushroom Forum

David’s love of wild mushrooms began as a professional chef in Colorado. He was mentored by a famous French Chef and a Croatian Miner while in Colorado, and Dr. Chester Leathers, the founder
of the Arizona Mushroom Forum. He has been foraging mushrooms for over fifty years, and has taught the art extensively.
Class will be limited to the first fifty people who sign up. Classes are free to “Friends of the Garden” members and $5 for guest attendees.
Please register using the following link:
Sign-Up TODAY!

Vegetable Abundance
2023-08-19 14:00 - 15:30 | Heber-Overgaard Fire District, 2061 Lumber2061 Lumber Valley Rd,, Overgaard, 85933, United States
Learn how to successfully grow vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers in Arizona!
Join us for a GrowTogether Community Garden class with master Gardener Michele McGuinnes and learn:

Fundamentals for a successful garden
An edible landscape
Succession planting
Tomato success
Pepper success
Seed starting vs. store bought

*Michele is a Master Gardener and Educator dedicated to teaching others to create food abundance on their own. She is a founder of the GrowTogether Community Garden and brings extensive experience with community and educational gardening.
Sign-up ASAP
Exchange: Free for Garden Members + Friends of the Garden.
Non-members: Suggested donation of $5.

Preserving Your Harvest
2023-07-22 14:00 - 15:00 | Heber-Overgaard Fire District, 2061 Lumber2061 Lumber Valley Rd,, Overgaard, 85933, United States
Have a bountiful harvest but don’t know what to do with it? Bonnie Leedy will provide a high-level view of the many possibilities including: canning, dehydrating, freeze-drying, and fermenting. Come and learn about your options and get an introduction to each (with a future deep-dive into home canning if there is interest).
Class is free to members and Friends of the Garden. $5 to non-members.

Go Wild for Mushrooms
2023-07-15 14:30 - 16:00 | Heber-Overgaard Fire District, 2061 Lumber2061 Lumber Valley Rd,, Overgaard, 85933, United States
David Bachman will teach us:

Mushroom/Foraging Safety
Common Local Varieties, such as Morel, Chanterelle, Porcini,
Coprinus Comatus (Shaggy Mane), and Lion’s Mane
Basic Mushroom Science
Poisonous Species
Recommended Guidebooks
AZ Mushroom Forum

David’s love of wild mushrooms began as a professional chef in Colorado. He was mentored by a famous French Chef and a Croatian Miner while in Colorado, and Dr. Chester Leathers the founder
of the Arizona Mushroom Forum. He has been foraging mushrooms for over fifty years, and has taught the art extensively.
Class will be limited to the first fifty people who sign up. Classes are free to “Friends of the Garden” members and $5 for guest attendees.
Please register using the following link:
GoWildMushroomClassRegistration

Grand Opening of the GrowTogether Community Garden!
2023-07-11 14:00 - 16:00 | Heber-Overgaard Fire District, 2061 Lumber2061 Lumber Valley Rd,, Overgaard, 85933, United States
HOCRN is sponsoring the Grand Opening of the community garden on July 11th at 2:00 pm. Refreshments are providing and we hope all of those who have volunteered to create our community garden can attend. This event will be held at the Heber Fire Station from 2-4:00 pm.
**Please register so we can get an accurate count for them to order food. Please RSVP below:
**Click Here to Register.
Hope to see you there!

HOCRN Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon
2023-07-06 12:00 - 14:00 | Heber-Overgaard Fire District, 2061 Lumber2061 Lumber Valley Rd,, Overgaard, 85933, United States
All those who have volunteered to make the GrowTogether Community Garden a reality are invited to the Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon sponsored by HOCRN at the Heber Fire Station at noon on July 6th. Smoke Show BBQ is providing the food and this will be held at the new garden! We hope to see you there!
**Please register so we can get an accurate count for them to order food.
**Click Here to Register.

Integrated Pest Management
2023-06-24 14:00 - 15:00 | Heber-Overgaard Fire District, 2061 Lumber2061 Lumber Valley Rd,, Overgaard, 85933, United States
The lovely rains and wet winter can potentially bring many garden pests out this summer. Speaker Michele McGuiness will walk you through Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies for garden pest management for our Arizona vegetable gardens.
She will talk about how to balance the ecosystem that is your garden so good bugs thrive, and you create conditions that are unfavorable for those pests that would stop you from having an abundant harvest.
Class is free to garden members and Friends of the Garden. $5 for non-members.

Work Project Day!
2023-06-24 09:00 - 11:00, 2023-06-17 09:00 - 11:00
Come help with this work project! Volunteers welcome. We will add hardware cloth to the bottom of the fencing (keeping those critters out). We will also be sealing the outsides of the beds and leveling behind the second rows of beds. So, something for everyone! Bring a rake if you can, wear close-toed shoes, wear sunscreen, and bring some water.
Register here: CLICK HERE
or REPLY to this email to register
Please Complete Volunteer Waiver Form
All volunteers must sign this form: CLICK HERE
We have made such great progress! Let’s finish strong.

Irrigation Classes
2023-06-01 16:00 - 17:30 | GrowTogether Garden, 3450 Mustang, Heber, AZ, 85928, United States
Irrigation Class

Thursday, June 1st @ 4:00-5:30 PM
Register here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a044aafae28a3fa7-irrigation1#/
If you have trouble registering, please reply to this email to let us know your attendance.

When to amend your bed + water before the irrigation class?

Until we are sure to have our last freeze, the water will be on at the Garden on Saturdays from 9AM – 4 PM so you can come water + amend your beds during that time.
If there are any days during the week that our team will be there working on projects, we will send an email to let you know, and you can come amend and water your garden beds.
This is to ensure that the water is properly drained + maintained until we are sure of the last freeze. If it freezes with water in the pipe, then the pipes will break.

Irrigation Classes
2023-05-27 08:30 - 10:30 | GrowTogether Garden, 3450 Mustang, Heber, AZ, 85928, United States
Irrigation Classes – 2 Dates Available. Pick 1.

Saturday, May 27th @ 8:30 – 10:30 AM
Thursday, June 1st @ 4:00-5:30 PM
Register here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a044aafae28a3fa7-irrigation1#/
If you have trouble registering, please reply to this email to let us know your attendance.

When to amend your bed + water before the irrigation class?

Until we are sure to have our last freeze, the water will be on at the Garden on Saturdays from 9AM – 4 PM so you can come water + amend your beds during that time.
If there are any days during the week that our team will be there working on projects, we will send an email to let you know, and you can come amend and water your garden beds.
This is to ensure that the water is properly drained + maintained until we are sure of the last freeze. If it freezes with water in the pipe, then the pipes will break.

Composting + Vermicomposting Class
2023-05-20 14:00 - 16:30 | GrowTogether Garden, 3450 Mustang, Heber, AZ, 85928, United States
Josh, from R&K Home Center’s Garden Center, will be teaching us how and why to build your own compost for your garden. Learn how to turn your dead dirt into living soil.
Dave, owner of ____ Permaculture, will then teach us how to use worms to create healthy soil that will help our plants thrive.
Class is free to members and Friends of the Garden. $5 for non-members.

Spread the love (and the mulch)
2023-05-13 09:00 - 12:00 | GrowTogether Garden, 3450 Mustang, Heber, AZ, 85928, United States
This Saturday, May 13th @ 9 AM-12 AM: Spread the LOVE + the MULCH
Come help us spread mulch throughout the pathways of our new garden!

Location: GrowTogether Garden
Time: Saturday, May 13th, 9-12 PM
Register Here or Reply to this email: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A044AAFAE28A3FA7-come

What to bring:

Love
Rakes
Water
Hat + Sunblock
Snacks
Energy
