May Newsletter for Square Foot Gardening Instructors

Official Publication of Square Foot Gardening Foundation

 Harvest of  News

In this Issue:

• Welcome to new Certified Instructors
• Spotlight on Nick Bell, Grabbing Headlines in Perth, Australia
• Bird's Haven Farms
• For Mother's Day: Read about WomenShare, a coalition of women working for change
• Get Inspired: Featured Photo by Kay Gregory
• Announcements & Upcoming Events
  

    

  WELCOME TO NEW CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS

  
   Ann Classen, Meade, KS
  
   Barbara Stoll
  of Metairie, LA
  
  
  
   Christine Morgan
  Glen Rose, TX
  
  
  
   Stacy Best
  Fort Wright, KY
  
  
  
   Terry Hartzell
  Perrysville, OH
  
  
  
   Victor Gann
  Dacula, GA
  
  
   
   Suzanne Bergen of Harrison Township, MI
  
  
  
  Jenny Sullivan of Murray, UT
  
  
  
   Adrienne Z Milligan of Puyallop, WA
  
  
  MORE CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS (sorry - no photos!)
  
  Kay Gregory of Amherst, MA
  Marianne Jiminez of Cottonwood, AZ
  
  Don Kanarr of Wyckoff, NJ
  David Silvia of Wilmington, NC
   
  
  
  
  
  
  

  SPOTLIGHT ON:  NICK BELL, HORTICULTURALIST & SFG CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR, in PERTH, AUSTRALIA

   Nick says, "It's hip to be square." 
  

  

  Read the article in full here. Square Foot Gardening was a star attraction at the Perth Garden Week-2013. Nick had on-air interviews with two different radio stations, and stories were published in the ‘West Australian Newspaper’ and the Local ‘Voice’ Newspaper.  He demonstrated and promoted Square Foot Gardening to several thousand enthusiastic people during the five days of the show. Several schools and councils have asked Nick to work with them to develop community gardens and he has accepted speaking engagements at many gardening clubs. 

  Here is a scanned story from a suburban newspaper, The Perth Voice.  
  
  Nick Bell was a guest of ‘Lets Talk Gardening’ on Radio 100.1fm. This was the 5^th radio gardening talk back show that he has appeared on in April about SFG. Nick reported that listener responses on every occasion were enthusiastic. In a short time, he has generated a strong demand for Square Foot Gardening in Western Australia.
  
  Nick's Square Foot Gardening exhibit at Garden Week featured a four-tier raised garden modelled on the photograph in ‘Getting Started with a Square Foot Garden’ by Mel Bartholomew. 
  
  
  Nick also exhibited SFGs in reused 600 x 400 x 150 mm heavy-duty plastic vegetable crates divided with a wooden grid to make them into 2sq foot modular square foot gardens. These gardens were mass planted with flourishing vegetables using the 1,4,9 and 16 format according to vegetable size, inter-spaced with marigolds and arranged in groups of four (like Lego Blocks) and were the talk of the show. 
  
  
  The Bioactive Cocopeat growing medium that Nick uses proved a great success and will be offered as an alternative to Mel’s Mix which will also be made available in 1000L Bulk Bags. Many orders for Square Foot Gardens and growing medium were taken at Garden Week and all 50 of the ready planted 2Sq Ft crates were sold and have already been delivered.  Many disciples intend to make their own boxes and Nick is negotiating with potential suppliers to produce lay-flat wooden boxes and foldable grids.
  
  
  Nick is also in discussions with www.eWoodgardens.com.au about wood look-alike boxes in various sizes that are available in kit form. Although the boxes are 200mm (8”) deep, Nick will recommend that they be filled only to the 150mm (6”) level to maintain the integrity of the legitimate SFG. His plan now is to expand his interest in Square Foot Gardening into developing a three-generation family business with his daughter and grandchildren. 

  "The next step is to establish a model Square Foot Home Garden and liaise with the popular Open Garden Scheme to invite people to visit the garden on open days and participate in Square Foot Gardening workshops. Please study the eWood Website and share the information with Mel. I will welcome opinions from both of you and other associates about the suitability of eWood Kits, and my business plans. I treasure my Square Foot Gardening journey." ~Nick Bell

  
  
  
  
  What can we say, except "Way to go! - Go on with it, Nick!!" Congratulations from SFGF, Mel, Belinda, Victoria & all the gang. We look forward to seeing all your plans come to pass and wish you superlative success! Thanks for sharing your ideas and success story!
  
  Resources:
  Hear Nick, "the Guru of Grass" on the radio at http://www.6pr.com.au/gardening 
  

   

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  Happy Mother's Day

  
  

  

  
  
  

  

  Bird's Haven Farms

  "Bryn Bird is a farm girl hailing from a dirt road just north of Granville.  She grew up raising livestock and produce on her family's farm.  She earned a master's degree in public health from George Washington University in Washington, DC, and now works with Rural Coalition, a grassroots alliance focused on bringing justice and equity to food and farm policy for rural communities and people."
  
  
  Bryn is teaching SFG classes at The Going Green Store, in addition to all her other responsibilities.
  
  
  
  
  

  

  WomenShare

    

  According to their website, the mission of WomenShare is to "accelerate change toward a healthy, sustainable, and just food and agricultural system through surfacing the collective wisdom of women." 

  
  
  Headed by Theresa Marquez,
  Mission Executive for the nation’s largest organic farmer cooperative and the largest farmer-owned organic brand, Organic Valley, WomenShare brings together women interested in organic, natural foods and sustainable agriculture to put their hearts and minds together to bring about much-needed change.
  
  
  The event for 2013 took place in the last week of April. Read more at their website,
  
  

  http://www.womenshare.org
  

   

  GET INSPIRED!

  
  

   

  
  

  Add bold color to your garden!  These lovely, red, raised SFGs belong to new Certified Instructor, Kay Gregory.

  
  

  
  

  

  

   ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

  
  
  • Every Monday – Get Fit with Amie Guyette Hall 10:20am – 11:20am (Pacific Time) Online at www.ftns.co Amie is a Certified SFG Instructor & co-teaches our Online Certification Classes with Belinda Jensen. Hear different guests weekly.
  • May 4, 6, 11, 13 & 18, 2013, Fallon, Nevada, SFG Course at WNC Community College (map) Go to http://www.wnc.edu/ce/  Select "Non-Credit Class Schedule," and look under "Home and Garden." Hours vary. Call or email Susan Emmons if you have any questions. Phone: 775-423-7565, ext. 2240; Fax: 775-423-8029; E-mail: Susan.Emmons@wnc.edu.  Class taught by SFG instructors, Ken & Nancy Clarke.
  • May 2, 2013, 6-8 pm, Wasatch County Library
    465 East 1200 South - Heber City, Utah – 75-minute talk on SFG by Jim Teahan, Certified SFG instructor and author of The Wealthy Earth. Learn more & view map.
  • May 4, 2013, 10am – 11:30am, Morgan County Library, 50 North 100 West Morgan, Utah "Introductory SFG" taught by Jim Teahan, Certified Instructor and author of The Wealthy Earth. Read more & view map.
  • May 11, 2013, 9am – 11:30am, Square Foot Gardening Lite, Neighborhood Garden, 676 East Country Breeze Circle, Draper, Utah. Class taught by Jim Teahan. Learn more and view map.
  • May 11, 2013, SFG Class, Five Corners Farmer’s Market Winter Sustainability Series, Five Corners, Vermont.  Learn More.
  • May 2^nd – May 30^th, 2013, Lyceum of Monterey County, 1073 6^th Street, Monterey, CA. "Square Foot Gardening ~ Learn how to garden with earth –friendly methods." Principles of Square Foot Gardening in Monterey's climate zone. Make your own Square Foot Garden. Teaches 3 R’s: –Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Combine subject matter such as math, history, geography, art, and science. Cooperative neighborhood gardening. Ages: 3rd grade and up (younger students allowed if parents accompany them.) Learn more & view map. Classes held on Thursdays, 3:30pm - 5:00pm.
  • May 15, 2013, Highland, Utah, A free one-hour Introductory class on Wed. at 7 pm, Highland Library. 5400 W Civic Center Dr  Highland, Utah. Taught by Belinda Jensen, SFGF's own Teacher Liaison! Learn more.
  • May 16, 2013, 6:00pm, North Central Research Extension Center, Minot, South Dakota, Square Foot Gardening class taught by North Dakota State University Extension Agent, Paige Brummond. To register, call 701-857-6444, or register online at www.ag.ndsu.edu/wardcountyextension. Class is free but registration is required. Learn more & more details here.
  • May 18, 2013, 12noon – 2pm, Square Foot Gardening class, The Going Green Store, Granville, Ohio, taught by Bryn Bird, Certified SFG Instructor Learn more here.
  • May 18, 2013 and June 22, 2013, Glen Burnie, Maryland, SFG 101, SFG 201 & SFG 301 (both classes). Pre-registration required. Limited to 10 per class. Taught by Jerry Lupinos and Kim Roman, both US veterans and Certified Teachers of the Square Foot Gardening method. Learn more. Email sfgkimroman@yahoo.com.
  • May 18, 2013, 10am – 11am, Valley Natural Foods, 13750 County Road 11, Burnsville, MN, 55337, Square Foot Gardening, Instructor: John Zweber, Dakota County Master Gardener, Free, Minimum: 3 people, Learn the basics of SFG, the practice of planning small, but intensively planted gardens. Learn more.
  • May 18, 2013, 9:00am to 4:00pm, Adirondack Folk School, 51 Main Street, Lake Luzerne, New York, 12846. Cost: $45. Taught by Patricia Goldberg and Peter Watts. Learn more.
  • June 1 & 2, 2013, Puyallup, Washington, Mother Earth News Fair, SFG Workshops Three "Gardening for Life" Workshops at Puyallup Fairgrounds, 110 9^th Avenue Southwest Puyallup, Washington, 98371. Saturday Fair hours: 9 am -7 pm; Sunday Fair hours: 10 am -6 pm. Contact Wayne Burleson at rutbuster@montana.net
  
  

  

  Contact Us: 

  Belinda Jensen, Teacher Liaison / Editor, belinda@squarefootgardening.com

  Sally Odum, Communications Writer, sally@squarefootgardening.com