Registration open for spring and summer 3-day 'Garden Cruz' classes

Immerse yourself in the nuts and bolts of what you need to know to create and maintain a healthy, productive organic garden in a new 3-day "Garden Cruz" community course at UC Santa Cruz.

This intensive class will provide a solid foundation to further your lifelong study, enjoyment, and practice of organic gardening. Class instructors include Orin Martin, manager of UCSC's Alan Chadwick Garden, and local organic farmers Zoe Hitchner and Sky DeMuro of Everett Family Farm.

The 3-day course will be offered Friday through Sunday, May 18-20. Classes will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. A second session will be offered July 20-22.  

The course will cover the basic suite of skills involved in developing a successful organic garden, including soil analysis and bed preparation, composting, planting, irrigation, crop care, and harvest. Each day will include both lectures and hand-on practice.  

Classes and hands-on activities will take place at the Alan Chadwick Garden on the UC Santa Cruz campus. Cost of the course is $300, with a $25 discount for Friends of the Farm & Garden members. Pre-registration by May 4 (for the May session) or July 6 (for the July session) is requested and class size is limited.

To enroll, send a check made payable to "UC Regents" to: Amy Bolton, CASFS/UCSC Farm, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA  95064, attn: Garden Cruz. Please indicate whether you are signing up for the May or July session. For additional details, contact Amy Bolton at 831.459-3240, or casfs@ucsc.edu. Additional information about the class is available at http://casfs.ucsc.edu/garden-cruz-3-day-organic-garden-workshop-registration-open.