Arizona Food Service Network

DIG – Protect the Pollinators

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Butterflies, ​hummingbirds, ​bees ​- ​oh ​my! ​Master ​Gardener ​Gail ​Morris ​will ​show ​how ​you ​can ​have ​these ​and ​other ​graceful ​”wings ​and ​things” ​visit ​your ​yard ​right ​here ​in ​the ​Sonoran ​Desert ​by ​creating ​a ​pollinator ​habitat ​to ​meet ​their ​needs, ​including ​plants, ​shelter, ​water, ​and ​shade. ​Let ​these ​fascinating ​creatures ​call ​your ​yard ​home.

Learn more and get tickets here.

Cost:

$20.00
Registration:

Required
County or Indian Reservation: Maricopa

Bountiful Spring Organic Gardening 101

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Bountiful Spring Organic Gardening 101

1:00-2:30 pm

Do you want to dig into a garden plot of your own, but don’t know where to start? Come expand your field of knowledge about our desert soil, learn how to select season appropriate plants and how to nurture your garden organically. Leslie will put you on a path of success with her tips and tricks, detailed handouts and down-to-earth instructions. To get you fertile in no time – a free 1lb bag of earthworm castings is included!

$30 pp

Instructor: Leslie Honaker, Master Gardener and Owner of Lauren Brooks Life

Class Fee includes Earthword Casting Soil

About Leslie Honaker, Owner and Chief Happiness Officer of Lauren Brooks Life

How one girl on a mission to grow a tomato in the desert transformed her life from marketing maven to garden goddess.

I have known since the age of five that I would have dirt under my fingernails the rest of my life!

My gardening journey began in Connecticut at my cold, gray New England home with a 4×4 plot and a fistful of seeds. When my family moved to Arizona all the green thumb goodness went bad. Discouraged with multiple gardening failures under the hot searing sun, I gave up and focused on a corporate career in marketing, advertising and international event planning. A family came next. Then the desire to raise my sons around vegetables, herbs and flowers as well as grow a juicy tomato led me to discover the Maricopa County Master Gardening program and I gleefully became a Master Gardener!

The awakening began and I devoted 15 years as a Master Gardener volunteer, conference organizer, school garden advocate and 10 years as the co-founder/owner, of Garden Territory, an organic lifestyle store and education center at the Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix. I wrote Plant of the Week articles for the East Valley Tribune for three years, testified in Washington D.C. on how school gardens can transform a classroom and have been an inspirational speaker to shine a light on how anyone can transform their life to achieve bliss they didn’t think possible.

I love to teach on many topics – cooking, aromatherapy, décor and organic gardening as well as holding blissful lifestyle events and workshops. Leaving the traditional classroom style behind, I invite students to hands-on experiences combined with simple techniques. I’ve taught hundreds of students, teachers, and desert dwellers how to garden under our spectacular Sonoran sun! Transforming a student from frustrated to enlightened is the ultimate joy.

This glorious life journey has led me to open the doors to Lauren Brooks Life – a lifestyle business, online store and education center dedicated to helping others capture their bliss every day. I write, speak and offer real life experiences through workshops, travel, and curated products. Lauren Brooks Life is a place to find joy through gardening, cooking, travel, home and wellness. Where it will go and grow – I don’t know! But I can assure you it will be authentic and an exhilarating place to open yourself to a new ideas, options and ways to get on with the life you’ve meant to live. My wish is that through the connection you will rejoice in the sky above you, be grounded with the earth below you and find the fire within you.

I see you, I hear you and feel you! I’m on fire – let’s go! I hope to see you at one of my blissful lifestyle and organic gardening workshops at The Farm at South Mountain soon.

Life is Beauty Full, Leslie

FAQs

Where is this class held?

Classes will be held at Family, Friends, Fun area to the west of “The Shed” near the Farmer’s Garden. Check out the Map at the front of The Farm if you are not familiar with the grounds.

Where should I park?

Parking can get full early on weekends. The closest parking will be to the back of the property near Morning Glory and Botanica. If this lot is full there is a dirty lot just to the South as you are looping around the back parking lots its just to the south behind the South Grove.

What should I bring?

Wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes to get dirty in. Shading is limited so bring sunscreen if needed. Feel free to bring your camera to take pictures on the property before or after class. And Remember water, but please no outside food and beverages, as we have several options property.

Totally Tomatoes: Growing Heirloom Tomatoes in the Desert

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Totally Tomatoes! How to Grow Heirloom Tomatoes in the Desert

10:00 – 11:30 am

Tomato growing success starts here! This is a one-stop adventure in Tomatomania where you’ll learn how to grow juicy, delicious, and colorful organic heirloom tomatoes. Leslie will answer those vexing questions – to stake or not to stake? determinate or indeterminate? when to plant? and much more. You’ll meet The Farm’s grower, tour their greenhouse and get the best tips in town on how to grow tomatoes in the desert. A free heirloom tomato transplant from The Farm’s greenhouse is included!

$30 pp

Instructor: Leslie Honaker, Master Gardener and Owner of Lauren Brooks Life

Class Fee includes Heirloom tomato transplant! (Additional plants for sale at Farmers Market)

About Leslie Honaker, Owner and Chief Happiness Officer of Lauren Brooks Life

How one girl on a mission to grow a tomato in the desert transformed her life from marketing maven to garden goddess.

I have known since the age of five that I would have dirt under my fingernails the rest of my life!

My gardening journey began in Connecticut at my cold, gray New England home with a 4×4 plot and a fistful of seeds. When my family moved to Arizona all the green thumb goodness went bad. Discouraged with multiple gardening failures under the hot searing sun, I gave up and focused on a corporate career in marketing, advertising and international event planning. A family came next. Then the desire to raise my sons around vegetables, herbs and flowers as well as grow a juicy tomato led me to discover the Maricopa County Master Gardening program and I gleefully became a Master Gardener!

The awakening began and I devoted 15 years as a Master Gardener volunteer, conference organizer, school garden advocate and 10 years as the co-founder/owner, of Garden Territory, an organic lifestyle store and education center at the Farm at South Mountain in Phoenix. I wrote Plant of the Week articles for the East Valley Tribune for three years, testified in Washington D.C. on how school gardens can transform a classroom and have been an inspirational speaker to shine a light on how anyone can transform their life to achieve bliss they didn’t think possible.

I love to teach on many topics – cooking, aromatherapy, décor and organic gardening as well as holding blissful lifestyle events and workshops. Leaving the traditional classroom style behind, I invite students to hands-on experiences combined with simple techniques. I’ve taught hundreds of students, teachers, and desert dwellers how to garden under our spectacular Sonoran sun! Transforming a student from frustrated to enlightened is the ultimate joy.

This glorious life journey has led me to open the doors to Lauren Brooks Life – a lifestyle business, online store and education center dedicated to helping others capture their bliss every day. I write, speak and offer real life experiences through workshops, travel, and curated products. Lauren Brooks Life is a place to find joy through gardening, cooking, travel, home and wellness. Where it will go and grow – I don’t know! But I can assure you it will be authentic and an exhilarating place to open yourself to a new ideas, options and ways to get on with the life you’ve meant to live. My wish is that through the connection you will rejoice in the sky above you, be grounded with the earth below you and find the fire within you.

I see you, I hear you and feel you! I’m on fire – let’s go! I hope to see you at one of my blissful lifestyle and organic gardening workshops at The Farm at South Mountain soon.

Life is Beauty Full, Leslie

FAQs

Where is this class held?

Classes will be held at Family, Friends, Fun area to the west of “The Shed” near the Farmer’s Garden. Check out the Map at the front of The Farm if you are not familiar with the grounds.

Where should I park?

Parking can get full early on weekends. The closest parking will be to the back of the property near Morning Glory and Botanica. If this lot is full there is a dirty lot just to the South as you are looping around the back parking lots its just to the south behind the South Grove.

.

What should I bring?

Wear comfortable walking shoes and clothes to get dirty in. Shading is limited so bring sunscreen if needed. Feel free to bring your camera to take pictures on the property before or after class. And Remember water, but please no outside food and beverages, as we have several options property.

Soil & Seed Garden Market at The Farm

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Each Saturday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm visit Soil & Seed Garden at the back of The Farm to purchase seasonal and delicious greens, herbs, flowers, vegetables and eggs. All of these items are grown right on the property and are the same ingredients used in the farm-to-table restaurants at The Farm.

Shopping local helps to support the garden to continue growing beautiful bounty. So grab breakfast or lunch and head to Soil & Seed to take home produce for your upcoming week!

NS/S Annual fall plant sale

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With cooler temps arriving in the southwest, many gardeners are taking trowel to soil. Native Seeds SEARCH is excited to bring back our fall veggie plant sale to help tucson gardeners fill their beds. We will be offering an array of leafy greens, herbs, and other cool season plants that do well in our climate from fall into winter. As usual, we will open at 9 Am on Friday for members only and members get 10% off. We will be open to the general public from 10-5 Friday through Sunday. If you sign up as a member or renew membership you will receive a 15% discount that day.

Phoenix Public Market – Fall Gardening Workshop and Seed Sale

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Join us at the Phoenix Public Market every 3rd Saturday of the month! For Septemeber we will present a FREE workshop on Fall Gardening. Come and learn how to select a garden site for cool season growing, how to prepare your soil, and what vareiteis are appropriate to grow in the Fall and through the Winter in Phoenix. The workshop begins at 9 AM and is located on the south side of the market in front of the Phoenix Public Market Cafe.

Before and after the workshop shop for seeds at the Native Seeds/SEARCH booth and browse dozens of amazing local food, produce, and craft vendors.

Summer Gardening Series: Succulent Success

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Join us every fourth Saturday to grow your gardening skills. Come out to learn from the guys at Dig It Gardens

Summer Gardening Series | June 24th | 9am

The Heat is On Summer is here in the desert! Join us for a How-To on proper watering techniques for Arizona summers. This class will address all your summer watering needs from drip irrigation to hand watering.

All class attendees will be entered into our FREE raffle to win Dig It swag and more! Winners will be announced at the end of the class.

We’ll continue our Summer Gardening Series the last Saturday of the month throughout July and August. Gain the tools and skills for hot-weather desert plant care.

All workshops are FREE

Monsoon Gardening Workshop

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The monsoon season is the traditional time to plant many vegetables in the desert! Join us in learning the basics of monsoon gardening in Tucson. We will go over what vegetable and herb varieties to plant, protecting your garden from the heat and winds, and maximizing rainwater. There will be hands-on lessons in our demonstration garden!

Afterwards, feel free to stick around for our Mesquite Bean themed Arid Abundance Potluck. There will be discussion on how to harvest and prepare mesquite bean pods, as the start of monsoon season is the best time to harvest.

The event is FREE but we ask that you RSVP by emailing Carly at cherndon@nativeseeds.org or calling 520-622-0830, ex 112.

Native Seeds/SEARCH Workshop: Monsoon Gardening

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Monsoon Gardening in Phoenix. Everything you need to know about what vegetable and herb varieties to plant, protecting your garden from the heat and the winds, and maximizing rainwater.

Afterwards, shop Native Seeds/SEARCH varieties of vegetable and herb seeds appropriate for Monsoon season planting in Phoenix including whole dried chiles, tepary beans, Pinole, Cholla buds, seed saving supplies and ollas for the garden.