Three "Grow Your Own" workshops are scheduled for May through July in Columbus to help people interested in raising chickens, bees and produce in urban environments. The workshops are free and are sponsored by Ohio State University Extension, Local Matters and the Godman Guild.
OSU Extension is the outreach arm of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
All workshops are held at the Godman Guild, 303 E. 6th St., Columbus. Participants are asked to RSVP by emailing localmattersintern@gmail.com.
The workshops are:
* Chickens 101, May 21, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Speaker Rachel Tayse Baulliel will discuss housing, health and nutrition needs of backyard chickens.
* Keeping Bees in the City, June 15, 9 a.m.-noon. The Central Ohio Beekeepers Association will present this introductory workshop, with a special emphasis on keeping bees in urban environments.
* GAPS Workshop for Urban Food Producers, July 13, 9-11 a.m. Mike Hogan, educator with OSU Extension, will teach an introductory food safety workshop focused on GAPs (Good Agricultural Practices) geared to urban producers of fruits, vegetables and other food items.
"These workshops are the result of an effort to develop a community-based local food system in the Weiland Park neighborhood in the University District," said Hogan, who is a member of the planning team for the Growing Your Own series. "But they're open to anyone, and we've attracted participants from all over Franklin County and central Ohio."
Source: extension.osu