CANCELLED: Crescent Farm Workshop

About This Event

CANCELLED: May
CANCELLED: June

Saturdays, 10:00am
Free for members
Free for non-members (with Arboretum admission)
Instructor: Crescent Farm Staff – Leigh Adams, John Latsko,

Learn about water conservation and sustainable gardening with hands-on experience! Crescent Farm, located in the heart of the Arboretum just west of Baldwin Lake, is a reclaimed landscape where we explore new and ancient horticulture techniques for water conservation and food production. This is an educational training series.  Please bring gloves, drinking water; wear close-toed shoes and a hat.

January 18 – Lasagna Mulching
Using what you have on hand or can source locally is truly sustainable gardening.  This workshop will show you how using cardboard and mulch will build fertile productive soil. This is also a proven method for removing your lawn and reducing the weed load as you transition into a water wise landscape. There will be a visual presentation and a hands-on activity where you will actually help us to build our new Crescent Farm.

February 15 – Rohan – BEYOND SUSTAINABILITY – The future of Regenerative Building in Southern California
Regenerative Building offers a wide range of solutions to Southern California’s most pressing issues. Whether it be resiliency to extreme weather events, clean energy, waste management, food and water security, citizens are now able to live sustainably, while having a positive impact on their environment.

We will be talking about how these solutions can best be integrated into new and existing buildings.

Mar 21 – Decomposition Ecology + Community Well-being
Come explore the art and science of decomposition through the lens of the microbial ecology, and learn about the role of soil in climate, human, and community well-being. We will look at the similarities in processes between sheet mulching, hugelkultur, and composting, and introduce soil food web biochemistry.

Lynn Fang, MS specializes in soil and compost ecology for community-oriented projects focused on alleviating environmental justice and fostering a culture of care and inclusivity. She offers education, consulting, and data analysis for ecological garden design, community composting, and soil science analyses. She hosts an online course on soil and compost ecology called Soilify! for beginners and professionals alike.

April 18 – DISCOVERING SUPERFOODS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Join us at the Crescent Farm with edible plant expert Loretta Allison, where we will explore the world of healing, nutrient dense “superfoods”, where every leaf has the power to unlock wellness and prevent dis-ease. We’ll start with Amaranth and work our way around the globe, learning about each plant’s health benefits, it’s history, how to cook and eat it and the best part- how to grow these superfoods in our own SoCal backyard! This is an interactive workshop, and participants will leave with seeds to plant on their own.

May 16 – Pollinators
‘Bee’ introduced to our newest landscape inside the Crescent devoted to attracting our California native bees!  Enjoy a quick course on some of our bees and learn about their value and how easy it is to bring them to your garden!

June 20 – PREPARING THE LANDSCAPE FOR A HOT SUMMER
Come discuss the value of preparing the drought-tolerant landscape for the heat and drought of summer and fall.  View and learn about techniques that you can apply in your landscape.