City & Guilds Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture
This is a great introduction to organic horticulture, with a focus on food and herb growing. We look at soils, seeds, compost, and plant care, as well as creating planting plans and exploring different approaches including permaculture, forest gardening and no-dig gardening.
The course is delivered one day a week on Fridays (with a parallel day on Thursdays which is currently full), by growers/ teachers at the farm, and is accredited through Bicton College. The course runs from 9am to 3pm for 34 weeks, with time off at Christmas, Easter and half terms, finishing in mid July. The start date will be Friday 13th September.
The main syllabus takes you through growing veg and herbs in an organic and holistic way, including:
- Crop planning and rotation
- Propagation – seeds and cuttings
- Soils, composting and mulching
- Transplanting and planting out
- Aftercare
- Pests, diseases and disorders, including companion planting and attracting beneficial insects
- Weeds
- Nutrients and feeds
- Plant identification
- Gardening for wildlife and biodiversity
As part of the course we do a design project, which you can apply to your own garden/ growing space, or your ‘dream’ garden. For this we look at Permaculture design as an approach. It is a very practical course, and the practical work for assessments is carried out on the farm. We make the course applicable to people who want to grow at home or an allotment, looking at materials and techniques that are appropriate for smaller scale growing. As well as standard organic growing, we also look at other approaches including no-dig, permaculture, biodynamic, forest gardening and growing perennial vegetables, and there are visits to other growers and gardens throughout the course.
The full cost is £623, but funding is available to applicants on lower incomes and some bursaries or grants are available. For more information about the course concontact mel@schoolfarmcsa.org.uk or for more information on costs, funding and enrollment contact Bicton here or phone 03301 232 523.
Planning and Planting a Herb Garden
We will be running this 6 day course, one day a week on Wednesdays starting September 11th 2019. Explore how to plan and plant an organic herb garden for culinary and tea uses, looking at growing in garden beds and pots.
We will be learning about the range of herbs you can grow, their different uses, creating spaces for wild herbs, growing from seed and cuttings, caring for your plants and harvesting. This course is suitable for beginners or anyone who wants to learn new skills or increase their range of herbs.
It is run by Bicton college and accredited at Level 1 Occupational Studies. It will be based at the herb garden at School Farm CSA, on the Dartington Estate near Totnes, which is a working Organic market garden, growing vegetables and herbs for the local community.
Course cost: £75. Funding is available for some learners, for further details and to enroll visit the Bicton website here, or email mel@schoolfarmcsa.org.uk.
Tours
School Farm CSA offer tours of the farm led by one of our founders and growers. We can give general tours of the farm, or tailor tours to focus on a particular topic. Prices of tours vary depending on the size of the group and the length. For more information and to make a booking please contact info@schoolfarmcsa.org.uk
City & Guilds Level 1 Award in Practical Horticulture
Whether you want to grow your own food or start a gardening business, this course will build your knowledge and confidence to get you started. Working with nature you will learn about soil, seeds, and caring for plants and the land.
This Level 1 course will take place at School Farm CSA, a certified organic farm on the beautiful Dartington estate near Totnes, Devon. It is suitable for those who want to grow on any scale, whether it is a small patio garden, an allotment or on a larger piece of land. The course usually runs for one day a week, from April to July. Please watch this space for details.
The farm grows a variety of crops, utilizing different methods and mainly hand tools, to provide enough vegetables for their 35 veg box customers and to sell to local shops and restaurants. Course teaching is delivered by the CSA’s staff, all experienced growers who have themselves been through the process of gaining qualifications in organic growing before they launched their own farm enterprise.
To apply please visit the Bicton website here or phone 03301 232 523.
