Do you want to start growing some of your own food, but don't know where to start?

Join Heather Lynch of Green Haven Gardens for a discussion on what to consider before breaking ground on a new edible garden or to get some ideas on how to improve your current garden - how to choose the best spot, what size to start with, what growing method to choose, what plants to grow, and more.

We will tour Heather's gardens and see examples of many different growing methods: raised beds, container gardening, straw bale gardening, vertical gardening, traditional in-ground growing, and more.

We will discuss the pros and cons to each method so you can decide what is the best option for you. We'll talk about how to choose what to grow, how to ensure healthy soil, and the best ways to make garden maintenance easy and manageable.

Putting some thought and planning in before planting seeds in the ground pays off in not only delicious vegetables for you to eat, but also in long term success for your garden!

Workshop fee:  $50.00 (adults 18 and over)

BONUS: Registration includes a free copy of the book Renewing the Countryside: WISCONSIN Stories of Sustainable Living, Working & Playing (a $26.95 value) will be made available to every couple, household or family participating in this workshop (one free copy per address).

For more information on other Soil Sisters Aug. 5-7 weekend workshops, culinary events, lodging and more, see www.soilsisterswi.org

Soil Sisters Event Policies:

• This is a workshop designed for adults 18 and older and everyone needs to have their own paid registration. If childcare is an issue and you need to bring your children in order to attend the workshop, please let us know in advance.

• All Soil Sisters events will be fully outdoors with space for social distancing. Masks are not required.

• Dress for the weather. Bring sunscreen, sun hat and good walking shoes.

• Leave your pets at home as these are working farms with other animals.

• All Soil Sisters event tickets are non-refundable.

About Heather Lynch

Heather has always been passionate about local, seasonal food and has been dedicated to using her backyard to grow as much of her own food as possible for the last 8 years. She has her UW Extension Master Gardener certification, and enjoys volunteering at a food pantry garden, teaching youth groups how to grow food that is donated directly to local food pantries. She provides consultations for anyone who wants to start a garden or just needs some support in making their garden more healthy and productive. Heather shares her gardening adventures, seasonal meals, unique preserves, and so many dog photos on her Instagram feed. Heather is also on the team of Soil Sister-fueled women farmers and bakers behind Farmstead Bakery: Recipes and Resources, supporting local ingredients in cottage food businesses.

About Green Haven Gardens
In 2019 Heather Lynch and her husband Dylan moved out of Madison to rural Brooklyn, WI. They found the perfect piece of land, and have been working hard to shape it into the homestead of their dreams. Over the past two years they have worked together to install a large raised bed kitchen garden, added a flock of chickens, planted a diverse fruit and nut orchard, and have started a conservation plan for the "wild" part of their property. They eat something that they grew themselves every day of the year. They share and sell their garden harvests and colorful eggs with friends and family, and are working towards sharing their love of homegrown food with others.

Soil Sisters is an award-winning project of the non-profit Renewing the Countryside, bringing together women championing local food, community building, sustainable and organic agriculture and vibrant rural communities for collaboration, networking and cooking up change. The founding Soil Sisters in southern Wisconsin organize the annual Soil Sisters event the first weekend in August, the largest women-farmer led event of its kind in the country. Since 2012, the Soil Sisters open their barn doors and farms for various workshops, culinary events and more.