Amherst, MA – The Amherst Winter Farmers’ Market has organized a Spring Gardening Day full of free workshops, a seed swap, and seedling sales during the Saturday, March 23rd market. Held during market hours, the workshops will address four different gardening topics from local experts and entrepreneurs.
- At 10:15 David Lovler, also known as Dr. Worm, will be teaching a workshop on Outdoor Composting.
- At 11:15, Ryan Karb of Many Hands Farm will be teaching the Intro to the Home Garden workshop, which will discuss how to start your own seeds, prepping the garden for planting, when to plant, and answer questions for all levels of gardeners.
- At 12:15 Ryan Voiland of Red Fire Farm, award-winning tomato grower, will lead a workshop on Growing Heirloom Tomatoes.
- And at 1:15, Lydia Irons of the Flexible Farmer will again teach her workshop Understanding Your Working Body—a popular session at Winter Fare. All workshops are free and open to the public.
Workshops take place in the classroom in the hallway behind the market.
New this year, the market will host a Seed Swap, an event that is enormously successful at farmer parties around the country. Shoppers bring whatever excess, prior year, or otherwise unwanted seeds to offer at any point during the day to the designated Seed Swap table, and anyone is welcome to take from the table. This is not a barter exchange: shoppers are free to leave without taking, or take without leaving seeds.
The UMass Student Farm group will be selling six-packs of cool-weather plant starts at market on March 23rd and 30th. Questions about growing the vegetables may be directed to the student farmers.
The Amherst Winter Farmers Market continues to be held every Saturday through March 30th. There is still widespread availability of greens, stored vegetables and apples. Black Sheep will be offering a Market Soup made with produce from the market’s vendors to celebrate the final market on 3/30.
Amherst Winter Farmers’ Market. 10-2 every Saturday!
Amherst Middle School: 170 Chestnut Street
http://www.amherstwintermarket.com
Contact: Tamsin Flanders, 413-230-5920, manager@amherstwintermarket.com
Grow Food Amherst 