UNLOCK YOUR YARDS POTENTIAL!

Learn how to improve soil quality; create beautiful and edible landscapes, and attract pollinators!

Attention large and small landowners: Unlocking Your Yard’s Potential!  will be presented on Tuesday July 10^th at 7 pm at The Cooperage – 1030 Main Street in Honesdale. Three speakers will talk about edible landscaping and backyard food and medicine production, pollinators, and compost. The forum is open to the general public. A $5.00 donation is suggested.

Please take a moment to register (recommended, but not required). It helps us plan seating and refreshments.

Click HERE to register. 

Local soil expert Roger Hill will discuss soil food web restoration methods using soil mineral balance and compost inoculated with indigenous microbes to unlock your yard’s potential. “Dealing with local soils can be challenging; rocky, shallow and poorly draining compacted acidic soils are common.”  Roger has been farming using Biodynamic methods since 1985, and studying with soil consultant Neil Kinsey, Soil Food Web founder Dr. Elaine Ingham, and Biodynamic preparation maker, Hugh Cortney. He has also consulted and traveled extensively with the Himalayan Institute’s agricultural projects in India and Africa as well as area backyard garden and orchard projects.

Richie Mitchell will introduce basic concepts and benefits of ecological and edible landscaping. He will guide the audience through the process of how to analyze our properties and how to better plan for the development of your own edible landscape. He focuses on finding balance between your goals for your property, and what the land has to offer, putting a strong emphasis on his design process as he replaces lawns and traditional landscaping with plants that produce food, medicine and ecological benefits. Fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, native flowers and herbs, heirloom vegetables, beautiful garden beds and water features are some of his tools. Richie has a B.S. degree in Environmental Science and a lifetime of experience growing food in the northeast. He owns Bear Creek Organics which provides consultation, design, installation, and management of ecological edible landscapes. He also runs an edible landscaping plant nursery that carries many hard-to-find fruit and nut trees, berry and nut bushes, and native flowers.

Sarah Hall-Bagdonas will talk about a wide range of pollinators from birds, bats, butterflies, moths, and native bees to the non-native honey bee. She will tell us why they are so important, and how to attract them to your own back yard. “Pollinators are an important part of our ecosystems, responsible for the survival of over 30% of the human food supply and 90% of our wild plants.”  Sarah earned her B.S. in Biology from Millersville University in 2010. She is the President of the Northeast PA Audubon Society and Program Manager for the Northern Tier Hardwood Association.

Partners in production are: SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support), the Northeast Audubon Society, and The Cooperage Project.

SEEDS offers many forums year round to promote renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable living.  Anyone interested in learning more about SEEDS or becoming a member, may visit www.SeedsGroup.net or call 570-245-1256.