Right now, with the sun shining and the soil warm instead of covered with snow, it might be hard to remember the short, cold days of winter in Idaho Falls. But a dedicated group of gardeners has found a way to make those days more productive and tolerable by offering free organic gardening classes.
Idaho Falls Community Garden Association Board members work all year to find experienced, local gardeners who know local Idaho Falls soil, seed varieties that work in our climate and organic weed and pest control to speak at classes. For 23 years, the board has kept up on the latest science pertaining to soils and gardening.
Dr. Elaine Ingham was one of the cutting-edge speakers last winter. She is recognized as the foremost international expert on soil microbiology, wrote the handbook for National Resources Conservation Service under the Department of Agriculture and is responsible for bringing back unusable soil on six continents.
Dr. Ingham also gave an all-day presentation about the benefits and nurturing of microorganisms in the soil. Other classes cover lots of topics like starting a seeds, saving seeds, growing herbs, extending our short growing season, growing native plants and landscaping with vegetables.
When summer days become shorter, and the inevitability of snow looms, think about attending these classes (mask encouraged). They basically cover what’s necessary to start and grow a successful garden either in your own back yard or in one of IFCGA’s three local gardens.
Click here to read more of the August issue of Idaho Falls Magazine.
For more information visit www.ifcga.org.