The course is composed of seven monthly sessions, March to September, of an hour each supplemented with video, handouts and references.

The content will be adapted to the season, the weather on the day and participants' input.

All content is subject to change.

Participants should have notetaking equipment and access to the internet.  For on site sessions, appropriate clothing is recommended including boots and weatherproof outerwear.

 

Session 1 Planning, Soil, Sowing	Our story – why and how we started this adventure. Planning – what, where, how, ... Soil – dig, prepare, test Muck Tilling Sowing, choosing seeds Planting, (onions, beans, potatoes)
Session 2 Review past month Q&A Options ...	Review past month – onions, broad beans, potatoes, leaves, brassicas, beetroot; tomatoes. Goslings. Q&A Tools, irrigation. Rotation Coming up – Pumpkin, carrots Incubation Marketing intro.
Session 3 Review past month Q&A Options ...	Review past month – weeding; sow pumpkin, carrots; goslings; prep greenhouse and transplant tomatoes. Irrigation – field and greenhouse Tools – hoes, rakes. Organisation. Making cheese – intro and tips. Apiary.
Session 4 Review past month Q&A Options ...	Review past month - crop progression, heavy weeding, irrigation, pigeon problem, broad bean problem, tomato problem, sow french beans. Chicken/goose egg combined incubation, development, feeding. Finishing new hives and supering the established bee hive. Making hay. Irrigation issues - reservoir. Tools - scare tape, hoes/spade, tractor, disc mower, flail. Organisation - work load, self management.
Session 5 Electrical and plumbing 101 Building Review past month Q&A	Basic electrical and plumbing trouble shooting. Building a shed - foundation and main structure. Review past month - hay making, pests (cabbage butterfly, slugs, aphids), harvest/sale/storage (endive, radish, chard, onions, broad beans, courgette, potatoes), tomato sideshoots, propagating amaryllis and empress tree. Tractor breakdown. Mixed poultry flock. Tools - scythe, 3/4" (19mm) hose and quick couplings.
Session 6 Recap Review past month Tools Weeding conversation	Recap: water pump pressure switch, building shed, poultry koop, tractor maintenance. Chainsaw basics Plots: French beans, 2-wheel tractor with potato lifter, clear broad beans, gourd progress, carrot harvesting, leaves pros and cons, cabbage, tomatoes, peaches. Tools: 3/4" (19mm) hose, netting, harvest scissors. Weeding conversation.
Session 7 Review all plots. Q&A	Q&A: potato problem, poultry defeathered, starting up. Plots wrap-up: broad beans, begin next year sowing, gourds, roots/carrots, potatoes, leaves (radish, endive, chard), brassicas, tomatoes, broad beans. Slabbing, welding, misc. Can you make a living ...? Rotation? "Grow your own", ...

What’s it like to produce your own food and fuel?

Join us each month throughout the growing season to explore life as a smallholder.
See the cycles of nature and experience the rhythms of life.

Garden plan * Growing clean food * Hay * Beekeeping *
Poultry * Animal husbandry * Forestry * Tools & machinery

Book Here

 

An on-line and in person course on growing food and maintaining a smallholding.

We have over 20 years’ experience growing vegetables “by hand”, and will be sharing our experience and knowledge.

On the last Saturday of every month through the growing season from March to September, we will share our experiences how we go about producing hand made food and explore other aspects of smallholding like machinery, building, hay making, forestry etc.  When we’re allowed to meet in person, you will have the option to join us here in the walled garden, and sometimes in the woodland along the River Slaney. We’ll be tilling, planting, weeding, watering and harvesting – and even a bit of logging too. Keep in touch and learn about all our events at www.BallinTemple.com

See the intro on YouTube here.

Please register in good time to receive zoom log in details and handouts.  Thank you.

Book Here

A Smallholder's Garden - introductory walk around the garden from astraea on Vimeo.

Dates:

Session 1 - Planning, Soil, Sowing - March 27

April 24

May 29

June 26

July 31

August 28

September 25

Book Here

What’s it like to produce your own food and fuel?

Join us each month throughout the growing season to explore life as a smallholder.
See the cycles of nature and experience the rhythms of life.

Garden plan * Growing clean food * Hay * Beekeeping *
Poultry * Forestry * Tools & machinery

Book Here

 

An on-line and in person course on growing food and maintaining a smallholding.

We have over 20 years’ experience growing vegetables “by hand”, and will be sharing our experience and knowledge.

On the last Saturday of every month through the growing season from March to September, we will share our experiences how we go about producing hand made food and explore other aspects of smallholding like machinery, building, hay making, forestry etc.  When we’re allowed to meet in person, you will have the option to join us here in the walled garden, and sometimes in the woodland along the River Slaney. We’ll be tilling, planting, weeding, watering and harvesting – and even a bit of logging too. Keep in touch and learn about all our events at www.BallinTemple.com

See the intro on YouTube here.

Please register in good time to receive zoom log in details and handouts.  Thank you.

Book Here

A Smallholder's Garden - introductory walk around the garden (2021)

Book Here

Everyone who has done Natural Connections gives it an "A" grade! Following are some comments shared anonymously via feedback forms. Thank you to all of you who have taken part in Natural Connections - you all make it wonderful.

 

"The venue was perfect."

"This course should be compulsory for all teachers."

"I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. The deep thinking will help me to be a better teacher!"

"An excellent course! I thoroughly enjoyed the week... a lovely way to end a busy year... keep up the good work!"

"A lovely week, good company, space to think!"

"Thought provoking sessions in afternoons. Challenging thinking. Yoga ideas are useful for the classroom" -

"The venue was very in-tune with the idea of the course".

"It's good to embrace difference. Loved, loved, loved the thought provoking sessions and challenging conformity. Very respectful hearing of all ideas."

"Really enjoyed yoga, discussion on biomimicry, food miles and biodiversity".

"I definitely will use some of the yoga poses and breathing exercises in school. I also found the brainstorming and discussion led by Tom very interesting and thought provoking."

"Very relaxing yet stimulating setting."

"Really enjoyable - wonderful venue. Great to have space and time to think about and discuss wider issues."

"Very beneficial. Thank you."