Name: Nourishing Gardens Training
Start: 2025-04-03T18:00:00-04:00
End: 2025-04-03T20:00:00-04:00
Location: 8000 Harriet Tubman Ln

Learn everything you need to know to begin planning, building, planting, and maintaining your food garden.
About this Event

CEI's Nourishing Gardens Training is designed to help beginning gardeners and farmers learn the information and practice the skills they need to successfully grow their own garden or farm. The training includes comprehensive, practical, and hands-on experiences; delivered through Canvas online learning platform, in-person classes, and weekend garden work sessions that arm participants with skills needed to roll up their sleeves and start gardening. CEI offers a unique local perspective on urban agriculture based on experience stewarding Freetown Farm, a 6.4-acre farm in Columbia, MD, as well as Nourishing Gardens installed throughout Howard County.

As a Nourishing Gardens training participant, you will have the opportunity to make a difference in your community while gaining hands-on experience replacing turf with ecologically beneficial food gardens. The training, initially a 10-week training program is comprised of a 5-week beginner series and 5-week Intermediate series, which can be taken independently.

Beginner training: Learn everything you need to know to begin planning, building, planting, and maintaining a food garden.

Intermediate training: Go beyond the basics to start thinking about how to design & layout your garden using permaculture design techniques, non-traditional garden styles (edible landscapes, pollinator gardens, rain gardens, urban farming, etc.), building and caring for your garden (including building raised garden beds and W**d, pest, and disease management), and preserving and using your harvest.

Commitment: To get the most out of the program, participants should plan to engage in the full program as outlined.
10-week training program (or 5-week session);
1-2 hours of independent learning each week;
2-hour in-person learning session each Thursday, 6pm - 8pm (online option available upon request);
Experiential learning sessions to apply the knowledge from the week to real-life installations each Saturday at a school or community within Howard County; and
Participants must be at least eighteen years of age and able to provide their own transportation to installation sites within Howard County.

Course schedule:
Beginner Training (April 3rd - May 3rd)
Thursday, April 3, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. | Orientation & Introduction to lawn transition
Saturday, April 5, 1:00 - 3:00p.m.* | In-person experience
Thursday, April 10, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. | Planning & Building a food garden
Saturday, April 12, 1:00 - 3:00p.m.* | In-person experience
Thursday, April 17, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. | Planting a food garden
Saturday, April 19, 1:00 - 3:00p.m.* | In-person experience
Thursday, April 24, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. | Maintaining a food garden
Saturday, April 26, 1:00 - 3:00p.m.* | In-person experience
Thursday, May 1, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. | Harvesting and preserving your produce
Saturday, May 3, 1:00 - 3:00p.m.* | In-person ceremony
* May need to shift to 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. if scheduling conflicts arise

Intermediate Training (May 8th - June 7th)
Thursday, May 8, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. | Permaculture design
Saturday, May 10, 1:00 - 3:00p.m.* | In-person experience
Thursday, May 15, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. | Soil Health & Climate Connection
Saturday, May 17, 1:00 - 3:00p.m.* | In-person experience
Thursday, May 22, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. | Weeds, Pests, & Disease Management
Saturday, May 24, 1:00 - 3:00p.m.* | In-person experience
Thursday, May 29, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. | Edible Landscapes, Natives, Pollinators
Saturday, May 31, 1:00 - 3:00p.m.* | In-person experience
Thursday, June 5, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. | Food Systems
Saturday, June 7, 1:00 - 3:00p.m.* | In-person ending ceremony
* May need to shift to 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. if scheduling conflicts arise

Cost: Registration costs support CEI in our mission to cultivate communities where people and nature thrive together. With your support, we're able to offer flexible paid work opportunities to community members, earn an income that supports the operations of our organization and mission-delivery, and invest in programs that build community, protect our environment, and support the health and wellbeing of our community members.
Space is limited. Registration is required. Drop-in sessions will not be offered.
5-Week Beginner only - $99 plus EventBright fees
5 - Week Intermediate only - $149 plus EventBright fees
10-Week Beginner & Intermediate Together - $179 plus EventBright fees

This course will be led by Loni Cohen, the Community Ecology Institute Nourishing Gardens Program Manager, in collaboration with other CEI experts. Loni is passionate about creating an environment that fosters a mutually beneficial relationship where people and nature thrive together. Loni enjoys sharing her passion for gardening with the community as the Nourishing Gardens Program Manager, Howard County Master Gardener, and CA W**d Warrior.
Event Photos