DATE: 9/9/04

CONTACT: Geoff Zehnder, (864) 656-6644

WRITER: Diane Palmer, (864) 656-4741

Organic Grower’s School is Sept. 25 at Clemson

CLEMSON – If you are interested in organic farming or gardening, the fourth annual South Carolina Organic Grower's School at Clemson University on Sept. 25 is just for you.

Registration will begin at 8 a.m. in the Poole Agricultural Building . The workshops will run from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Registration cost is $30 for Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) members and $35 for non-members. A box lunch will be available for a nominal charge and must be ordered with registration.

The grower's school is designed to provide regionally specific information and resources on organic practices for farmers and gardeners.

Workshops led by local experts will cover a range of topics on organic farming and gardening as well as sustainable living. Participants will be able to choose the workshops most appropriate to their interests.

“We have a small, but growing, organic farming movement in South Carolina and quite a bit of interest in organic gardening,” said Geoff Zehnder, Clemson University professor of entomology and coordinator of Integrated Pest Management and Sustainable Agriculture Programs. “It is more difficult to grow organically in the South, but not impossible. It does require additional planning and some extra work.”

Organic farming practices are used at the Calhoun Field Laboratory farm on the Clemson University campus.

The school is being sponsored by the Clemson University Sustainable Agriculture Program and CFSA.

Registration information and a listing of workshop topics and times are available on the CFSA website at www.carolinafarmstewards.org.

For more information contact CFSA at (919) 542-2402 or Geoff Zehnder by e-mail at zehnder@clemson.edu.

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