Jack Jezreel will be hosting eight monthly classes from March through October from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays at his home in Louisville, KY. The series, entitled “Yard Farming,” will explore how to rethink the use of the typical American yard. The emphasis will be on growing vegetables, fruit, herbs, and cut flowers, and the sessions will address a variety of related topics (see topics to be addressed). All sessions will take place at Jack’s residence and participants will have the opportunity to witness the month-to-month changes, chores and challenges in a very large garden. Each session will include a tour of the yard, attention to a few focused topics, with conversation and questions encouraged at all times.

The motivation for this series is two-fold. First, growing food is immensely satisfying. There is little that is as wonderfully interesting and complex as working with nature, noticing its intricacy, and befriending the forces that feed us all. Being outdoors is a pleasure, and using our bodies for hard work is a gift.

What could be better?

Second, it is hard to imagine that the price of food will not continue to go up. The effect of increasingly harsh weather due to climate change, will impact agriculture everywhere. The cost of irrigation and transport will certainly rise. Growing our own food gives us some relief. In addition, what we can grow fresh in our yards will often taste much better than anything you can get in the store. This “Yard Farming” series will ratchet up the scale of home gardening from hobby to home economics.