Man can that guy talk!

I had the good fortune as a student to have some very enthusiastic, engaging teachers.  One in particular lead me to explore writing and public speaking in ways that I probably would not have if I hadn’t met and looked up to her.  All these years later I find that my experience at that point in my life has allowed me to do some very interesting things, particularly related to standing up in front of large groups of strangers and speaking at length about things that interest me.

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This weekend, in fact, I’m leading a hands-on clinic/lecture at the home of one of Bangor’s most interesting small businesses, Central Street Farmhouse.  This will mark the third year I’ve been invited to lead a ‘Square Foot Gardening’ class in the CSF Pocket Park, a beautiful little spot that the owners, Zeth and Betsy Lundy, have reclaimed from the depths of disrepair and turned into a haven for brewers, gardeners and passersby alike.

The class will begin at 9 am. in the pocket park adjacent to Central Street Farmhouse.  You can learn more about the class by visiting the CSF Facebook page.  Hopefully, you’ll visit the page, check it out and have your smart phone remind you that you need to be at Central Street Farmhouse at 9 am on Saturday May 10th.

I’ll be discussing many ways you can produce your own fresh, healthy, synthetic chemical free food no matter how little space you think you have.  As a commercial farmer I farm using square foot gardening methods that were used in Paris in the mid 1700’s by the maraîchères, which were market gardeners farming an average of 2 acres of land.  These small landowners were able to produce enough fresh produce, year round, to feed the city and export throughout the continent.  I follow this model and it is essentially a commercial version of square foot gardening, which has taken off as the food revolution has expanded here in the U.S. over the last decade.

 

I’ll also be showing all who attend the clinic how to extend the season (quite short here in our beautiful home state of Maine) in order to be as self sufficient as possible throughout the year.  Simple tricks that use everything nature provides allow people to produce their own fresh produce year round using the free, non fossil fuel burning heat from the sun.

So if you’d like to learn more about how you can grow your own produce in your back yard, on your porch or even on your window sills, I hope to see you at Central Street Farmhouse on Saturday May 10 at 9 am.  It’s strictly hands-on!  We’ll be planting the CSF Pocket Park gardens during the clinic so you can see how to fit a surprising amount of production into a small space.  Local Food.  Eat well – be well.

Ryan Parker

About Ryan Parker

Ryan Parker is a farmer, writer, artist and musician. He currently lives in Central Maine with his wife, two children, a golden retriever, some pigs and chickens. He raises pastured and forested animals and grows a diverse range of vegetables without synthetic chemicals, pesticides, herbicides or taxpayer subsidies.