In the first video in our Beginning Gardener series, Caleb Goossen, MOFGA’s crop specialist, offers advice and considerations for choosing the best site (plot) for your garden.

Additional resources: How to Grow Organic Crops

Starting plants from seed gives growers access to vast array of variety in the garden. In the second video of our Beginning Gardner series, Dave Colson, operator of New Leaf Farm, guides viewers through starting plants from seed. Colson takes us through every step of the seeding process, including containers, potting mixes, potting, transplanting and record keeping. and

Additional resources: Seed Planting Calendar and Soil-less Mixes for Vegetable Seedling Production. 

The third installment in our Beginning Gardener series focuses on planting. Not sure what the difference is between direct seeding and transplanting? Unsure about how to know what will be most successful? Caleb Goossen, MOFGA’s crop specialist, will demonstrate a few planting methods and describe the reasons for each depending on the crops you’re growing.

Additional resources: Natural Sources of Plant Nutrients

Despite our best efforts, weeds can be a common occurrence in the organic garden. Join Caleb Goossen, MOFGA’s crop specialist for a discussion on some common (and not so common) and creative weeding tools to efficiently clean up your garden in the fourth video in our Beginning Gardener series.

Additional resources: Garden Weeds

Composting is a natural biological process where organisms break down organic material into usable materials for fertilizing in the garden. In the final video of our beginning gardener series, Dave Colson, operator of New Leaf Farm, walks viewers through his three-bin backyard composting system, providing insight into how to create an optimum environment for compost. Colson also discusses common composting mistakes and discusses alternatives for composting in urban areas.

Additional resources: Composting in the Back Yard or on a Small Farm