Juliette Variety Tomatoes (Four String Farm)

Friends, Kayla and I are excited to host a tomato gardening class at Four String Farm this Saturday, March 18, from 9:00am to noon.

This interactive hands-on workshop will teach you everything you need to know to grow delicious, healthy, prolific tomatoes.  On our farm, we grow thousands of pounds of tomatoes each season.  We will show you the techniques we have developed over the years to get the most sweet and flavorful tomatoes with the least amount of work.

Everything You Need to Know to Grow Wonderful Tomatoes!

We will cover soil health, how and when to plant, tomato varieties, companion planting, how to trellis, irrigation, fertilizing, mulching, pest control, tomatoes in pots, and more. This will be a hands-on class. You will actually plant tomatoes in bare dirt to demonstrate the techniques, and we will answer all your questions in the process.

The average tomato plant yields about five to 20 pounds of tomatoes during the season and often gets ravaged by pests and then shuts down in June. We will show you how to get 50 lbs or more from the tomato plants in your garden throughout the summer!

We Will Have Some Helpful Materials on Site, if You Need Them

Some materials, such as a sturdy trellises, can be difficult for a backyard gardener to find in small quantities. We will have these materials available for you.  If you like, we can cut small sections of trellis for you, so you can take home only as much as you need at very little cost.

We will have our favorite varieties of tomato six-packs and 4” plants (along with appropriate companion plants) on hand if you would like them. We will also recommend the stores and other resources in our area where you can find these items.

The cost of this workshop is $20 per person. You must register and pay in advance for this class.

Click here to pay $20 per person to register for The Great Tomato Workshop on March 18 from 9:00am to noon.  We will e-mail you with directions and more details upon registration.

Thank you friends! We look forward to seeing you!

Emma Feeding Cow

Friends, bring your children to Four String Farm for a combined gardening/cooking class on Saturday, November 12, from 9:00am to Noon! Children of all ages are welcome!

Your kids will learn how to plant a small starter garden and how to cook something delicious out of it! We want your little ones to go home with the skills to prepare their own meal from produce they grow themselves.

Kid’s Gardening/Cooking Class Agenda

The kids will begin the class by tending to the pigs and interacting with our goats and cows along the way. They will feed the laying hens and learn about egg production. These activities are designed to show kids where food really comes from.

Next, the children will plant their own starter garden. They will get their hands in the dirt, dig, plant seeds, and water their garden.

Then they will prepare a meal from their freshly-picked harvest. They will make their own homemade pizza from scratch and dress the pizza with ingredients from the garden.

Parent or Guardian is Required

Each child must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times. Your job as an adult in this class will be to keep your little ones safe and make sure they behave. There will be some walking and standing for you while the little ones plant their garden.  For the safety of the children and our animals, farm rules must be obeyed at all times!

During the cooking portion of the class you can cook with your child or relax in a lawn chair in the shade and enjoy complementary water or a delightful refreshment from Groovie Smoothie (available for purchase).

How to Sign up for the Class

This will be a small class to make sure each participant gets the most out of this experience. You must register and pay for this class in advance. Registration closes November 11 or when the class is full.

Click to register one or more children for this class.

Once you complete your payment online, we will email you directions to the farm and additional details and information about this class.

We are so excited to have you and your little ones out at the farm! We look forward to a wonderful day of learning and fun!

Mud Pies optional but not on the menu in this class!

Join Brittany Barnes and Kayla Butts at Four String Farm this Saturday, May 7, from 9:00am to noon, for a Whole30 Workshop!

Brittany is a Certified Natural Health Professional and Kayla is a registered and licensed dietitian (see more about the instructors below).

In this workshop, Brittany and Kayla will deconstruct this popular 30-day program to help you regain a healthy metabolism and decrease the amount of inflammation in your body.

The premise of the Whole30 program is “to change your life in 30 days”, and you can do it! This workshop will unlock the secrets and details of the Whole30 program and offer you insightful tips for a healthy diet.

Kayla Butts MS, RD, LD will begin the class by giving you an educational tour of the Four String Farm gardens and animal paddocks, explaining and illustrating how farming methods affect nutrition and health.

The second half of the class will take place indoors, where Brittany Barnes will lead a discussion of the Whole 30 program. She will prepare one of her favorite Whole30 dishes and answer all your questions in the process.

The class will include a meal plan as well as recipes for you to take home.

The cost for this class is $35. This will be a small class with personalized attention by Brittany and Kayla, and pre-registration and payment is required.

Please register for this class by clicking here: We are so sorry, this class is closed!  Please sign up on this site to receive updates about future classes.  Thank you so much!

What: Whole30 Workshop

Where: Four String Farm in Rockport, TX

When: May 7^th, 9:00am to Noon

Cost: $35 (Pre-registration is required) We are so sorry, this class is closed!  Please sign up on this site to receive updates about future classes.  Thank you so much!

About the Instructors:

Brittany Barnes is a Level One Certified CrossFit Trainer who trains at Rockport Health & Fitness and for individuals. She completed her certification during her Senior year as a homeschool student. Whole body fitness is her passion, which led her to becoming a Certified Natural Health Professional in March 2016. She understands the balance between healthy eating and exercise which aid in a more productive lifestyle, and desires to help others achieve their goals also.

Kayla Butts is a registered, licensed dietitian, farmer, food writer, and home chef. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from The University of Texas and her Master of Science in Nutrition from Texas Woman’s University. Her passion is making nutritious food accessible and practical. She loves teaching kids how to prepare their own meals, especially her three daughters.

Kayla with Harvest in a Three Sisters Garden

Friends, please join us for a Three Sisters gardening class at Four String Farm this Saturday, March 19, from 9:00am to 11:00am.

The Three Sisters is the ancient Native American technique for companion planting corn, beans, and squash (plus pumpkins, melons, cucumbers, nasturtiums, and herbs). This method is an easy and efficient way to grow a tremendous amount of food with minimal work or expense.

The Three Sisters method is possibly the best-kept gardening secret in America.  But on Saturday, we will share the secrets of this ancient technique to help you grow a variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers right in your own garden.   Our farm will be featured in a Smithsonian exhibit demonstrating this method.

In this workshop, we will teach you everything you need to know to plant a small or large Three Sisters garden. Whether you want to fill a little planter in your front yard, or grow enough produce to feed your family, this workshop will give you with the skills to do it.

We will begin with bare dirt and plant several variations of the technique. We will even show you how Squanto taught the Pilgrims to bury fish as fertilizer!

This workshop will be held out-of-doors on our farm.  Please wear long pants, close-toed shoes, and bring a hat.  This will be a small class with personalized instruction, and we will answer all your gardening questions as we go.

As part of the cost of this class, you will receive a starter seed packet prepared by me and Kayla, as well as seed packets of heirloom corn, beans, and squash.

The cost of this workshop is $35 per person, and a portion of the proceeds will go to a local charity. You must pay in advance for this class. Directions to our farm with more detailed information will be e-mailed to you once you complete the payment.

We are so sorry, this class is full.  To find out about upcoming classes, please subscribe to this blog to get updates about classes and other information.  Thank you, have a wonderful day!

Thank you, we look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

Working in a Winter Garden

Friends, we will offer a gardening class at Four String Farm on Saturday, January 30, from 10:00am to noon.

This will be a small class that includes a private tour of our gardens and animal paddocks. Space in the class is limited to allow the most personalized attention to the attendees. You must register and pay in advance to reserve your place–please see steps below.

The Secrets of Heritage Gardening

Our gardening methods are a unique blend of techniques I learned from visiting farms all over the world. Most of our techniques I discovered in history books, and I have never seen them in practice until we planted them on our farm. You will not find these methods in a typical gardening book.

We will begin this class by sharing an overview of heritage gardening: creating healthy soil; where and when to plant; intensive beds; companion planting; natural pest control; mulching; fertilizer; and irrigation.

We will take a walking tour of our gardens and animal paddocks during the discussion to illustrate these principles by example from the garden. We will even plant a starter Three Sisters garden with your help! This class will demonstrate how we start with beach sand but go on to harvest such incredible yields of healthy, delicious, chemical-free produce.

Our goal is to help you translate these methods to your own garden. We want to empower you to grow your own produce, a lot of it, without chemicals and with minimal work and expense. This class will be guided by your questions, so come ready to find out everything you want to know about growing your own food.

Class by Reservation and Advance Pay Only

This will be a small class; space is limited. To attend, you must pre-register and pay in advance. The cost is $25 per person. Please click on the links below to register and pay.

I will send you an e-mail once we receive your payment to confirm your reservation. Once you are registered, we will send you all the details you need for the class, including our address, what to bring, and directions for parking.

Our friend Danya Heck has graciously agreed to bring Groovie Smoothies to the class! She will have some refreshing beverages for you before and after the class, and you can pay her directly for something tasty.

Expect a Rustic Environment!

We have a true “pioneer” farm, and you will know why we call it that once you get here. You must wear long pants and closed-toed shoes to take this class, preferable blue jeans and boots. Also, dress for the weather—we will hold the class rain or shine. Wear a hat and bring bug repellant.

You will have to walk about half a mile through tall grass, weeds, brush, and uneven terrain during the tour. The class will be something like a nature walk through woods without a trail.  If you can’t safely make this walk through rough terrain, this class in not for you.

Step 1, Register for Class:

First, click here and complete the form to begin your registration:

We’re sorry this class is now full!  You can sign up to follow this blog to get updates and to find out when our next classes are announced.  Thank you!

After you complete the registration form, come back to this page and pay for the class.  Please note, you are not registered for the class until you complete your payment.

Step 2, Pay for Class:

Next, click here and pay:

We’re sorry this class is now full!  You can sign up to follow this blog to get updates and to find out when our next classes are announced.  Thank you!

Please note:  You are not registered until you complete the form and pay for the class.

Once we receive your payment, I will send you and e-mail with your confirmation, plus details, including our address and what to bring.

We look forward to having you! Get ready for a fun and exciting day!

Kayla with Siberian Kale (photo courtesy racheldurrent.com)

Friends, join me for a “Fall Gardening Class” in Rockport this Tuesday, September 15, from noon to 1:00pm.  The class will be held at the Agri-Life Extension Office, 892 Airport Road, Rockport, TX. 361-790-0103.

This class is free and open to the public.  Bring your lunch to this “brown bag lunch” gardening class, and bring a friend!

Fall is the best time of year to garden in South Texas. You can grow all of your favorite produce, the pests are not so bad, and the weather is gorgeous. Your Fall garden can deliver a harvest by Thanksgiving and grow all the way into next summer!

In this class, we will discuss what and when to plant in your Fall garden.  We will cover intensive, successive, companion planting.  We will also show how your garden design helps minimize pests, conserve water, and increase your harvest.

Gardeners of all ages and skill levels are welcome!

What:  “Fall Gardening Class” with Justin Butts

When:  Noon-1:00pm on Tuesday, Sept 15, 2015

Where:  Agri-Life Extension Office, 892 Airport Road, Rockport, TX 361-790-0103

Who: All gardeners of all ages!

Justin with Turnips (photo courtesy racheldurrent.com)

Intensive Successive Companion Planting

Friends, join me for a “Fall Gardening Class” this Saturday, July 12, from 2:00pm to 3:30pm.  The class will be held at Coastal Bend Health Foods, 111 N. Austin Street, TX 78382.

Due to limited space you are encouraged to click on this form to register in advance.

Fall is a wonderful time of year to garden in South Texas. You can grow all of your favorite produce in the Fall, the pests are not so bad, and the weather is gorgeous. Your small garden can deliver a delicious harvest that will grace your table through Thanksgiving and beyond.

In this class, we will discuss what and when to plant for a bountiful Fall garden. By using successive companion planting, you can plant your garden in the Fall and keep it producing all the way into next summer. We will show how your garden design helps minimize pests, conserve water, and increase harvests. We will also discuss steps you can take now to prepare your garden for planting.

Attendees will receive a free copy of the CD from our radio program, “Your Wholesome Heritage Garden”. There is a $10 registration fee for this class.

Gardeners of all ages and skill levels are welcome!

What:  “Fall Gardening” with Justin Butts

When: Saturday, July 12, from 2:00pm to 3:30pm

Where:  Coastal Bend Health Foods, 111 N. Austin Street, TX 78382 (361) 729-4443

Who: All gardeners of all ages!