Growing Food & Planning/Preparing your Garden

Afternoon Demonstrations:

Join our main student body in our demonstration kitchen for an afternoon demonstration. You will receive a copy of the recipes and a tasting plate at the end of the class. The demonstration room is equipped with a large overhead mirror and Monitors for closeup work. We release details of recipes to be demonstrated 2 weeks in advance.

Afternoon Cookery Classes begin at 2PM, however please try to be at cookery school for 1:45PM.

Guests will get a copy of all recipes and tastings of all dishes at the end of the demonstration. Please note you will be joining our main student body for this demonstration.

Details of Recipes to be demonstrated are published approximately 2 weeks in Advance.

Growing food doesn’t start in the warm summer months, it starts in the Winter. An essential part of being successful is in planning and preparation. This 1 day course at the Ballymaloe Organic Farm School will teach you this skill. Come learn everything from the basics of garden design plus crop planning, seed sowing, how to properly keep records for the next year and so much more.

What You’ll Learn:

How to Identify your Soil Type
Garden/Farm design from both a practical and visual perspective
Crop planning, with a focus on seasonal rotation
How different crops affect soil and how to use rotation/companion planting to maintain healthy beds
How to sow seeds and when in order to meet your intended harvest time
The importance of using compost in bed preparation
Record keeping and how to utilize wins/losses in future planning

Course Elements:

Indoor and Outdoor Classroom Learning
Tour of the Organic Farm, Gardens and Greenhouses
Hands on Learning and Observation in our 1 Acre Organic Glasshouse
Learn directly from the Ballymaloe Organic Farm & Garden Team

Good to Know:

As we’ll spend time walking and learning around the farm, please bring suitable clothing and footwear - to allow for changeable weather!
Refreshments and lunch included
The course is held at Ballymaloe Cookery School & Organic Farm and Gardens in Shanagarry, Co. Cork P25 R274- a biodiverse working organic farm and greenhouses.
Tea, coffee & Ballymaloe natural sourdough, homemade Jersey butter and seasonal jams will be served from 9am on the first day of the course so please arrive early to sign in, meet other students and get ready for a busy week of hands on learning

Eligible participants living in Ireland can avail of a generous cost reduction on this course through our course partners National Organic Training Skillnet. TBC. Please contact for further details.

The prestigious Ballymaloe 12 WeekCertificate Course is run three times a year, with courses beginning in January,April or May, and September.

The course is aimed at anyone with a passionate interest in food. Many of our students use the course as a springboard to become a professional chef; others use it to equip themselves with a marketable skill.

Others still take the course simply to maximize the pleasure they get from cooking at home.

Students develop a deep and detailed understanding of food and how it is produced. The emphasis is on recognising the best ingredients and knowing how to showcase them.

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