Organic Living
“We do not inherit the planet from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
―Native American Saying
Organic Living refers to making life choices that are healthy for people, communities, and the planet. If you’ve heard about climate change, soil erosion, the declining health of our nation’s people, toxins in the food supply, or any other alarming news stories that are making you think more critically about current events and your lifestyle, OGS can help!
March 13-21, 2021 • Online
The Spring Conference is a one-of-a-kind event that offers regionally specific workshops on organic growing and sustainable living. We will open registration and publish the 2021 schedule, class and workshop descriptions, and instructor bios in mid-December 2020.
Find Organic Food
Organic Growers School is dedicated to providing information on conscientiously grown food in the WNC region. To be included in this listing, Organic Growers School has vetted each farm to determine that they are 1) actively engaged in the local community and 2) using organic and/or sustainable production methods. Organic Certification is not required, but we ask that farms and farmers are “in-the-know” and conscientiously practicing organic standards.
Begin searching for fresh local food by entering a keyword or filtering by products produced!
Consulting Services
Available Year-Round
OGS offers a variety of consulting services with hourly follow-up support and reduced fees available, including 1) assessment of land that you own or want to purchase; 2) assessment of your farm, garden, or homestead; and 3) guidance for your land-based project.
Help create a thriving food & farming community.
Your donations help fund scholarships and programs for farmers.
Stay Informed With Our Blog
What Does it Mean to Decolonize Organic Agriculture?
OGS values our shared history of these last 29 years, where participants often reflect all can come and find common ground and fellowship over a shared commitment to organic growing. How we have interpreted and done this over the years has evolved, and we’ve had to...
From Backyard Gardener to Soil Engineer
Growing vegetables and fruits with his mom in an urban setting at a young age inspired a farm dream for Rolando Boye. While still in his 20s, Rolando had a growing interest in medicinal herbs and their health properties. Rolando’s learning path led him to develop his...
Radical Change & Realizing a Farm Dream as a BIPOC Coop
As an immigrant from the war-ravaged country of El Salvador and with no formal experience, Delia Noemi Jovel Duhon saw farming as an opportunity to access collective power, autonomy, resilience, and economic and food sovereignty. For Delia, farming is also a political...
GivingTuesday Interview with The AppaLatin Farmstead
Save the date for GivingTuesday, launching November 30th! GivingTuesday has become a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. Organic Growers School is enthusiastically joining this...
4 Ways To Start Living Self-Sufficient Lifestyle Right Now + Why Start ASAP
Do you have visions of animals grazing in lush pastures, productive gardens brimming with produce, and a fully stocked pantry full of home-grown food? You’re not alone! This is the ultimate dream for many, but is it actually possible? And how do you get there?...
Bayer’s Glyphosate Announcement: Cause for Celebration or Suspicion?
Earlier this week, several friends excitedly sent me the news that Bayer (Monsanto’s parent company) announced that they would be removing glyphosate from RoundUp, the most popular herbicide in the United States. Glyphosate, the active ingredient in the company’s...
How To Grow The Next Generation Of Organic Farmers
A recent survey has identified that nearly 70% of the fresh produce sold in stores across the US contains traces of pesticides. With this fact in mind, it’s all the more important that people not only embrace organic farming, but crucially, get America’s kids...
Garden Wisdom with Diana McCall
Many of my clearest childhood memories involve eating a fruit or vegetable within a few hours of harvest: fists wrapped around an enormous peach, the juice dripping down my chin...pushing wheelbarrows of tomatoes up the hill to the picnic table for...
Many Paths to Success
This week we’re celebrating the success stories of Farm Beginning graduates, OGS Staff and Board members. These hardworking, passionate individuals all show up in various ways to the farming and gardening world. It goes to show we all have different visions when it...
Ethical Foraging- Responsibility and Reciprocity
What is Ethical Foraging? You may have noticed foraging and wildcrafting have taken the spotlight in recent years, especially among social media platforms and the rewilding movement. Foraging, or wildcrafting, is the practice of harvesting plants, fungus,...