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
Magical Manure: Using a Fungi Filter to Compost Chicken Manure
Decompose and Recompose Those of us seeking to reduce waste and close the nutrient loop have a lot to learn from the original decomposers (or as I like to call them, “recomposers”): Fungi. While the study of the fungal queendom is relatively new and underdeveloped in...
Stinging Nettle Pesto
Stinging Nettle demands your attention! This prickly spring weed is cursed by many, but loved by Indigenous people, herbalists, and curious foodies. Stinging Nettle is incredibly medicinal and nutritious, bringing ease to seasonal allergies with its natural...
2021 Spring Conference Highlights
Conference Highlights Our 28th Annual Spring Conference took place from March 13-21, 2021. We met VIRTUALLY for the first time, and enjoyed hosting speakers and attendees from across the United States (as far away as Alaska!).One of the things our staff enjoyed...
Where Wild Hopes Come True
The Apprentice Link database connects people who are serious about learning the sustainable farming trade with farmers who are willing to teach them in an apprenticeship setting. Our programs’ emphasis is specifically in the Southern Appalachians, with a focus on...
2021 Spring Conference Schedule & Registration Available!
Since its inception 28 years ago, the OGS Spring Conference has provided a one-of-a-kind venue for knowledge exchange and community building among growers in Appalachia while remaining practical, affordable, and accessible. This year, as we take the event online for...
Spring Conference Keynote Speakers
Introducing our 2021 Spring Conference Keynotes We are thrilled to welcome such accomplished and knowledgeable Keynote Speakers to our 28th Annual Spring Conference. The educators featured in our Keynote Talks and Track Workshops are sure to inspire and equip you with...
Renaming Homestead Dreams
The Problematic term “Homestead” In light of the need for a long-overdue acknowledgment that our nation is built on unceded land stolen from Indigenous peoples, we at Organic Growers School will be changing the name of our Homestead Dreams class. We want to provide an...
It’s Learning Season
Winter has arrived in the Southern Appalachian region. The morning earth is often covered in frost, and the days are still short. Winter is the perfect time for learning and deepening your knowledge. We have a host of wonderful learning opportunities coming up for you...
Speaking Out Against Injustice
We at Organic Growers School have been processing the recent actions of white supremacist mobs in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere, and those who encouraged them. As part of our commitment to social justice, we see it as our responsibility to speak up, to not be silent,...
Organic & Other Certification Options
Here at OGS we like to celebrate farms that are doing the things we believe in — making local, sustainably grown food accessible to our community; educating the next generation of farmers; and approaching farming in an ecological way. We are not organic with a big...