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
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...
Show Us Your Land
We're launching a new campaign called Show Us Your Land to create a space to share stories and build community. If you are a farmer or home grower, we'd love for you to share a photo and story from this year's growing season. Fill out the form below to share your...
Top Ten Organic Growers School Blog Posts
Our Top Ten Blogs of All-time We have been doing a lot of behind the scenes work to improve our website recently, and in the process, we’ve been reminded how much great content lives on our blog. We gathered this list of our Top Ten Blogs of All-time, based on...
Journeying on the way to better farming: OGS Introduces Journeyperson program
A beginning farmer is considered someone who has been farming 10 years or less, but even after the first few years or year 10, farmers continue to need support. Organic Growers School is launching our Journeyperson Program, designed for farmers who have been farming on their own for at least 3 years. This program will offer specific and tailored support for your farm business, among a cohort of farmer peers who are experiencing many similar struggles.
Homestead Dreams: How hard times shed light on our destiny
Living a simple life and taking care of the land should have always been our first priority. But now we pick up the pieces that are left from our ancestors, and find where we fit in this movement of sustainable living and going back to the basics. Homestead dreams has become a premier way to figure out where you fit in this movement of healing the earth, and how to plan out your personal organic growing journey.
Apprentice & Farm Hand Orientation w/New Roots Market Garden – WNC CRAFT
The WNC Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (WNC CRAFT) is a farmer network dedicated to training the next generation of farmers by building community, collective education, networking, and support. There is a place for every level of farmer in CRAFT,...
Harvest Conference Spotlight: Cee Stanley
Farming as a Revolutionary Act For Clarenda “Cee” Stanley, farming is a revolutionary act. Stanley grew up on her grandparents’ farm in the Black Belt region of Alabama. Since co-founding Green Heffa Farms in 2018, she has leveraged her marketing and fundraising...
Harvest Conference Spotlight: Patricia Kyritsi Howell
Healing & The Seasons Traditional wisdom worldwide teaches that the Earth has a rhythm made up of seasons and other natural cycles. When people are disconnected from that rhythm, they may become sick. Herbs and seasonal foods help restore the relationship between...
Cuba Through the Seasons
Understanding Cuba When visiting Cuba, expect the unexpected, embrace the adventure and be open to new experiences. Understanding Cuba is a matter of the heart and not of the mind. You are on your way to a third-world country in terms of its economy, yet with a social...