News & Articles
Ask OGS: Sowing Cold Weather Crops for Farmers
Planning for fall and winter harvests starts with knowing when to sow and how to protect crops as temperatures drop. Learn how to schedule cold-weather plantings, choose appropriate protection, and extend your growing season.
An Abundant Time of Year: How-to Food Preservation
Discover the joys and techniques of home food preservation, from pickling and salsas to fruit butters and sun-dried tomatoes. This guide offers simple recipes and practical tips for capturing the flavors of summer to enjoy all year long. Preserve your harvest and savor delicious, homemade treats through every season.
Understanding Soil pH
Learn what soil pH means, how to read at-home soil tests, and natural ways to improve garden soil for healthier plants and better harvests. Organic Growers School shares practical tips for understanding acidity, nutrients, and long-term soil health.
How to Garden During Drought Without Watering Constantly
Longer dry periods and unpredictable weather are becoming increasingly common almost everywhere, but resilient gardens are built on more than constant watering. Learn practical, research-backed strategies for conserving moisture, improving soil health, reducing plant stress, and helping your garden withstand drought conditions naturally.
The 2026 Spring Conference Cooking Track
Explore the Cooking Track at OGS’s 2026 Spring Conference—hands-on classes blending regional food history, local crops, and practical cooking skills.
Ask OGS: Protecting Cold Frames
Learn how to prepare and protect coldframes for winter, from crop selection and timing to structural support, snow-load strategies, and irrigation winterization. Practical, research-based guidance for resilient winter growing.
Ask OGS: Garlic Planting
Ask OGS: Learn how and when to plant garlic, plus tips on soil prep, fall planting, harvesting, and choosing varieties like softneck, hardneck, and elephant garlic.
Ask OGS: Fall Gardening in WNC
Learn how to plan and grow a thriving fall garden in Western North Carolina — tips on crops, planting times, soil prep, frost protection & organic pest control from OGS.
Springhouse Farm: A Story of Recovery and Resilience
When Hurricane Helene tore through WNC last year, Springhouse Farm in Vilas lost crops, soil, and infrastructure. Yet out of devastation came resilience. With the support of neighbors, students, and fellow farmers, Springhouse rebuilt stronger and more connected than before. This is their story of recovery and community.
Ask OGS: Japanese Beetles
Organic Growers School answers your questions about Japanese beetle control. Learn organic, non-chemical strategies—handpicking, milky spore, traps, neem oil, row covers, beneficial insects, and more—for protecting your garden from Japanese beetles.
Meet Thatchmore Farm: A Preview of Their CRAFT Tour on Resilient Mountain Farming
Ahead of their CRAFT Farm Tour on June 8, we interviewed Liz and Tom Elmore to talk about their unique farming model, their use of renewable energy systems, and their commitment to building a future where small farms play a big role.
Ask OGS: Tackling Tomato Blight
Discover how to prevent and manage early and late blight in organic tomatoes, including expert tips on mulching, copper fungicides, drip irrigation, and disease-resistant varieties, for growers in Western North Carolina.