The Organic Training College, based at the Biological Husbandary Unit, Lincoln, will be starting its next Organic Horticulture course on October 20.

The BHU is on a 10 ha site that was originally established in 1976 and has organic certification from OrganicFarmNZ.

The course starts in October so students can follow the growing year. They will begin in spring with the sowing of seeds and preparation of vegetable beds, and be able to take advantage of the whole summer and autumn growing and harvesting season.

Students thinning carrots at the BHU

From seed to plant
For  student Heather Hughes a real highlight of the course was growing her own organic food, and watching the progress of crops from seed to plant to a vegetable that can be harvested.

In their first year, students study sowing seeds, transplanting, composting, fertilisers, worms, pest and disease control, orchard pruning, companion planting, computers and use of chainsaws. Year 1 students have their own small plot for growing veges, and Year 2 students have a larger, semi-commercial area.

Working at a community garden but realising he didn’t really know much about growing provided the motivation for Simon Riddell to enrol in the course. The course highlight for Simon was "harvesting corn, zucchinis, tomatoes and other fruits of our labour. And the people on the course. The tutors are great too – there’s an amazing amount of knowledge there.”

Work experience
Students also get work experience weeks that give them a taste of a particular sector of the organic industry.

“Work experience is valuable for the students,” says course director Bill Martin.

Students have gone to market gardens, apple orchards, cropping farms, sheep properties, organic retail outlets and native bush reserves, and there had been a good response from the hosts, he said.

Students come from a wide range of backgrounds, a proportion of which carry on to do the Year 2 course. There are no fees for the course, and no prior educational or work experience is required. Students with some horticultural background or training could go straight into Year 2.

Part-time as well as full-time options are available.

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For more information on the Organic Horticulture course, please contact Bill Martin, Course Director, on 325.3684, or email college@bhu.co.nz or see the website www.bhu.co.nz.