Grow Veggies Program

Photos from the Grow Veggies program

Program Introduction
Curriculum
In-Person Programs
Online Program
Program Registration

Feb 1st Update: We are still accepting registrations for our Online Program!

PROGRAM INTRODUCTION

Learn how to grow vegetables successfully at home and in your community through our Grow Veggies program!

Program participants will learn what plants need to grow, how to plan and plant an organic garden, and how to deal with common challenges encountered by gardeners, including weeds, pests, and diseases. Our goal is to provide you with the knowledge and confidence to grow your own food and we will provide you with the training and encouragement to do exactly that. 

We offer both In-Person and Online programs to accommodate all schedules.

CURRICULUM

Classroom and workshop sessions on timely topics including:

IN-PERSON PROGRAMS

Duration

  • Once a week for 7 months

Cost

  • The total cost for the in-person program is $480. This includes 7 months (31 weeks) of program instruction, handouts and resources, a share of the harvest (amongst those in attendance), and everything that we’ll need to grow vegetables in our team garden plot including seeds, supplements, tools, etc. 

Dates and Times

  • Choose between:
    • Tuesdays starting at 6:00 pm from March 21 to October 17 [Sold out]
    • Thursdays starting at 6:00 pm from March 23 to October 19 [Sold out]
    • Saturdays starting at 10:00 am from March 25 to October 21 [Sold out]
  • The initial online sessions will last for 90 minutes, and the in-person sessions will run until just before sunset on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and mid-day on Saturdays.

Location

  • Classes start on Zoom while the weather’s chilly and move to in-person sessions at our urban farm once it warms up (typically in late April)
  • Our urban farm is located in Toronto’s Downsview park (the closest intersection is Keele and Downsview Park Blvd: click here for MAP
  • There is free parking on-site, and the farm is TTC accessible

Includes

  • Full curriculum, initially taught live over Zoom, but primarily delivered in-person at our team garden
  • Homestead T.O. Grow Veggies textbook and other resources
  • On-demand playback of online recordings until the end of the year
  • Opportunity to ask questions
  • Full season of hands-on experience growing vegetables together
  • Share of the harvest amongst those in attendance

Who’s this suitable for? Anyone who:

  • Would like to gain hands-on experience in growing vegetables
  • Is looking to help create food security in their community
  • Wants to improve their connection to the food that they eat
  • Wants a share of the organically-grown vegetables that they had a hand in growing
  • Is looking for an opportunity to work hard and have fun!

ONLINE PROGRAM

Duration

  • Once a week for 15 weeks

Cost

  • The cost for the Online program is $180. This includes 15 live and interactive sessions, handouts and resources, follow-along-from-home demonstrations, a tour of the urban farm, and the ongoing ability to ask questions about gardening best practices along with what is happening in your home gardens.

Dates and Times

  • Wednesday evenings from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm from March 22 to June 28
  • Webinar recordings will be made available for anyone who can’t attend live

Location

  • Online via Zoom

Includes

  • Full curriculum taught live over Zoom
  • Homestead T.O. Grow Veggies textbook and other resources
  • On-demand playback of online recordings until the end of the year
  • The ability to follow along at home in activities such as seed-starting, garden planning and set-up, customized plant fertilization, harvesting, and seed saving
  • Opportunities to ask questions and discuss successes and challenges in your garden
  • Farm tour

Who’s this suitable for? Anyone who:

  • Would like to gain experience in growing vegetables
  • Is looking to help create food security in their community
  • Wants to improve their connection to the food that they eat
  • Prefers not to travel to our urban farm in Toronto but has space at home or in a community garden to grow while learning
  • Note, participants can attend online from anywhere, but our curriculum focuses on growing in a southern-Ontario climate

PROGRAM REGISTRATION

Register for our 2023 In-Person and Online Grow Veggies Programs on our Corsizio page, or reach out if you have any questions. Let’s grow together in 2023!

Click to Register
Want to turn your hobby into a career?

Upon completion of the In-person Grow Veggies program, graduates can apply to our Growing Urban Farmers program where you can rent your own 500-sqft vegetable plot next to our teaching garden, and have access to tools and mentorship as you learn to grow on your own in a larger space. Following that, you have the opportunity to grow food for a living through our partnership with Zawadi Farm.

Learn More

“The Program was excellent, no questions. Derek knows an awful lot about growing food and he’s very good at sharing that knowledge with others. And beyond the many useful learnings, the other great thing about this course is coming home every week with a bag full of tasty veg! If you have an interest in growing your own food, I highly recommend this program.”

~ Dirk Kalff, Grow Veggies Graduate