The Organic Agriculture Trainers Seminar seeks to use principles found in God’s Word and in creation to train individuals in the basics of agriculture. We desire to learn about ways of doing agriculture that will benefit creation on all levels, therefore taking part in the dominion and stewardship given to us by God. We believe that in Christ, God’s desire is to reconcile all things to himself and that through agriculture, relationships can be restored. We desire to discover and use agriculture methods that restore man’s relationship to creation, bringing about conservation and sustainability. We also desire to help the various parts of nature that are found in the garden (soil, animals, bugs, microorganisms, plants etc.) thrive together as God intended. We will learn the basic science of some aspects of growing food as well as have an opportunity to practice basic planting techniques.

OATS stands for Organics Agriculture Trainers Seminar.

CONTENT/ SYLLABUS:

Week 1

• Biblical worldview of agriculture and food security
• Biblical worldview of land
• The role of soil conservation throughout history
• The Science of soil
• Different types of organic farming
• Bio-intensive Agriculture (BIA) – history and overview
• Eight steps to BIA
  1. Designing growing beds and plot design
  2. Using composting to improve soil fertility
  3. Spacing plants closely for better yields and more efficient use of nutrients, light and soil
  4. Using seeds that self-reproduce, reducing reliance on commercial seeds
  5. Pairing plants that are mutually beneficial, attracting good insects and repelling harmful insects without chemicals
  6. Choosing crops that produce high levels of carbon to restore soil
  7. Focusing on crops that provide high nutrients and calories
  8.Creating an overall plan for low input/low cost farming

Week 2:

• Practical Application
• Setting up BIA – Compost creation
• Bed preparation
• Plant selection
• Plant spacing
• Complete diet mini-farm
• Organic pesticides
• Seed propagation Goal: Enhanced & uninterrupted plant growth
• Creating a growing home environment – involving children  

Week 3:

•  Growing in challenging Areas
• Sustainability
• Water resistant crops and cover cropping
• Water harvesting and recycling
• Watering principles and retention
• Maximizing quality & quantity of crops – planning and timing, soil fertility.
• Latest Organic Agricultural Technologies