Mayo Abbey Parish Dev. Co. Ltd.


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Horticulture

Training

A new horticulture course will be commencing at Mayo Abbey Organic Centre on the 17th February 2014, for more details click here.



Organic Horticulture


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Horticulture
FETAC Level 3 CF0064
Beginners Course


Duration: 7 Days (now rescheduled over 4 full days
Total Hours: 8 hours x 7
Training Body: St Colman's Training Centre
Includes: Tuition & Certification & Materials

This course is for beginners and specialises in organic growing with main emphasis on vegetable growing.
Areas covered

  • Life Cycle of plant
  • Preparing ground
  • Protected Cropping - Polytunnels, green houses
  • Maintaining the plants
  • Fruit Growing
  • Pest & Disease Control


Daily Programme

Day 1
Keeping a gardening diary & identifying areas of team work. Planning - vegetable sowing, planting times, polytunnel plan. Plant garlic, onion bulbs & potatoes.

Day 2
Life cycle of plant - seed sowing, Understand annuals, biannual, perennial. Develop safe working practices in community garden. Looking at tools, machinery, common causes of accidents. Hazard symbols.

Day 3
Preparing Ground - soil testing, raised beds, looking after the environment through recycling, Kitchen & garden waste into compost.

Day 4
Fruit growing - soft fruit, apples, pears, trees - disease and pest control. Check Mayo Abbey Apple trees, raspberries, & blackcurrants.

Day 5
Maintain the plants, weeding, hoeing, pinching out tomatoes, keeping diary up to date. Germination time, harvesting time.

Day 6
Pest disease control, spray potatoes, bluestone, organic standards, symbol scheme. Rotation, creating a balance with nature and environment.

Day 7
Protected cropping. Polytunnels, green houses, cloches. Cold frames. Watering, ventilation feeding.

Requirements

All participants must bring a packed lunch, a pen & a pair of suitable boots for the garden.

To view or download the complete FETAC module descriptor please click the link below

http://www.fetac.ie/modules/cf0064.pdf

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Organic Horticulture
FETAC Level 4 N12457
Organic Food


Duration: 10 Days
Total Hours: 8 hours x 10
Training Body: St Colman's Training Centre
Includes: Tuition, Certification and Materials

This Course is designed

  • To develop the knowledge understanding and benefits of local organic food.
  • Give training on the skills needed to produce your own food
  • Encourage the development of community gardens
  • Look at potential markets for selling produce.


This course is suitable for those who plan to establish their own commercial production as well as those who wish to grow fruit and vegetables for their own use.

Topics Covered include

  • Crop Management
  • Organic Fruit Growing
  • Soil Analysis
  • Planning your Garden
  • Growing and Maintaining a range of crops
  • Protected Cropping
  • Herbs
  • Potential Markets for selling your crops


Daily Programme

Day 1
Crop management, garden diary, Personal plan, marking sheets. Note: Weather, temperature, nature each week. Seed varieties. Sow Seeds. What is organic / conventional food. Organic standards, symbols and inspection

Day 2
Fruit - Propagate a variety of fruit, bush cuttings. Choose and grow a range of organic fruit trees and bushes suitable for their own garden. Pruning, pest and disease. Check Mayo Abbey orchard and strawberries.

Day 3
Soil Analysis, nutrients, maintaining fertility;. Composting, green manure, preparing ground, ploughing, machinery

Day 4
Plan your garden. What crops to grow for year round supply, veg & 1 herbs outside and protected crops. Where does our food come from? Fair trade, GMO's

Day 5
Sowing & maintaining a range of crops, weed management and feeding plants. Look at and visit local markets. Price organic. Local organic; Conventional food - consider food miles.

Day 6
Protected cropping. Advantages - varieties for longer growing season. Irrigation, cost tunnel, glass house etc. Micro climate, growing best crops to suit local conditions, soil, frost.

Day 7
Herb propagation and harvesting all year. Advantages of local organic food. Plan source and cost organic meal form local organic food. Share experiences and information with group. Sprout seeds.

Day 8
Pest & disease control Rotation, resistant varieties, predators, barriers. Harvest and make organic salad with leafy greens and herbs.

Day 9
Design a local food garden with local landscaping with suitable fruit trees, bushes and plants. Explain permaculture in terms of local food production. Identify 5 wild life habitats. Identify plants that particularly benefit wild life (predators). Students to demonstrate a range of companion planting techniques and the benefits for food production.

Day 10
Potential market opportunities for selling organic produce. Prices - packaging. Harvesting seed saving, re-cap and hand in Garden Diary, own garden design, all short written records.

Please Note
The above daily activity is subject to change and is only provided as a generally guide

Requirements
All participants must have completed Organic Horticulture FETAC Level 3 or have a background in Horticulture. Also please note participants must bring a packed lunch, a pen & a pair of suitable boots for the garden.

To view or download the complete FETAC module descriptor please click the link below

http://www.fetac.ie/modules/N12457.pdf


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Organic Horticulture
FETAC Level 5 L22118
Organic Food Crops

Requirements:

All participants must have completed Organic Horticulture FETAC Level 3 and or FETAC Level 4. Also must bring a packed lunch, a pen & a pair of suitable boots for the garden.

Duration: 10 Days
Total Hours: 8 hours x 10
Training Body: St Colman's Training Centre
Includes: Tuition & Certification & Materials

The module is designed to provide the learner with knowledge and understanding of the principles of food crop production and enable learners to develop the practical skills necessary for the successful production of a wide range of food crops.

The course is grouped into 6 units; they are as follows:

Unit 1 Cultivation and Manuring
Unit 2 Pests and Diseases
Unit 3 Weed Control
Unit 4 Safety and Health
Unit 5 Growing of Vegetable Crops
Unit 6 Growing of Fruit Crops

Daily Programme

Day 1
Propagation. Project Brief. Record keeping. Start Project 1 Protective Crop Production

Day 2
Protective crop tunnel planning and management
Start project 2 Outside veg production.

Day 3
Organic fruit production - cane fruit, bush fruit, top fruit. Start project 3 Fruit crop production

Day 4
Soil cultivation and preparation. Soil types and structure

Day 5
Outside veg production of main vegetable families and methods of producing quality crops

Day 6
Protective cropping structures - Exploring their benefits

Day 7
Nutrient Management, crop rotations, green manures, composting, FYM

Day 8
Organic fruit management plan.

Day 9
Pest & disease control and prevention Organic standards and conversion

Day 10
Harvesting Marketing and selling year round supply of organic crops.


Learners are required to keep a portfolio of work.

To view or download the complete FETAC module descriptor please click the link below

http://www.fetac.ie/modules/L22118.pdf


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