Rooted & Resilient: Homesteading Skills for Beginners Webinar Series

The Rooted & Resilient: Homesteading Skills for Beginners webinar series offered  by Herkimer County Cornell Cooperative Extension begins at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 via Zoom link. The weekly series runs through April 30, 2025.

Register today at Rooted and Resilient: Homesteading Skills for Beginners

Each session will be recorded.

Grow your gardening skills and cultivate success with Cornell Cooperative Extension Herkimer’s Spring Gardening Workshop Series! These engaging online workshops cover everything from soil health and regenerative gardening to self-sufficiency, pollinator-friendly practices, and maintaining a thriving garden. Learn how to plan, plant, and sustain a productive, resilient garden with expert guidance on topics like watering techniques, composting, pest prevention, and season extension. No matter your space or experience level, this series will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to grow a flourishing, sustainable garden.

March 19th: Spring Gardening: Planning & Planting for Success

Be prepared to grow your own food by participating in this interactive session that will guide you through essential steps for a thriving vegetable garden. Learn how to prepare and evaluate your soil, select and start seeds, build a customized planting calendar, and explore various planting methods—from traditional garden plots to raised beds and container gardening. Plus, discover how to extend your growing season with row covers and cold frames. All of this referenced to our local growing conditions in Herkimer County.

March 26th: Getting Started Right in Beekeeping

Interested in the history and science of beekeeping? Considering making the commitment to starting your own apiary this year? This workshop introduces you to basic beekeeping and is designed for the absolute beginner with no prior knowledge. The session includes the basics of hive management, bee health, harvesting and planning your home apiary. Also discussed will be in-person and on-line resources to continue your learning about beekeeping.

April 2nd: Gardening for Self-Sufficiency

Take control of your food supply and cultivate independence and take control of your food supply with this online workshop! Learn how to grow a productive, sustainable garden that provides fresh, nutritious food for your household year-round. This workshop covers essential techniques for maximizing yields and nutritional benefits, preserving harvests, and selecting the best crops for self-reliance—whether you’re working with a backyard plot, raised beds, or containers. Empower yourself with the skills to reduce grocery bills, eat healthier, and enjoy the satisfaction of homegrown food. Join us and start your journey toward greater self-sufficiency today!

April 9th: Backyard Poultry

Turn your backyard into a source of fresh eggs and sustainable living! Whether you’re a beginner or looking to expand your flock, this workshop covers everything you need to know about choosing the right breeds, setting up a coop, feeding and care, and keeping your chickens happy and healthy. Learn how to raise poultry for fresh eggs, meat, pest control, and even soil enrichment—right in your own backyard! Join us and take the first step toward a more self-sufficient and rewarding homestead.

April 16th: Soil Health and Regenerative Gardening

Create a healthy, thriving soil for your crops to grow in. Learn how to build nutrient-rich, resilient soil that supports plant health, boosts yields, and restores the environment. This workshop covers essential techniques like composting, cover cropping, no-till gardening, and natural soil amendments to create a self-sustaining garden ecosystem. Whether you’re a home gardener or a small-scale farmer, you’ll gain practical knowledge to improve soil fertility, conserve resources, and grow more with less. Join us and start regenerating your garden from the ground up.`

April 23rd: Pollinators and Climate Resilient Gardening

We are all experiencing changing weather patterns that make planning a garden challenging. The region is also seeing a dramatic decline in pollinators that are a critical part of our garden’s growth cycle. Create a vibrant, resilient garden that thrives in changing climates with this workshop. Learn how to attract and support essential pollinators while designing a garden that withstands extreme weather, drought, and shifting seasons. This workshop covers pollinator-friendly plant selection, water-wise gardening techniques, and strategies to build biodiversity for long-term resilience. Home growers will gain the tools to cultivate a flourishing, climate-smart garden that benefits both your harvest and the environment.

April 30th: Maintaining a Thriving Garden

Keep your garden flourishing all season long by learning the best techniques for plant care, including watering efficiently, managing soil moisture, weeding and feeding your plants with natural fertilizers and compost. Discover how to prevent pests and diseases organically, maximize your harvest with succession planting, and properly harvest and store fresh produce for long-lasting enjoyment. Whether you’re growing in a backyard, raised bed, or container garden, this workshop will give you the skills to keep your plants healthy and productive.

For questions or more information please contact Herkimer County CCE at (315) 866-7920 or by email at herkimer@cornell.edu.