Fall 2011 Adult Programs

 

Register Now!

 

Community Events

 

harvest dinner & silent auction
Feast on local and organic foods provided by the Natick Community Organic Farm and specially prepared for you by the Welleseley College Club Executive chef. All proceeds will go to our Teen Work Crew program.
When: Monday, September 19

Time: 6 - 9 p.m.
Where: Wellesley College Club, 727 Washington Street, Wellesley
Fee:

$80 per person before September 6

$100 per person after September 6

 

Book Discussion Series
Come and discuss titles related to sustainable living in a mutually supportive and encouraging atmosphere. Join us for all four thought-provoking sessions, or select a discussion or two of particular interest.

When: Wednesdays, September 21, October 19, November 30 and January 11
Time: 7:30 - 9 pm

 

September 21 

Beyond Growth: The Economics of Sustainability, by Herman Daly

“…In a book that will generate controversy, Daly turns his attention to the major environmental debate surrounding ‘sustainable development.’ Daly argues that the idea of sustainable development--which has become a catchword of environmentalism and international finance--is being used in ways that are vacuous, certainly wrong, and probably dangerous. The necessary solutions turn out to be much more radical than people suppose…This is a crucial updating of a major economist's work, and mandatory reading for people engaged in the debates about the environment.” (Utne Reader)

 

October 19

The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America's Underground Food Movements, by Sandor Ellix Katz

“…This is the story of the consumer revolution against globally industrialized agriculture and corporate domination of food production, processing, and distribution systems. Katz…asserts that there are alternatives to the dead, unhealthy, homogenized food commodities this system provides...”

 

November 30

Walden, by Henry David Thoreau

"A century and a half after its publication, Walden has become such a totem of the back-to-nature, preservationist, anti-business, civil-disobedience mindset, and Thoreau so vivid a protester, so perfect a crank and hermit saint, that the book risks being as revered and unread as the Bible." John Updike

 

January 11

The Great Disruption: Why the Climate Crisis Will Bring On the End of Shopping and the Birth of a New World, by Paul Gilding

"An Australian former director of Greenpeace International, Gilding says that our current economic model is driving the system over a cliff. We are already living beyond the planet’s capacity to support us and a crisis is no longer avoidable. … But this is actually a good thing. It will force us to learn that there is more to life than shopping.­ Times (UK)

 

Fee: Free! Please call at 508-655-7666 to pre-register
Facilitator: Melissa Kenny Probst, NCOF member and parent

 

Register Now!

 

 

Classes and Workshops

Harvest time at the farm - painting locally grown produce
In this four-day seminar which is co-sponsored with the Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture and taught on the Farm, learn to paint economic plants grown locally - take your observations from the Farm's fields back to the studio to portray the plants in drybush watercolor. Sarah Roche's expert instruction will fine tune your drawings to be botanically accurate and expand your watercolor skills to capture textures and tones and the vibrant colors of fruits, vegetables, and foliages - your paintings will look good enough to eat.

Watercolor and Drawing experience required. (Foundations or equivalent course required).
When: Tuesdays, September 6, 13 and Thursdays, September 8 and 15
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fee: $300 (members $250)
Instructor: Sarah Roche, Certificate Program Education Director, teaches at "Wellesley College Botanic Garden" as well as the South Shore Art Center in Cohasset, MA where she is a Gallery Artist. She is Education Co-chair of the American Society of Botanical Artists and a professional artist member of the Copley Society of Art, Boston.

 

Growing up wild - professional development workshop
Growing up Wild: Exploring Nature with Young Children is an early childhood education activity guide that builds on children's sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them. Through a wide range of activities and experiences, it provides a foundation for developing positive impressions about nature while also building lifelong social and cognitive skills. Workshop participants will receive a copy of the guide and certificate of completion.

*Growing Up Wild's activity guide:

*Is written for early childhood ecudators of children ages 3-7

*Includes crafts, art projects, music, conservation activities, reading and math connections and much more.

*Involves social, emotional, physical, language, and cognitive domains to help foster learning and development in all areas.

*Supports developmentally appropriate practice allowing children to learn at levels that are individually, socially, and culturally appropriate.

*Is correlated to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Standards and the Head Start Domains.

 

Please: Wear comfortable clothes & shoes for outdoor activities and bring a brown bag lunch and mug

 

When: Saturday, October 29

Time: 9 - 3:30 p.m.

Fee: $30 per person
Hosted by: NCOF and MassWildlife

 

simplicity parenting
Are you or your family feeling stressed by too much stuff or too much going on? Are you looking for ways to slow down and find more time to connect? Simplicity Parenting offers manageable changes that can support families in simplifiying their lives in four areas:

- Simplifying a child's home environment

- Bringing predictability and rhythm into family life

- Finding balance between scheduled activities, creative time & down time

- Reducing the influence of adult concerns, media and consumerism on children

 

This winter, join with other parents for a 7-session Simplicity Parenting Group. Additional information about Simplicity Parenting can be found at www.simplicityparenting.com

When: January and February, exact dates to be announced

Time: 9 - 11 a.m.

Fee: $160 plus $20 for handbook
Instructor: Polly Mahoney and Diane Seaborn

 

Cleanse, nurture, revive
Join a fabulous group of people at the farm to cleanse, nurture, revive your body!
One of the most important steps we can take to immediately improve our overall health is to learn about detoxifying our bodies. We are exposed to an enormous amount of toxins daily from the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink and the medications we take. As a result, we increase our chances of manifesting diseases such as cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, ADHD, ADD, and autoimmune disease. Cleanse your body by removing toxins and strengthening the organs involved in the body’s detoxification process. Nurture and revive your body systems by eating an abundance of healthy foods. Whether your goal is to eat better, reduce stress, reduce cholesterol, lose those extra pounds, or lessen your risk of disease, we will examine how the foods we eat impact our health and wellbeing.

What have we got to lose? Just excess weitht and toxins!
Program components:  Comprehensive Guide Book, Three educational meetings, Daily e-mail inspiration, Support throughout the de-tox
Here's what past de-tox program participants had to say:
"Through de-toxing, I've reduced my cholesterol from 202 to 134.  It's changed the way I eat forever!"
"These past 2 weeks were the best nights of sleep I have had in years".
"This has been so good for me in so many ways! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"I was very happy to lose weight! I'm extremely inspired to lose more."
"I feel so good knowing I could stick to a plan of healthy living by choice."
"I will definitely want to do this again in the Spring."
When: Thursday, October 6 (Natural Health Seminar),13 (De-Tox Kick-off) and 20  (mid-point Support/Discussion)
Time: 7 - 8:30 pm
Fee: $65
To register please call Linda Tighe at 508-333-1202 or e-mail Linda at lindatighe@gmail.com, no registration through NCOF
Instructor: The Wellness Initiative, Linda Tighe (find us on our facebook "De-Tox for Optim

growing and eating great garlic
Growing your own garlic is easy and rewarding. Learn how to start and tend your own garlic patch, which varieties thrive in our climate, and how to get the best yields. We'll be sampling different varieties of raw and cooked garlic in different forms during class, so bring your appetite and be prepared to leave with garlic breath.
When: Monday, October 3
Time: 6-8 p.m
Fee: $38 (members $34) Materials included
Instructor: Editor, writer, and gardener Trish Wesley Umbrell is a proud alumnus of the NCOF Summer Youth Program

Edible landscaping
Starting with a brief history of food gardening, Barbara covers the concepts to consider when integrating edible plants in your ornamental garden so you will have fun and enjoy the process. She shows how the height, shape, texture, fragrance and color of edibles can make your garden look and taste wonderful next summer. For example, consider Rainbow Swiss Chard planted with your spring flowering perennials to extend the color, or nasturtiums and mesclun mixes used as ground covers. Don't have a lot of space? Barbara shows how container combinations can help anyone with a patch of sun grow their own delicious food and look beautiful at the same time.
When: Wednesday, October 5
Time: 7 - 9 pm
Fee: $36 (members $32)
Instructor: Barbara Emerson is Past President of the Mailorder Gardening Association, a 16 year veteran in sales and marketing at Horticulture magazine, and marketing consultant to lawn and garden companies. She also works as an Account Manager at Edible Boston magazine. A Principal Master Gardener, Barbara is an enthusiastic home gardener and raising hens is a favorite pastim

 

 

Register Now!

NM = Non member
M = Member                                                                          


Register Now!                                                                         

To check on your membership status please send an e-mail to tumbrell.ncorganic@verizon.net

If you would like to become a member or would like to renew your membership you can do so at the same time you sign up for a program.