Organic Growers School, based in Asheville, NC and serving the Southern Appalachians, offers sustainability consulting to all land-owners, land-seekers, growers, and sustainability seekers of all scales and styles.
This interview is with Brandon Greenstein, the OGS Sustainability Consultant in order to help explain the importance of land and site planning and design.
From the website: https://organicgrowersschool.org/consulting/
Need help with your farm, garden, or homestead?
Contact us for a free 20 minute call helping you to identify your needs and goals and assess which service might be right for you. We offer a wide variety of consulting services—with hourly follow-up support and reduced fees available—including:
•Assessment of land that you own or want to purchase.
•Sustainability systems on your farm, garden, or homestead.
•Guidance for your land-based project.
How the process works:
Step 1: We talk on the phone to identify your goals and needs.
Step 2: We select a service and price that best meets your needs.
Step 3: We set up a time for an in-person site visit or video call
Step 4: We coach you through a self-assessment process.
Step 5: We have our viritual or in-person site visit.
Step 6: We invoice you.
Step 7: We followup with you with next steps, referrals, report, etc.
We are your partner on the journey towards self-reliance
We provide on-site coaching and consulting in Western North Carolina and beyond. We’re also available by video or audio call with clients outside of our practical reach. We recommend that you start with our Comprehensive Assessment, which will help us get a deeper understanding of your needs and goals. From there we can help you design something more in-depth and customized to support the realization of those goals.
Projects Suitable for Consulting
Site Assessment, Earthworks, Water Catchment, Renewable energy, Garden Design &Installation, Orchards, Food Self Reliance, Soil Testing, Animal Systems, Ponds, Greenhouse, Barn & Shed Construction, Sustainable Forestry, Hardscaping, Landscaping, Mapping Your Land, Conservation, Composting, Pasture Management, Companion Planting, Organic Weed, Pest, & Disease Management, Food Storage& Preservation, Herb Gardens, Beekeeping, Wild Plant ID, Farm Planning, Land Design.
Organic Growers School is the premiere provider of practical and affordable organic education in the Southern Appalachians. Since 1993 we have been building a vibrant food & farming community by boosting the success of organic growers. A 501c3 non-profit, our hands-on training, workshops, conferences and partnerships inspire, educate, and support people to farm, garden, and live organically.
We stand for sustainable agriculture, in the form of small-scale and regional food production, as a solution to the environmental, economic, and health crises of our time and as abject alternative to industrial and global food practices. We are actively advocating for an organic food system that values inclusion, equity, resilience, and community.
OGS serves adult growers of all races, ethnicities, and income levels in the Southern Appalachians. 42% of the region’s population is rural, compared with 20% of national. The region boasts a strong history of agriculture yet industry has long capitalized on the resources while failing to bring relief to poverty. OGS serves growers of all scales, sizes, and production methods. We serve many “transitional” or “at-risk” counties, defined as economically worse than the national average on at least three indicators.
We know that as growers thrive, they care for the land, strengthen their communities, generate income for themselves and others, and produce food for their region. In addition, they enhance their personal food security, self-reliance, and grow their capacity for environmental stewardship, ecological awareness, nature reverence, and best land use practices. The ultimate outcome is an empowered population, who are financially and nutritionally resourced, ready to use their voices to advocate for more equitable and resilient food system.
