The following courses are offered in conjunction with Miami Dade College at Fairchild Farm, located at 14885 SW 248^th Street in the beautiful Redlands. The Fairchild Farm provides a tranquil and natural setting to nurture the creative spirit and inspire the artist and horticulturalist in all of us.  

To learn more about The Fairchild Farm:  Click here

 To register call 305.258.0464 ext 309 or email lwerner@fairchildgarden.org

All classes take place at the Fairchild Farm, 14885 SW 248 St,  Homestead FL 33032.  

  

Class Schedule 2012 

 

Horticulture

GRAFTING AND PROPAGATION IN TROPICAL FRUIT with Curator of Tropical Fruit, Noris Ledesma.

Join us and learn how to make your own trees! The art of grafting is fascinating to many gardeners and this one day course aims to show participants the process from rootstocks, nursery beds, to established orchards both young and old. The class will be spent in a practical session of whip and tongue grafting. The cost includes two trees. Materials list provided with registration.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Fee: Members, $35; Non-members, $40

 

BEEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS

This is a class with hands-on workshop on how to keep bees and harvest honey. The topics covered are basic to beekeeping with a focus on horticulture relationship between bees and tropical fruit trees.  The course will include the basic hive, and starts with an overview of the conventional hive structure, honeybee colony, the cycles and functions of worker bees, drones and queen bees, and management techniques. We will show the contrast with conventional systems and how the improvements manifest stronger honeybee colonies.

Saturdays,  March 10, and March 17, 2012 

9:00 a.m.to Noon

Fee:  $80.00 Member;  $85.00 Non Member

2 sections      

 

TROPICAL FRUIT HORTICULTURE FOR SOUTH FLORIDA with Director of Horticulture, Dr. Richard Campbell.

Living in South Florida gives us a bounty of tropical fruit, all of which you can grow on your own. Planting, pruning, propagation, pest-control, fertilizing, irrigation and general tree care for tropical fruit trees is on the agenda for this informative class. Many popular South Florida fruit trees will be covered in this class with emphasis on the king of all fruits, the mango. With the knowledge you gain, you will soon have a luscious harvest from your own fruit trees.  

Saturday, April 7, 2012

10:00 a.m. to Noon. 

Fee: Members, $35; Non-members, $40

 

SMALL ORCHARD BUSINESS with Director of Horticulture, Dr. Richard Campbell.

Everyone dreams of having a tropical island with fruit trees. In this course we will help you to create your own fruit garden at home, or learn how to produce and market stock commercially. This class will teach you the essentials of growing many delicious fruits that grow well inSouth Floridayards. If you have had problems growing a fruit tree, discover tips to guarantee success. Learn about the best varieties forSouth Floridaarea and what is needed to be a successful grower of these fruits.

Saturday May 5, 2011

9:00 a.m. to Noon

Fee: Members: $35.00, Non-members $40.00

1 section        

           

 PRUNNING TROPICAL FRUITS with Eric Teitig

Why do we prune? Come and learn how to create healthy trees by removing dead wood and awkward branches, to promote fruit and flower production, and to create beautiful trees. Learn to transform a big tree into a small one – reducing tree size results in a healthy tree. Learn about preparing trees for hurricane season.

Saturday May 19, 2012

9:00 a.m. to Noon

Fee: Members:  $35.00, Non-members $40.00

1 section        

 

GRAFTING AND PROPAGATION IN TROPICAL FRUIT with Director of Horticulture, Richard J. Campbell.

Join us and learn how to make your own trees! The art of grafting is fascinating to many gardeners and this one day course aims to show participants the process from rootstocks, nursery beds, to established orchards both young and old. The class  will be spent in a practical session of whip and tongue grafting. The cost includes two trees. Materials list provided with registration.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

9:00 a.m. to Noon

Fee: Members, $35; Non-members, $40

 

GROWING MANGOS IN SOUTH FLORIDA with Curator of Tropical Fruit, with Noris Ledesma.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

This course presents mango cultivation throughout South Florida. Propagation, cultivars, pruning, insect and disease problems, harvesting and handling are discussed at both the commercial and home garden level.

Saturday June 23, 2011

9:00 a.m. to Noon

Fee: Members $35.00,  Non-members $40.00

1 section      

 

Cuisine 

 

THE BASICS OF SAFE HOME FOOD PRESERVATION-CANNING with Leila Werner

With the interest in the local food movement, we want to make sure that people know how to preserve their food safely and this is the perfect setting to do that. In our class you will learn what types of food are appropriate for canning and a variety of food preservation methods. You will also experience different types of chutneys, jellies, and jams. Materials list provided with registration.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

10:00 a.m. - Noon

Fee: Members, $35; Non-members, $40 

 

DRYING FRUITS AND HERBS with Leila Werner

 

Come and learn the basics of drying fruits and herbs, as well as how to make flavored vinegars with garden grown herbs & flowers. With gardens overflowing and farmers markets piled high with fresh produce why not save some of this bounty to enjoy all year? Class includes fact sheets and recipies.

Anyone can come - no matter your age, experience or county of residence.

Saturday,  February 25, 2012

9:00 a.m. to Noon

Fee: Members $35.00, Non-member $40.00

1 section        

 

Art 

 

CERAMIC CLASS FOR BEGINNERS

Open to beginners and those with experience. Learn the basics of wheel throwing while creating pots that are beautiful and functional. A materials list will be provided at the registration.

Saturday, January 21, 28 and February 4, 2012  

9:00 a.m. – Noon

Fee: Members, $90; Non-members, $95

3 sections   

 

GIFT SOAP MAKING FROM NATURAL PRODUCTS

Learn the techniques for creating fragrant gift soaps and how to start a home-based soap business.

December 3, 10, 2012

9:00 a..m. to Noon

Fee:  $70.00 Member;   $75.00 Non Member

2 sections 

 

STUDIO WATERCOLORS I with Julio Figueroa 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Get inspired to paint with watercolors surrounded by tropical fruits at the Fairchild Farm. Our instructor will guide his student’s thought the basics of watercolor, allowing each student to develop their own creative style. Come and discover your hidden talent in this three session class. Materials list provided with registration. 

Saturdays, January 28, February 4 and 11, 2012 

9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Fee: Members, $100; Non-members, $120

3 sections      

 

STUDIO WATERCOLORS II with Julio Figueroa 

Students who were introduced to elements of art and the principles of design in the beginning watercolor class will have the opportunity to expand their understanding of composition. Through guided practice and independent painting, students will focus on developing a well-composed painting. Students must have some basic knowledge of watercolors. 

February 25, March 3 and 10, 2012 

9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Fee: Members, $100; Non-members, $120

3 sections      

 

Payments

We now accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express credit cards. Make all checks payable to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and mail to:  Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Fairchild Farm, 14885 SW 248 Street, Homestead FL 33032

Directions to the Fairchild Farm

Class Policies

Cancellations and Refunds:

Every attempt will be made to notify you regarding the status of your class. If it is necessary for Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden to cancel a class due to insufficient registration, you will receive a full refund by check.

Should you choose to cancel your registration, refunds are made only at the Fairchild Farm. Please call in advance. We will notify you at least 14 days prior to a tour and 7 days prior to all other activities. A $10 service charge per class is applied to all refunds. A check will be issued within three weeks of cancellation and refund request.

Classes are NOT interchangeable. Classes may be canceled if minimum enrollment is not reached.

We hope you will be able to attend every session in a multi-session class. If you need to miss a session of class you may ask another registered student to take notes for you and collect handout material. Substitutions or transfers are not permitted. Registration fees are not prorated. If you do not attend any portion of class, your registration fee is forfeited. Refunds will not be issued to students who have attended classes, or if class has already begun.

Visitors
Space is limited and we do not have child care facilities. Please be considerate of fellow students and leave babies and children at home. Guests may enjoy visiting the Fairchild Farm while you're in class. Please do not bring guests to class.

Cell Phones
Please be considerate of others and turn off cell phones and beepers during class.

Parking
Please park in the back of the house in front of the gazebo.

Instructors

 

Richard J. Campbell

Dr. Campbell is the Director of Horticulture at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. A native of South Florida with deep experience in tropical fruits. he draws on his years of travel and expericence collecting and researching tropical fruit in Asia and the Americas to provide the latest information, quality trees and tropical fruit tastes to an enthusiastic public. He has authored over a hundred scientific and popular articles on fruit culture in the last decade, as well as, three books, "Mangos: A Guide to Mnagos in Florida (1992) and "Tropical Mangos: How to Grow the World's Most Delicious Fruit (2002).

Noris Ledesma

Noris Ledesma is the Curator of Tropical Fruit and Outreach Specialist for the Tropical Fruit Program at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Noris brings a tropical fruit passion and flare to her programs derived from years of first-hand experience in her native country of Colombia.  She captures the horticultural spirit in her photographs of the people, their culture and fruit, revealing their intimate ties to the land. Traveling around the world and working with growers and indigenous peoples, she has gained a knowledge and appreciation for tropical fruit.  She is a plant collector and coauthor of three books, and numerous scientific publications and popular articles,  For the Love of Mangos-India, (2008), A Quick Guide of Mangos (2005), The Exotic Jackfruit: Growing the Word’s Largest Fruit (2003); and Mangos: A Guide to Mangos in Florida (1992).

Leila Werner

Leila originally from Hawaii, came to South Florida in 1979. Through the years she developed an expertise in preparing many creative dishes using tropical fruits for friends and many notable guests in special events. Her reputation has grown with the publication of several of her articles in various cooking periodicals such as "Fine Cooking Magazine." Leila also has a talent for adapting traditional recipes using tropical fruits.