Megan Marie Frankiewicz's Page

The VPA is proud to present the first of what will hopefully become many movie nights, happening on Friday nights. This first night's movie brings some material that will be appropriately nestled in between these two PDC: Drylands classes: PDC: Drylands - Edible Desert Gardens & PDC…See More

Instructor: Bryan White Create an Urban Orchard in Your Own Backyard! Even if you don’t have a lot of space to work with, you can plant a few fruit trees and enjoy a bounty of fruit from each tree. A fruit tree also makes terrific and sustainable gift! Join our tree experts and learn what fruit trees to plant, what grows well and what doesn’t in the desert, the single most important thing you need to know before you buy a fruit tree and more. We will cover apples, pears, stone fruit, citrus,…See More

Instructor: Rachel Bess Putting the "micro" in microfarm, coturnix quail are an excellent choice for every backyard. You want backyard eggs but can't have chickens due to space, city codes or a stubborn neighbor? Think quail! They are more efficient layers than chickens, take up very little space and can begin laying as early as 6 weeks of age! (If you're interested in homegrown meat, they are good for that too.) We will go over all of the how-to's of raising coturnix quail. With the…See More

Instructor: Christine Braboy Are you interested in Cheese? Does the thought of cheese make your mouth water? Come take a class on the basics of cheese and cheese making. This cheese class will cover the classifications of cheese, as well as making basic cheese in your own home! Cultures and kits will be available from the instructor after the class.Please sign in with the volunteers at the door.$15 fee is payable with cash or check. (Make checks out to  Valley Permaculture Alliance).The Tempe…See More

Instructor: Liz LonettiLearn basic techniques for starting and caring for your own herbs. A diverse array of herbs grows well in the desert and can be planted in your herb garden, containers or elsewhere in your yard. Class includes a classroom presentation and demonstrations. Please sign in with the volunteers at the door.$15 fee is payable with cash or check. (Make checks out to  Valley Permaculture Alliance).This facility accepts credit/debit cards. The Valley Permaculture Alliance (VPA)…See More

Instructor: Sheri SchmeckpeperLearn how to build and cultivate a great, nearly fool-proof garden using the Square Foot Gardening method. This gardening method, popularized by Mel Bartholomew in his book, Square Foot Gardening, has been growing in popularity nation-wide. Come learn from an experienced SFG'er in this introduction to growing in squares and break away from the "rows"! This class will also cover building the right soil, raised and in-ground beds, using compost in the garden, and how…See More

Instructor: Bryan White Create an Urban Orchard in Your Own Backyard! Even if you don’t have a lot of space to work with, you can plant a few fruit trees and enjoy a bounty of fruit from each tree. A fruit tree also makes terrific and sustainable gift! Join our tree experts and learn what fruit trees to plant, what grows well and what doesn’t in the desert, the single most important thing you need to know before you buy a fruit tree and more. We will cover apples, pears, stone fruit, citrus,…See More

Instructor: Kaesha NeilDo you have an intense desire to grow edibles and herbs, however may not have any viable outdoor space in which to do so? Or do you want to grow productive plants that will not survive outside in our climate? Or perhaps start robust seedlings to transplant into your garden after winter or the hottest part of summer? In this class, you will learn what factors you need to consider for growing healthy, vigorous plants indoors or in a greenhouse.  We will also discuss…See More

Instructors: Peggy Miner and Morgan Winburn-TobinMason bees don’t live in a hive but they still work together to make your garden or orchard better. Learn how to help cultivate these bees your garden. Learn the right environment to entice these garden helpers and how to increase your bee count year after year. These bees do not create hives and are quite gentle and are not easily threatened, which is different from the invasive Africanized (swarming) bees. You will be helping create an…See More

Instructor: Patrick HallmanPomegranates thrive in the Valley of the Sun. Though they have grown here since the early 1700's, many new varieties have become available for the very first time during the last ten years. Patrick Hallman, Architect and Pomegranate enthusiast, will share his knowledge on growing pomegranates in Arizona. With over 30 different varieties under cultivation at the Hallman residence alone, his involvement with the Arizona Rare Fruit Growers has led to the local trialof…See More

Instructor: Bryan White of the Green House-Farm Learn how to design your home landscape from an experienced designer and architect. Before beginning to dig, it is a good plan to know what municipal codes or zoning restrictions will affect your design. This class discusses that information as well as utilities easements, east-west alignment, microclimate data, and observation techniques can modify or impact your design. …See More

Come, learn about upcoming volunteer opportunities and how you can deepen your level of engagement with the VPA.  Volunteering is an immensely fulfilling activity, one in which you can learn a lot about sustainability and permaculture as well as meet interesting like-minded folk.Help the VPA to grow and further its mission to "inspire sustainable living in the desert southwest".See More