Harper offers community organic gardening classes with Little City

The popularity of organic gardening has blossomed as advocates tout the benefits to your palate, the environment and your pocketbook.

A new Organic Power Gardening class offered through the Continuing Education department at Harper College will explore the growing movement in a hands-on way through a partnership with Little City in Palatine - a first for one of Harper's gardening classes.

The class is divided into three sections for different groups: children, adults and students with disabilities. A combination of classroom study and practical experience, students will learn about and practice site selection, soil preparation, and seeds starting through fertilization, watering, pest control and harvest. The hands-on gardening will take place at a community space jointly maintained by Little City and Harper College on the nearby Little City campus on Algonquin Road.

Little City will sell the crops as part of a program to make the organization a figure in the locally grown food movement. Scott Cashman, manager of Continuing Education at the college, said the different classes offer a unique collaborative opportunity.

"Students will come out of this with a renewed sense of community from working cooperatively with a diverse set of people," Cashman said.

Those looking for a better-rounded gardening experience can enroll in the class from spring through fall for a full cycle of planting.

Organic Power Gardening for adults runs from 6 to 8 p.m. Mondays from March 31 through May 12. The class geared toward kids runs from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturdays from April 5 to May 17. Adults with disabilities can enroll in the class from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Mondays and Fridays from March 31 to May 16. Tuition ranges from $84 to $130.

For more information, visit harpercollege.edu/ce.