Interested in growing some food yourself, or just curious about how the food you eat grows and where it comes from?  Join GIY founder, best-selling author and presenter of RTE's GROW COOK EAT Michael Kelly for a full day immersed in real food at the home of the GIY movement, GROW HQ in Waterford.  This one-day course will strengthen your connection with and understanding of real food, take the mystery out of how food grows and immerse you in GIY's 'grow, cook, eat' ethos.

Michael Kelly's personal story is about the potential of food to change lives.  A random moment with a bulb of imported Chinese garlic in a supermarket 15 years ago started him on a food growing journey that transformed his health and led him to leave his IT job and start the GIY movement.  He grows food for a family of four on a windy acre in Dunmore East. His food ethos is simple, no-nonsense:

"I think one of the biggest challenges for our society is that we've lost our connection and understanding with food," says Michael.  "For me growing food is not about gardening, it's about food.  Pure and simple.  I am obsessed with real food and what I love about growing it is that it has thought me so much about how food works and where it comes from.  My food growing has made me a more informed and better consumer, made me healthier and happier."

You don't need ANY prior knowledge about growing food to come along.  Nor do you need to be considering a massive life-change where you'll be growing all your own food.  You might not even have the space to grow a lot of food.  

You will learn about how fruit, herbs and veg grow, how and when to sow a variety of seeds as well as the connection between your health and the health of the soil where your food comes from.  Michael will demonstrate GROW HQ's organic approach to keeping plants and soil healthy, managing slugs and other pests, and simple techniques to get the most veg from the smallest of spaces.  

On the day you will get to sow seeds (and take home a newly-planted seed pot), tour the GROW HQ gardens with Mick and enjoy a delicious, award-winning, home-grown HQ lunch cooked by our award winning Head Chef JB Dubois.  At the end of the day take home a variety of veg growing guides, and lots of other information to get you growing.  

Here's what some previous attendees had to say about this course

Siobhan - "Lovely relaxed environment and after travelling from Dublin for it, the lunch was spectacular."

Jen - Loved the relaxed atmosphere, I felt very comfortable and informed.  Michael wasn’t always a gardener, so I felt inspired and confident my GIY goal is achievable."

Darragh – Very inspirational.  I learned where I went wrong previously when I tried growing at home.  His passion for growing comes across very clearly during the class.

Call us with any questions on 051 584422.

Saturday September 7th 10 am - 4.30 pm

A full day of all things food growing 

Having led the garden team at River Cottage and established the ground breaking Otter Farm, Mark knows all there is to about the best of the familiar, the finest forgotten flavours and the most delicious unusual edibles. Mark will share his expertise in a day dedicated to flavour and beauty. He'll help you choose what to grow, introduce you to some exciting plants with incredible flavours and share ideas from some of the many fabulous kitchen gardens around the country. There will be unfamiliar plants to see, different flavours to try and if you laugh in all the right places you might just get a garden cocktail taster or two. Whether you are a beginner, someone looking to take their garden to another level, whether you have acres or just a few square yards, this inspirational day is for you.

Four sessions

1 - Choosing What to Grow - Lia and Mark on how to choose what to grow - unbuyables, transformers, expensive crops, etc. 

2 - A Taste of the Unexpected - Mark on a selection of unusual plants eg sansho pepper, Carolina allspice, shiso, Asian pears, perennial kale, Scotch lovage, honeyberries, etc. Plenty to taste, smell, and a cocktail/taster 

3 - Fantastic Kitchen Gardens - examples to show what a kitchen garden can be - from Paul Barney designed rooftop forest garden in Reading to John Harris’ biodynamic walled garden in Cornwall to Chris Achilleos’ allotment in Tottenham.

4 - Questions

This 1 day course is relevant to small or large gardens.

On the day, you will enjoy a delicious, award-winning, home-grown HQ lunch cooked by our award winning Head Chef JB Dubois.

Cancellation Policy. We operate a 48 hour cancellation policy. If you cancel your place at least 48 hours prior to the day of the course you will not be charged. Cancellationsmade less than 48 hours prior to the date will incur a full charge due to high demand for our courses.