Personally, I’m ready for spring. I miss feeling dirt between my fingers. If the wintry weather (and the end of this rather tumultuous year) has you in a slump, check out the City of Portland’s Urban Growth Bounty classes. You’ll be excited to get going in 2010, since there are over 70 classes this year, three times as many as last year. Now, in addition to organic gardening classes, you can sign up to learn about cheesemaking, cooking, keeping chickens, raising bees, and more.
As the year winds on (can you believe The Oughts are already over?) I’ll feature nearby Urban Growth Bounty classes. All of them are presented by the City’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. (Organic, sustainable, and punny? Gawd I <3 PDX.) The first class I'm showcasing is on turning your lawn into a mini farm with no till methods. This class will be held on Feb. 9th from 6:30-8:30 pm at Lane Middle School (7200 SE 60th). This is the first in a series of nine classes taught by Your Background Farmer–sign up for one class for $35, or the whole series of classes on organic gardening for $300.
Sign up for Your Backyard Farmer classes here, or see the full roster of available classes here. Happy planning! 
Hope to see the entire So Fo Po neighborhood diggin’ in the dirt.