Learn the basics of organic gardening such as supporting soil and plant health, starting seeds indoors and outdoors, interplanting, pest management, watering, and harvesting. You’ll have plenty of time to ask questions and connect with one another about shared experiences in your gardening journeys so far. By the end of this class, you should feel equipped with knowledge and connected to resources that will help you grow an organic garden and feel satisfied with the process of doing so. We’ll even send you home with some seeds to start in your own garden! This class is for beginner or seasoned gardeners alike. Materials fee of $5 to be paid directly to the instructor the day of class. No discounts.

About Myke: Myke Russell is a homesteader and farmer in Limington, Maine. With his wife Kathryn he owns and operates November's Harvest farm, a diversified, nature based vegetable and livestock operation. Before that Myke was the founder and farm manager of Pearson's Town Farm at Saint Joseph's College of Maine and owner operator of the Open Door Farm in Steep Falls. Myke has been working as a volunteer and part of the planning team for MOFGA's Common Ground Country Fair since 2003.

A non-refundable $1.99 transaction fee will be added to the price of this class.

Join Alfond Foundation member, Caroline Palmatier. Maine families have access to two valuable programs to assist with saving and paying for education after high school: the $500 Alfond Grant and Maine’s College Savings program. While these initiatives offer great benefits, understanding each of their features can sometimes be challenging. Whether you’re a parent, guardian, or student, this session will provide you with information to make the most of these valuable resources. Join us to improve your understanding and take steps towards a successful educational future! Note: We will send all participants a link to the Zoom meeting prior to the start date.

FAME administers Maine’s higher education finance programs. Through a variety of loan, grant and scholarship programs, FAME helps Maine students and families meet the costs associated with higher education.

If it weren’t stressful enough to lose a loved one, the paperwork and details that need attention after a funeral can be overwhelming. This course is designed to inform you of the steps you need to take to ensure that this process goes smoothly. Knowing what to expect helps you plan ahead.

About Chad: Chad Poitras is a licensed funeral director with over 20 years of experience in the funeral industry. He owns and operates two funeral homes and serves families in need throughout Southern Maine.

A non-refundable $1.99 transaction fee will be added to the price of this class.

Please join Alexandria Velez for an interactive journey into the mind of someone with Alzheimer's & other Dementia related diseases. This session is designed to assist participants in gaining a better understanding of how physical challenges, that may come with natural aging, may affect the day-to-day activities of a person who is diagnosed with memory loss. We will address physical challenges and provide tools for helping individuals with cognitive loss stay connected and comfortable as they work through tasks. Participants who volunteer will have the opportunity to experience a simulation where they will be given tasks to complete. The session wraps up with a group discussion about the experience, offering the opportunity to share what they’ve learned and how to incorporate the Join My Journey experience into everyday life. Choose the session you want online. No discounts.

About Alexandria: Alexandria Velez serves as the Program Director in Memory Care at Avita of Stroudwater, a community dedicated to supporting individuals with dementia. She graduated from the University of Southern Maine in 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in Recreational Therapy and earned her CTRS (Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist) certification shortly thereafter. Alexandria also obtained her CDP (Certified Dementia Practitioner) certification. Recently, she expanded her impact by becoming a National Institute of Dementia Education Board Certified Dementia Educator, sharing her expertise through teaching and training others in the field. With 10 years of experience in the memory care industry, Alexandria remains committed to creating meaningful programming and fostering compassionate care for those living with dementia.

A non-refundable $1.99 transaction fee will be added to the price of this class.

The class will be at Little River Flower Farm where they grow over 400 dahlias every summer. Learn all aspects of growing, dividing & storing dahlias and getting the most blooms out of every plant. Everyone will be dividing dahlias so wear appropriate clothing and bring gloves. Take home dahlia tubers to grow in your garden. Material fee of $25 to be paid directly to the instructor the day of class. No discounts.

Location: Little River Flower Farm, 160 Turkey Lane, Buxton

About Nancy: Nancy has been a Master gardener for close to 20 years through the University Of Maine Cooperative Extension. She started out growing houseplants and when the number of plants hovered around 150, she invested in a greenhouse. She now has three greenhouses, grows 8,000 cut flowers for brides, florists, & the public in the summer for PYO flowers. Her business, Little River Flower Farm, in Buxton, also grows culinary herbs & summer peak season sells over 400 bunches a week. She gives talks on succulents & grows over 500 plants year round. A non-refundable $1.99 transaction fee will be added to the price of this class.

Scams and identity theft rob millions of Americans of their hard-earned money every year. Scammers are smart, creative and relentless, but there are simple steps each of us can take to protect ourselves and our families from these crimes. AARP is proud to be a leader in the fight to combat fraud everywhere, and right here in Maine, too. Join us for a workshop that will help you recognize common scams and what you can do to avoid them. You’ll learn about useful resources and receive your own fraud prevention guide. No discounts.

About Julie: Julie Flynn a volunteer with the AARP Fraud Watch Network Speakers group will present a class on Frauds, Scams and more. Julie is a retired Project Management Professional as well as a retiree of 24 years of military service. She travels the state providing tailored presentations to help people understand fraud and how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud.

A non-refundable $1.99 transaction fee will be added to the price of this class.

Although smartphones and point and shoot cameras have improved, DSLR cameras offer more functionality, and if you’re looking to take your photography to the next level, there’s really no comparison. See how basic adjustments to your camera can take your photos up a notch. Pick up simple tricks and techniques to turn your basic photos into masterpieces, and practice proper framing and subject selection just like the pros do.

Understanding the relationship between ISO, shutter speed, and aperture settings and others a key element to getting great photos. We’ll expand on the relationship between f-stops, shutter speed, ISO, and flash ratings, white balance and capturing in raw mode and different camera modes to appropriately capture different subjects. We’ll go over settings and work with lenses, flashes and learn about other features only available with DSLR cameras.

This class is open to people with DSLR cameras only. Mike works with Canon but will work with any other brand. There will be at least one off-site photography outing-dates TBA. The outing is included in the registration price for this class. It is also open to people who have taken Mike’s class with us before. For past students, there will be a ten dollar charge for the outing only. It will be listed as a separate class on the website. Please bring your own camera to class. This must be a camera with removable lenses. If you have a point and shoot camera or a cellphone, this is not the class for you.

About Mike: Mike Leonard has been taking pictures for more than 40 years and among his favorite subjects to shoot are nighttime scenes including lightning and Aurora, and in the daytime he likes shooting landscapes, seascapes, lighthouses and more. His work is frequently on covers of The Notes publication in Yarmouth, Maine, in the Maine Activities Guide, on the local CBS affiliate in weather casts and his work has also been featured in books, magazines, annual reports, brochures, textbooks and nationally on the Weather Channel. Website for Mike: https://www.phototourismbymike.com/

A non-refundable $1.99 transaction fee will be added to the price of this class.

Many people put their cameras away once the sun sets, yet some amazing images can be taken at night. Learn how to take great shots after the sun sets and before the sun rises with your DSLR camera. With the peak of the aurora coming in 2025, now is the time to start practicing your best “after dark” shots! Shooting the Milky Way, aurora and star trails will be discussed as well as nighttime photography equipment.

About Mike: Mike Leonard has been taking pictures for more than 40 years and among his favorite subjects to shoot are nighttime scenes including Lightning and Aurora, and in the daytime he likes shooting landscapes, seascapes, lighthouses and more. His work is frequently on covers of The Notes publication in Yarmouth, Maine, In the Maine Activities Guide, on the local CBS affiliate in weather casts and his work has also been featured in books, magazines, annual reports, brochures, textbooks and nationally on the Weather Channel. Website for Mike: https://www.phototourismbymike.com/

A non-refundable $1.99 transaction fee will be added to the price of this class.