Community Events

Discover the community engagement events at AMES, featuring immersive workshops on regenerative agriculture, outdoor demonstrations, and much more! Our past activities include beginner's beekeeping workshops and small farms tool demonstrations, offering valuable insights for enthusiasts and professionals alike. 

Join us for Friday in the Food Forest sessions, where you can explore sustainable agriculture practices and learn about ongoing research projects. Secure your spot by RSVPing with Dr. Vanessa Slinger-Friedman at vslinger@kennesaw.edu.

Past Events

  • Friday in the Food Forest – Sept. 15, 2023

    Join us Friday, September 15th from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for the first Friday in the Food Forest of the fall semester! Come and learn about all the amazing crops growing in the Food Forest and learn more about regenerative, sustainable agriculture! Learn about the other research projects and initiatives at the Field Station.

    RVSP with Dr. Vanessa Slinger-Friedman at vslinger@kennesaw.edu.

    Geography Student Club Drone Mapping Event – Sept. 22, 2023

    The Geography Student Club Drone Mapping Event at the Food Forest will be held from 9:30 a.m. — 11 a.m. and is open to the public.

    Friday in the Food Forest in Collaboration with RCHSS – Oct. 20, 2023

    Join us Friday, October 20th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for Friday in the Food Forest! Come and learn about all the amazing crops growing in the Food Forest and learn more about regenerative, sustainable agriculture! Learn about the other research projects and initiatives at the Field Station.

    RVSP with Dr. Vanessa Slinger-Friedman at vslinger@kennesaw.edu.

    Friday in the Food Forest – Nov. 10, 2023

    Join us Friday, November 10th from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for Friday in the Food Forest! Come and learn about all the amazing crops growing in the Food Forest and learn more about regenerative, sustainable agriculture! Learn about the other research projects and initiatives at the Field Station.

    RVSP with Dr. Vanessa Slinger-Friedman at vslinger@kennesaw.edu.

  • Beginner's Beekeeping Workshop – March 12, 2022

    This will be a full-day hands-on workshop where participants will have the opportunity to work with a living honey bee colony. (Working with the living hive is not mandatory but suggested.) We will cover all the basics of honey bee hive management, including identifying the different components of a hive, demonstrations of evaluation techniques, and the manipulation of a live honey bee colony. We will discuss the biology of the honey bee and its importance to agriculture and sustainability.

    Growing Culinary Mushrooms at Home Workshop – March 19, 2022

    Michael Blackwell, operations manager for the KSU Field Station, will present the outdoor workshop on how to safely grow culinary mushrooms in your home garden. He holds wild mushroom food safety certification from the Georgia Department of Agriculture. 

  • Growing Culinary Mushroom in the Home Garden – Outdoor Workshop – Jan. 23, 2021

    This workshop was a six-hour outdoor workshop on how to safely grow culinary mushrooms in your home garden presented by Michael Blackwell, operations manager for the KSU Field Station. He has wild mushroom food safety certification from the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

    Fruit Tree Field Day for the At-Home Orchardist – Outdoor Demonstrations – Feb. 25, 2021

    This workshop was a day of hands-on demonstrations of fruit tree management for the home orchardist presented by Michael Blackwell, operations manager for the KSU Field Station, and Josh Fuder, agriculture and natural resources agent for Cherokee County. 

    Beginner's Beekeeping Workshop – May 1, 2021

    This workshop was a full-day hands-on workshop where participants had the opportunity to work with a living honey bee colony.  Michael Blackwell, operations manager for the KSU Field Station, and Mike Roshaven, a local beekeeper led the workshop covering all the basics of honey bee hive management. 

  • 2020 Tree Planting Day at KSU

    Want to reduce the university's carbon footprint?

    KSU’s Office of Sustainability partnered with the Division of Global Affairs and the KSU Field Station to host a series of tree planting days at KSU.

    The goals include:

    • Plant enough trees on campus to offset the carbon footprint of KSU's study abroad programs. (Planting 250 trees will offset ~ 3,500 metric tons of CO2 equivalent.)
    • Start a tree nursery at the KSU Field Station (200 more trees).

    Volunteer dates were:

    Wed., Feb. 19, 2020 - Marietta
    Thurs., Feb. 20, 2020 – Kennesaw
    Thurs., Feb. 27, 2020 – KSU Field Station

    The KSU Field Station and Sustainability

    Learn more about KSU Sustainability and the steps being taken toward a more sustainability community! Kennesaw State University students Jessica Smith, Landrie Benson, Reagan Lewallen and Scott Cornwall produced this video that was filmed at the KSU Field Station in spring 2020.

    learn more

  • Small Farms Tool Demonstration Day - Sept. 25, 2019

    Are you ready to flex your green thumb? Whether you are a garden enthusiast or in the agricultural business, this free community event is for you. This day gave local growers an opportunity to see firsthand great tools, designed by farmers for farmers, before investing in those tools. Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and try out the tools themselves during the event. 

    Attendees learned innovative methods that will maximize their time enjoying nature and minimize their time on often tedious, repetitive tasks. The KSU Field Station staff joined representatives from Johnny's Selected Seeds and Georgia Organics to discuss best practices in sustainable agriculture gained from their varied industry and DIY experiences. They demonstrated the proper and efficient techniques with garden tools specifically designed for cultivation, transplanting, and seeding.

    Topics include:

    • long-handled tools
    • walk-behind tractors
    • flame weeding
    • seeders and transplanters
    • wheel hoe

    Check out the image gallery below.

    • Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day / KSU Field Station operations manager Michael Blackwell talks with members of the public during the Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day.
    • Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day / Philip Busman of Cherith Farms tries out a Quick Cut Greens Harvester.
    • Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day / KSU Field Station operations manager Michael Blackwell, left, and assistant manager Luke Miller demonstrates power harrow using a walk behind tractor.
    • Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day / Members of the public learn about walk behind tractors.
    • Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day / Blake Thaxton of Johnny’s Selected Seeds demonstrates a Terrateck Paperpot Transplanter.
    • Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day / An up-close look at a Terrateck Paperpot Transplanter.
    • Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day / Two rows of plants are shown after a demonstration by a Terrateck Paperpot Transplanter.
    • Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day / KSU Field Station operations manager Michael Blackwell demonstrates flame weeding.
    • Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day / KSU Field Station operations manager Michael Blackwell talks with members of the public during the Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day.
    • Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day / Philip Busman of Cherith Farms tries out a Quick Cut Greens Harvester.
    • Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day / KSU Field Station operations manager Michael Blackwell, left, and assistant manager Luke Miller demonstrates power harrow using a walk behind tractor.
    • Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day / Members of the public learn about walk behind tractors.
    • Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day / Blake Thaxton of Johnny’s Selected Seeds demonstrates a Terrateck Paperpot Transplanter.
    • Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day / An up-close look at a Terrateck Paperpot Transplanter.
    • Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day / Two rows of plants are shown after a demonstration by a Terrateck Paperpot Transplanter.
    • Small Farm Tools Demonstration Day / KSU Field Station operations manager Michael Blackwell demonstrates flame weeding.