Adam Crofts

Eat The Veg Patch

  • Recommended

    $220

    Includes personal feedback and tuition. More

  • $75

    Learn in an online classroom with no more than 20 classmates. More

Course Description

River Cottage's Head Gardener, Adam Crofts, takes you behind the scenes at the River Cottage garden and teaches you how to create your own kitchen garden, make your own fertiliser and grow veg, fruit and herbs to cook with all year round.

At River Cottage we believe growing your own veg has the power to change your life. In these times of intensive farming, reliance on harmful pesticides and the detrimental effect it has on our environment, we now more than ever need to be more reliant on locally grown and sustainable food systems.

From propagation and tools, which veg varieties to grow and how to nurture them, you'll learn a range of skills and techniques focusing on organic vegetable growing.

Once you’ve got to grips with growing your veggies, Gelf Alderson (Executive Chef at River Cottage) will show you how you can get them from plot to plate. Using your home-grown produce, you will learn a range of skills and techniques so that you can fully embrace all kinds of veg in your cooking.

You'll learn:

  • how to propagate seeds and plan your veg garden
  • which varieties of veg to grow
  • how to make your own natural fertiliser from kitchen scraps
  • River Cottage recipes to use the veg, fruit and herbs your grow

The course includes:

  • 4 on-demand video lessons - presented by Adam Crofts and River Cottage
  • lifetime access to the videos, notes and interactive class
  • flexible classes - join and learn when and where you like
  • downloadable lesson notes
  • practical gardening and cooking assignments and recipes (with tutor feedback available)
  • access on your mobile, PC, Mac or laptop
  • small interactive online classroom - chat online to students from around the world and share your creative ideas

Independent Cookery Schools Association approved

This course has been approved by the Independent Cookery Schools Association (ICSA), recognising the highest standards of training.

Time to complete the River Cottage veg garden course:

Every student is different but in general we think the whole course will take around 14 hours 10 minutes to complete including:

  • Video lessons: 2 hours 10 minutes in total
  • Course notes: 30 minutes per lesson
  • Your gut health recipe assignments: at least 2 hours per lesson
  • Interactive classroom time: 15 minutes per lesson
  • Tutor feedback review (Expert level): 15 minutes per lesson

You'll need:

Your lesson notes will include the full details of the ingredients you'll need for cooking, and you'll need standard kitchen equipment. Adam will also be teaching you practical gardening projects, so you'll need some seeds to grow and seed trays, and if you want to have a go at making your own fertiliser you'll need kitchen scraps, a bucket, muslin cloth, sieve, metal bowl, a brick, hessian, pestle and mortar, jars, a box or crate, and scales.

Ready to get started?

Just add the course to your basket above - choose the 'Expert' option for personal feedback from Adam on your vegetable gardening assignments.

If you know someone who'd love this course then give it as a gift - just tick "This is a gift" at the checkout.

Any questions? Contact us by clicking on the orange speech symbol - we'd love to hear from you.

CPD Accreditation

Course activity has been accredited by the CPD Standards Office (CPDSO). The course equates to 14 hours, 10 minutes of CPD learning.
The CPD Standards Office. CPD Provider: 50276.

Course outline

  • Propagation preparation and planting out

    In this lesson you will learn all you need to get started propagating your own vegetable seeds, plant module trays and Adam will teach you when and how to direct sow seeds in your garden.

  • Natural Fertilizers for the garden

    In this lesson, you’ll learn all about fertilizers and that you do not need to rely on manmade products which come at a cost to you but also your garden. Adam will teach you how to make your own fertilizers and feeds from natural farming techniques, for little to no cost. Learn how to use bi-products and waste from your kitchen to feed your garden and grow healthy nutritious plants.

  • Varieties for taste and flavour

    In the third lesson of the course we look a bit closer at a few different veg including kale, chard and fennel and how we grow them at River Cottage HQ.

  • Harvesting the Glut

    Finally, we investigate how we can make the most of our produce at the end of the season.

    Learn to make your own Confit Chilli’s, store produce over winter and make your own chutney from produce you’ve grown.

Choose how you want to learn

  • The Expert option

    Recommended

    Develop your learning further with marked assignments and personal tuition from Adam Crofts

    • Start course whenever you like
    • 4 weeks tutor access for personalised assignment feedback & coaching
    • 4 assignments marked by Adam Crofts
    • Certificate of completion and CPD hours
    • Online classroom with up to 20 classmates
    • 4 lessons with expert videos & notes
    • Group chat & direct message with tutor & classmates
    • Lifetime access to videos, notes & classroom
    Learn more
    $220
  • The Peer option

    Discover the benefits of group learning in an online interactive classroom of no more than 20 people. Get the most from shared knowledge and community study

    • Start course whenever you like
    • Practise what you learn with your peers
    • Online classroom with up to 20 classmates
    • 4 lessons with expert videos & notes
    • 4 course assignments
    • Group chat & direct message classmates
    • Lifetime access to videos, notes & classroom
    Learn more
    $75

New
Buy this course for a business or group

You can now buy this course through your business or organisation for individuals and groups up to 20

Food & Drink classroom - how it works

  • Start anytime

    Watch video tutorials led by expert tutors

    Watch video tutorials led by expert tutors
  • Test yourself

    Practice what you learn with inspiring assignments

    Practice what you learn with inspiring assignments
  • Personal tuition

    Get assignment feedback from expert tutors

    Get assignment feedback from expert tutors
  • Share ideas

    Collaborate and chat directly to classmates

    Collaborate and chat directly to classmates

Meet Adam Crofts

Adam Crofts - Food & Drink
Adam Crofts is an expert in organic gardening with a commitment to growing and eating the seasons.
His fascination with gardening and the natural world started at an early age. Adam comes from a family of organic gardeners, and with gardening in his blood and a long held belief in the importance of organic produce, he has been growing veg for as long as he can remember.

Over the years his experience has swung from a flower farm on the Scilly Isles, to landscape gardening in the Cotswolds, and farming and organic permaculture across Europe. More recently Adam has realised the absolute importance of good soil health, sustainable agriculture, and natural farming techniques which he has brought to the River Cottage garden.

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Awards & Accreditations

  • CPD Accredited (provider 50276)
  • Good Web Guide
  • Red Herring Winner
  • Education Investor Awards 2021 - Finalist
  • Royal Horticultural Society
  • Digital Education Awards 2023 Winner for Digital Health and Wellbeing Learning Product of the Year
  • Digital Education Awards 2023 Winner for Adult Home Learning Product of the Year