“I'VE NEVER SEEN anything like this,” said Arthur Schaub of Lake Leelanau, who was killing weeds in the sizeable garden he keeps by his home. “We should just be getting rid of the snow.” Schaub, who resides off Gauthier Road with his wife of 30 years, Dina, suggested that gardeners ignore the temptation to plant early even though some fruit trees had already bloomed. “I wouldn’t plant yet unless you protect it a lot. Memorial Day, or the end of May, is the best time to plant potatoes and such,” he added. Two workshops focused on soils are set for Friday and Saturday at two sites in the county.

Joe Scrimger owner and operator of Bio- Systems, a Great Lakes Area soil testing and consulting business, will lead the two events — Friday at the Northport Michigan Horticultural Research Center and Saturday at the Leelanau Conservancy DeYoung Farm in Elmwood Township.

Friday’s event, from 6 to 8 p.m., will be a solid introduction to organic small scale farming with an emphasis on soil biology. Soil testing, amendments and how mulching leads to production quality and quantity will be discussed along with weeds, pests and diseases.

Cost is $10 to $20, using a sliding scale.

The second program, Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., is aimed at developing a plan for returning over-used soils to a biologically active, productive state, using the sand soils of the Leelanau Conservancy’s DeYoung Farm as a case study.

Admission is $50, $40 for CRAFT members.

Registration information is available by calling (231) 480-4515 or via email at yvonne@artmeetsearth.org.