Backyard Homesteading Workshops

Between the economy, the green movement, and the resurgence of crafts and handmade goods, now feels like the ideal time to make a move towards more sustainable living. Reading this book got my mind racing with backyard homesteading possibilities (chickens! honeybees!), but it can be difficult to know where to begin. Books are fantastic, but nothing can replace good old hands-on experience; especially when it comes to raising animals. In my hunt for a class nearby, I discovered that backyard homesteading workshops are springing up all over the States, and I thought it would be nice to share them with you…

Goats at Angelic Organics

East Coast:

The Pfeiffer Center, Chestnut Ridge, NY – In addition to workshops on organic beekeeping, draft horses and organic gardening, The Pfeiffer Center offers a farm-immersion outdoor classroom experience for schools and groups.

Hames & Axle Farm, Ashburnham, MA – Goat keeping workshops, as well as private classes in sewing, baking, and simple farm carpentry.

Motherhouse, Cornwall, CT – The Old-Style Life Skills Workshops at Motherhouse cover everything from keeping chickens, cows and bees to making sourdough starter, gathering wool, preserving food, and cheese making.

Bountiful Backyards, Durham, NC – This Spring their workshop series focuses on creating a rain garden, worm composting, backyard chickens, and mushroom cultivation.

Midwest:

Angelic Organics Learning Center, Caledonia & Chicago, IL – Reading the very long list of public programs available at Angelic Organics makes me want to move to Chicago. Seriously. They offer workshops on organic gardening and composting, cheese making, sustainable building skills, beekeeping, and even a “Farm Dreams” workshop for folks interested in sustainable farming careers. On top of that, they host camp-outs on the farm, and have a day camp for kids in the summer.

West:

Wasatch Community Gardens, Salt Lake City, UT – Offers a number of free (donation suggested) workshops including Urban Chickens, Compost Basics, Starting a School Garden, Drip Irrigation, and Fruit Tree Pruning. They also maintain a free garden tool library.

Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Association, Fort Collins, CO – Workshops on Backyard Chickens, Beginning Beekeeping, Biointensive Gardening, Home Energy Efficiency, and Green Building Design.

Seattle Tilth, Seattle, WA – Check out their Events page for classes, workshops, and festivals. Some of their upcoming classes include City Chickens 101, Starting with Baby Chicks, and Container Veggie Gardening. And if you are in the area, don’t miss their City Chickens Coop Tour of Seattle this summer!

Growing Gardens, Portland, OR – Take a workshop in Chicken Coop Building and Design, Intro. to Urban Chicken Keeping, or Food Preservation, or sign up for a Work-Learn Party or a Parent-Child Workshop. This innovative organization also works to install raised vegetable gardens in the yards of low-income households.

Pistils Nursery, Portland, OR – I first read about Pistils Nursery via Elisabeth Bentz’s blog, good long while – she was reporting on the Urban Goat Keeping and Backyard Beekeeping workshops she has been taking, and they look wonderful! Check out their Workshops page for current offerings.

Livingscape Nursery, Portland, OR – Livingscape Nursery offers classes every month covering topics on organic vegetable gardening, gardening with native plants, and chickens. They will also be hosting a Chicken Fest this Friday through Sunday, March 27-29, with coop displays, workshops on care, selection, and coop building, Chickens 101 class for kids, and an Old Time Fiddle Jam.

Love Apple Farm, Ben Lomond, CA – Um, why did I not know about this place when I lived in Santa Cruz? I got married in Ben Lomond, for crying out loud! Oh well, if you are lucky enough to live nearby, you will certainly want to check out the classes coming up this Spring and Summer: Growing Herbs from Seed, Garden Bed Design & Construction, Backyard Chicken Keeping, Bee-Keeping, Jam Making, Tomato Masters, and more.

Garden For The Environment, San Francisco, CA – Workshops on keeping city chickens and ducks, urban composting, summer gardening in San Francisco, and an Intro to Organic Gardening series fill the calendar at this beautiful 1 acre demonstration garden in the Sunset district.

Know of any more? Feel free to add a link in the comments

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