DENVER URBAN HOMESTEADING 

OUR YEAR-ROUND INDOOR FARMERS' MARKET IS OPEN EVERY SATURDAY FROM 9-2 

Windor Dairy is now distributing raw milk here and selling eggs and grass-fed beef.

We now carry Baker Creek heirloom vegetable seeds

CLICK To Learn How to Help Decriminalize Denver's Chickens

 Classes

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Our classes are taught by local experts who are part of our community.  We are a local, family-owned business, not connected with a national chain, and we are involved in many volunteer activities to make our community better.  (For instance, James is one of the leaders of the campaign to change Denver's restrictive chicken and goat laws.)  We practice the sustainability that we preach, and we hire teachers who live, work and shop in and around Denver, Boulder and Ft. Collins, Colorado.  It is very important to learn from local experts who are familiar with the unique climactic conditions in Colorado.  You can read the teachers' profiles right here.  Please support our local business, our local teachers, our local economy and our community.  Class descriptions are below the calendar.

 

Basic Chicken Keeping

So, you think you want to have your very own chickens?  Why?  Why not?!  But what kind of stuff should you sort of know before you dive in?  What kind of chickens?  Where do you get them?  How many?  How much work are they?  Are they really as cool as people say?  Are their eggs truly better than store-bought?

The answer to the last question is an emphatic yes!  We'll explore the answers to the other questions and dozens of other tidbits in this class.  You should feel pretty ready to make the plunge after this introductory session.

Instructor: John Beauparlant

Cost: $35

See a recent class on YouTube

Butchering chickens

A real hands-on course. You will watch a demonstration on butchering chickens for your own consumption. Then each participant will have the chance to kill and dress his or her own bird to take home. 

 

Instructor: Lori Tigner
Cost $55, includes rooster

Basic Goat Keeping

So you think you want a goat? Better get two! What you need to know about buying goats and where to get them. 

What about housing, fencing, and other essentials?

Why you shouldn’t start with a goat that is milking and other important information to make this a good experience for both you and the animals.

 

Instructor: Jeanne Anderson

Instructor: Lori Tigner

Cost: $45

See a recent class on YouTube

Intermediate goatkeeping and farm tour
T
our a working goat farm. Learn about fencing, feed requirements, milking goat and kid care and of course play with the goats. April is the month that kids are born, so their will be lots of little ones running around. You might even luck out and see some newborns. Basic goatkeeping course is required first before you can attend this class.
 

Instructor: Lori Tigner

Cost: $45

Backyard Fish Farming  

Learn how to feed yourself and your family by designing and building your own fish farm.  This one-day class by a local fisheries expert will teach you the basics for understanding fish biology, water chemistry, feeding, lighting and finally backyard production.  There will be plenty of time for questions.  Bring your lunch.  (Note: We have had inquiries about the class by people who want to start both profit and non-profit fish farming ventures, so taking this class may provide some useful networking opportunities.)

Instructor: Bill Manci

Cost: $125

Worm Composting

 

Worm composting, a.k.a. Vermicomposting, uses worms to break down shredded paper and food scraps to turn it into what is commonly called “black gold”: a very valuable soil amendment that provides the healthiest plants around.

Students will learn how to set up and maintain a home worm bin. Bedding, bin type, feeding, moisture levels, maintenance, harvesting and how to use the compost are all covered in this informative and FUN class!

Students will get to impress their neighbors with their gorgeous gardens and produce and also get to be a part of the solution by keeping organic waste out of the landfill.

 

Instructor:  Sandi Weise

Cost: $35

Ecohouse tour and seminar  

Nestled in the foothills NW of Boulder, an on-going project in home sustainability is taking place.  The owner has set out to minimize his negative impact on the planet while at the same time conforming to building codes, societal constraints, neighbors' expectations, and construction/mortgage finance stipulations.  Make no mistake, it's a work in progress, but Mr. Hanzel is keen to share his experience with others.

 

Come spend a morning dialoging with Karl about his home's hybrid strawbale construction, passive solar design, graywater recycling system, composting toilet, active solar thermal system, rooftop water harvesting system, solar PV system, terraced gardens, budding orchard, neighborhood composting program, alternative transportation, and chickens.

Please bring food if you would like to participate in the optional potluck lunch for those wanting to continue a discussion about some of the interesting measures that Karl has taken.

 

At Karl’s Home near Boulder

Instructor: Karl Hanzel 

Cost:  $30

Urban Foraging Class, or How to Identify Edible Weeds

Come and learn to identify nutritious and delicious flora in our alleyways and backyards.  You will look at our weeds with new eyes and with a new appreciation for the reason they are here.  We will forage outside during the class and end with a feast of wild foods that we have harvested for free!

Urban Foraging

Instructor: Tonja Reichley 

Cost:  $25

Growing Mushrooms at Home

 

 

 
Instructor: Marc Donsky

Cost: $35

 Growing and Using Culinary Herbs

Herbs are described as a useful plant for eating, crafting, and medicinal purposes.  This class is about eating and crafting herbs.  Come learn the best herbs that grow in Colorado and how to grow herbs in your kitchen!

We help you find the best location for your herb crops and when to harvest.  Herbs are generally easy to care for and thus especially wonderful for folks who think they don’t have a green thumb.  You will learn how to smell for the optimal concentration of oils in order to get the best flavors and scents.

How to use herbs fresh and to preserve them for extended use.  How to make a blend for culinary purposes or crafting.  Ideas for recipes and crafting projects included. 

Instructor: Judy Vanderbosch

Cost: $25

Extending the Growing Season

with Cold Frames

Want to grow food year round? Wish you could grow in the winter outside without a greenhouse?

You can!! Come learn how to build and place a cold frame in your yard. They are cheap to build and easy

to care for. Cold frames provide fresh greens thoughout the winter months.

Instructor: Barbara Masoner

Cost: $20 

Intro to Raw Cooking Class

This is an entry level raw cooking class offering introduction on how to prepare a delicious three-course raw Italian meal with very basic raw food ingredients and minimal equipment. This instructional class will teach you to prepare delicious Caesar Salad, Lasagna and Tirimisu using 100% RAW vegetables, fruits and nuts.  The food that we will prepare will be naturally gluten-free and free of all animal products and by-products. This class welcomes all home cooks of all levels and includes a delicious lunch that we make!

 

Instructor: MacKenzie Kampling

Cost: $35

Grow Using Hydroponics

This is a how-to class in growing vegetables hydroponically.  The class will review basic systems, and the teacher will bring a hydroponic setup and the class will plant tomatoes and other vegetables.  Fertilizers and supplements will be explained, along with recommended vegetables to grow using hydroponics.

Instructor: Ross Karr

Cost: $75

Vegetable Gardening 101

Learn the keys to successful vegetable growing on the Front Range including tips and tricks to make your gardening life easier. Colorado’s climate realities include a short growing season, cool summer nights, dry air, erratic late spring and early fall frosts. Soil conditions add another gardening challenge. The guiding hand of you, the grower, makes all the difference in altering growing conditions to achieve results. Come learn when and how to intervene to produce the vegetables you want for fresh eating and preserving.  

Instructor: Carl Wilson

Cost: $25

 

Restore Wood Furniture

(and save a tree)

This class will learn how to identify good-quality wood furniture, doors, etc. suitable for refinishing damaged by water, sun, scratches and the students will learn simple techniques for refinishing these tables, chairs, etc.  Which materials are better to use among varnishes, wood fillers, etc?  These will be part of the class.  All students will get hands-on experience with sanding tools and the finishing materials.  This practical course will empower you to improve the appearance of the wood in your home and to help save the planet by keeping good wood furniture out of the dumpster.  It can also be a rewarding hobby, financially and psychologically.

Instructor: Irina Bertini

Cost: $20

Knitting: make hats, scarves and sweaters

In this class students will learn simple ways to make unique articles of clothing out of locally-produced materials, such as wool yarn.  Tired of your old sweater?  Take it apart and make something new!  Real recycling.

Instructor: Irina Bertini

Cost: $25

WE NEED TEACHERS IN:

Beekeeping

Grafting fruit trees

Designing greenhouses

Drying and preserving food

Other ag/sustainable/homesteading skills

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Last updated: 03/08/10.