Urban Homesteading Workshops
Living local, living healthy, saving money
Classes are subject to cancellation with changing health mandates. Currently, masks are not required, but I would appreciate you wearing one (I’ll be wearing one, too). Please help us all stay safe and wear a mask and get vaccinated if you are able.
These workshops are being offered in the Eugene/Springfield area:
Mondays, 6:45–8:45pm, Campbell Community Center (541-682-5318)
Wednesdays, 7–9pm, River Road Park (541-688-4052)
Thursdays, 6–8pm, Willamalane Adult Activity Center (541-736-4444)
Saturdays, 2–4pm, Amazon Community Center (541-682-5373)
Please register directly with your preferred location. See their catalogs or our calendar for dates and times. Cost is $20 in-district/$24 out-of-district for all classes.
Private Groups
We offer any of these workshops to private groups of 5–8 with advance scheduling. Each workshop is about 2 hours long unless otherwise noted. Cost starts at $15 per person and goes down with more participants. Host is free with at least 6 other participants. Contact us at info@suburbanhomecraft.com if you would like any of these classes for your private group or in outlying communities (larger groups possible with a larger venue).
Check out our Facebook page for seasonal tips and resources!
Intro to Urban Homesteading – Free
(I can provide this class free to local groups, inquire via info(at)suburbanhomecraft(dot)com
Come find out how you can start living more simply, sustainably, and cheaply. We will discuss why we do what we do, how to decide where to start and how to get the best return on your efforts. We will also discuss topics for the remainder of the series. If you are interested in any of the homesteading classes, we encourage you to join us for this discussion.
JANUARY Classes: Fermentation
Cheese and Yogurt Making
Learn how to make a fresh hard cheese and ricotta, and learn about different hard and soft cheese cultures and processes. We will go through the entire process from cultured milk to formed cheese ready for the press. We will also go over how to make yogurt and kefir (freebie: for detailed instructions on making yogurt, see our recipes page).
Bread Making/Sourdough
Learn how to catch, care for, and use a wild sourdough culture. We will also go over regular bread baking techniques for those who want to start simple. Over the course of this class, we will make a batch of sourdough bread while we learn about proofing, the complex biology of a vital sourdough culture, and tips and tricks to get that great artisanal style bread in your own kitchen. Take home your own small round loaf and a sourdough culture.
Fermenting: Sauerkraut and Kombucha
Learn natural fermentation basics as we turn a head (or several) of cabbage along with some salt into a batch of sauerkraut and take home a pint to ferment and enjoy for yourself. You will also learn how to make kimchi, kombucha, vinegar, and gurken pickles. There will be kombucha SCOBY to take home for anyone who wants it.
Fermenting: Kimchi and Kombucha
Learn natural fermentation basics as we turn a head (or several) of Napa cabbage and a bunch of other goodies, along with some salt into a batch of kimchi and take home a pint to ferment and enjoy for yourself. You will also learn how to make sauerkraut, kombucha, vinegar, and gurken pickles. There will be kombucha SCOBY to take home for anyone who wants it.
Beyond Sauerkraut
Ready to explore the world of fermentation? Learn how to make your own fermented pickles, salsa, hot sauce, a variety of fermented non-alcoholic beverages, and even corned beef. No prior fermentation experience required. We’ll make a habanero hot sauce and gardiniera in class. Take home a jar of each.
FEBRUARY Classes: Homesteading
Pruning Grapes and Fruit Trees, Grafting, Espalier (outdoors – dress appropriately)
Learn how to prune fruit trees and grapes for form and productivity – thinning, recognizing fruiting spurs, and directing growth patterns. Learn how to graft new varieties onto existing trees or rootstock in time to take advantage of the free fruit grafting material from Eugene’s annual Propagation Fair in March. Note: This class is at our property. Address and directions available with registration.
Organic Garden Prep and Seed Starting
Time to get the garden ready for spring and start those warm-weather plants indoors. Get composting tips, natural pest control options, seed starting tips, and more. A selection of locally adapted vegetable seeds is included.
Backyard Poultry – Raising Laying Hens and Ducks
There is nothing like fresh backyard eggs. Learn how to raise laying hens and ducks in the backyard from chicks to adult birds. Learn which breeds to pick based on productivity, temperament, and available space; practical and code requirements; diseases, predators, and other health issues.
Introduction to Beekeeping
Beekeeping can be a rewarding hobby and provide quality local honey for your family. Learn beekeeping basics – equipment, supplies, sources, and techniques – before you commit to your own hives. Learn about current issues with beekeeping, local laws, common diseases and pests, and their treatment options.
MARCH Classes: Picnic Season is Coming
Sausage Making
If you love sausages but hate not really knowing what goes into the ones from the grocery store, you can learn how to make your own from whole ingredients. Develop your own spice mix so your sausage is as mild or spicy as you like.
Homemade Condiments
Make your next picnic or barbecue amazing by bringing your own homemade pickle relish, plus quick and easy real mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup. We’ll make some of each (except relish) in class, with tips on how to give them your own signature flavor. Bring 3 small containers to bring a share home. (The mayonnaise recipe and a vegan alternative is included on our recipes page.)
Outdoor Herbals
Learn how to make natural insect repellent sprays and lotions as effective as DEET, plus soothing salves for the odd scrape and rash. Everything is based on peer-reviewed science with references. Take home a share of what we make in class.
APRIL Classes: Self-Care, Gifts
Skin Balms, Creams, and Herbal Salves
Learn to make hand/lip balms, skin creams, and soothing herbal salves for gifts or a treat for yourself. Take home a share of what we make in class.
Soap Making
Learn the basics of making Castile cold process bar soap from scratch. We will discuss the chemistry of saponification, properties of different base oils and local sources, and fragrance oils and other additives while we make a batch of soap. You will also learn how to make liquid soap and two forms of laundry soap. Take home a share of the soap we produce.
Ginger Treats
Ginger can be used for a number of sweet or savory treats. Come cook up a batch of candied ginger, ginger syrup (makes a fantastic ginger ale with club soda), ginger sugar (great for baking), and pickled ginger for sushi. These all make great gifts and you can take home a share of what we make.
Aromatherapy and Essential Oils
Essential oils have potent active compounds that can promote healing and sooth irritation when applied topically, and some have psychoactive compounds that can calm, stimulate, or refresh when inhaled. This will be a science-based class on the uses of essential oils as aromatherapy and topical treatments, including precautions to avoid unsafe practices.
MAY Classes: Sustainable Gardening
Organic Gardening and Soil Health
Gardening basics and more advanced techniques will include starts vs. direct sowing, co-planting, beneficial insects and how to attract them, soil amendments, maximizing limited space, saving seed, and winter gardening. A selection of locally adapted vegetable seeds is included.
Herb Gardens
Almost everyone has room for a small herb garden. Learn which herbs grow well in pots, how to keep your herbs happy and productive, and how to store them dried or frozen. We will also discuss many non-culinary uses for herbs. There will be a selection of herb seeds to share.
Beneficial Insects in the Garden
There is a whole host of insects out there to help your garden grow and produce. Learn about predatory flies, beetles, assassin bugs, and many other predators, pollinators, and composters, and how to attract them and get them working for you. You’ll be surprised at how many there really are.
Edible Landscaping and Foraging
Don’t just pull those weeds – eat them! Find out what native “weeds” are edible and how to prepare them. You’ll be surprised at how much food you’ve been pulling up and throwing in the yard waste. Learn about common wild foraging plants – berries, flowers, greens, roots, and common mushrooms – and their habitats. Note: This class is at our property. Address and directions available with registration.
JUNE Classes: Preserving
Preserving Basics: Canning, freezing, drying
There is a lot of information out there that makes home preserving sound complicated and potentially dangerous. With a few simple precautions, it is neither of those. Learn the basics and benefits of home preserving and start eating cheaper, fresher, healthier, and more local. We will discuss in detail proper canning techniques, including what you can and can’t process in a steam canner, blanching and freezing techniques, and drying herbs, fruits, and vegetables. We will also talk about which methods are best for a variety of foods and why.
Canning Basics: Fruit Jam
Put summer in a jar by making your own fruit jam. Home-made can be much lower sugar than commercial, and the potential varieties are endless. We’ll make and can a batch in class from fresh local fruit and you can take a jar home for yourself.
Cheese and Yogurt Making
Learn how to make a fresh hard cheese and ricotta, and learn about different hard and soft cheese cultures and processes. We will go through the entire process from cultured milk to formed cheese ready for the press. We will also go over how to make yogurt and kefir (freebie: for detailed instructions on making yogurt, see our recipes page).
Backyard Butchering: Raising poultry for meat (PRIVATE– Register Here or call)
Next class: Saturday, June 11, 2022
Know where your meat comes from! This is a hands-on butchering workshop, so come dressed appropriately. We will discuss meat breeds of chicken and duck, sources, care of young and maturing birds, and butchering techniques and options. We will then butcher a mature flock of meat chickens, run them through a home-built plucker (plans available for free), clean them (with internal anatomy lesson), chill them, and part them out for freezing. Participants can take home a fully dressed-out chicken. We do not advertise this event and it is independent of any of the regular teaching locations. – Register Here.
JULY Classes:
Homemade Condiments
Make your next picnic or barbecue amazing by bringing your own homemade pickle relish, plus quick and easy real mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup. We’ll make some of each (except relish) in class, with tips on how to give them your own signature flavor. Bring 3 small containers to bring a share home. (The mayonnaise recipe and a vegan alternative is included on our recipes page.)
Bread Making/Sourdough
Learn how to catch, care for, and use a wild sourdough culture. We will also go over regular bread baking techniques for those who want to start simple. Over the course of this class, we will make a batch of sourdough bread while we learn about proofing, the complex biology of a vital sourdough culture, and tips and tricks to get that great artisanal style bread in your own kitchen. Take home your own small round loaf and a sourdough culture.
Skin Balms, Creams, and Herbal Salves
Learn to make hand/lip balms, skin creams, and soothing herbal salves for gifts or a treat for yourself. Take home a share of what we make in class.
Soap Making
Learn the basics of making Castile cold process bar soap from scratch. We will discuss the chemistry of saponification, properties of different base oils and local sources, and fragrance oils and other additives while we make a batch of soap. You will also learn how to make liquid soap and two forms of laundry soap. Take home a share of the soap we produce.
AUGUST Classes: Year-Round Gardening
Edible Landscaping and Foraging
Don’t just pull those weeds – eat them! Find out what native “weeds” are edible and how to prepare them. You’ll be surprised at how much food you’ve been pulling up and throwing in the yard waste. Learn about common wild foraging plants – berries, flowers, greens, roots, and common mushrooms – and their habitats. Note: This class is at our property. Address and directions available with registration.
Seed Saving
Learn a variety of techniques for saving heirloom vegetable seeds for planting next year, including ideal harvest times, ensuring true strains, collection techniques, preparation/drying, and proper storage.
Winter Gardening
The Willamette Valley is an ideal place to grow food all year round. Learn how to plant out a winter garden to have produce all winter long and into spring. Learn which vegetables do well over winter in our climate, and how to maximize production from a small space. Also learn about saving seed and sources for free vegetable and flower seeds.
SEPTEMBER Classes: Preserving
Canning Basics: Dill pickles
Dill pickles are about the easiest thing to can. If you are new to canning, here is where to start. We will work up a batch and learn about the equipment and techniques of canning. Take home your own jar of pickles.
Canning Basics: Salsa
Put the last of the tomatoes, onions, peppers, and herbs of the year together for a great home-made salsa. We will make some fresh salsa and a batch of canned salsa for everyone to take home.
Canning Basics: Pepper Jam
Make a sweet-spicy condiment from local Thistledown no-spray bell peppers and jalapeños. This is similar to Thai sweet pepper sauce, but you get to control the heat! Delicious on meatloaf, burgers, as part of a barbeque glaze, or in a vegetable sauté.
Canning Basics: Applesauce
The secret to fabulous applesauce is to use fabulous apples. With great apples, there is no need for extra sugar or any other additions. We will make and can a batch of fresh applesauce and everyone can take home a pint.
Backyard Beekeeping – Honey Extraction Workshop (Summer. Private – Contact us for details)
Next class: September 2022
Your bees have been busy all summer. Learn how to efficiently get all that honey out of the hive and into jars with a minimum of disruption for your hive. Plans for a home-made honey extractor available. Learn about current issues with beekeeping, local laws, common diseases and pests, and their treatment options.
OCTOBER Classes: Fermenting
Fermenting: Sauerkraut and Kombucha
Learn natural fermentation basics as we turn a head (or several) of cabbage along with some salt into a batch of sauerkraut and take home a pint to ferment and enjoy for yourself. You will also learn how to make kimchi, kombucha, vinegar, and gurken pickles. There will be kombucha SCOBY to take home for anyone who wants it.
Fermenting: Kimchi and Kombucha
Learn natural fermentation basics as we turn a head (or several) of Napa cabbage and a bunch of other goodies, along with some salt into a batch of kimchi and take home a pint to ferment and enjoy for yourself. You will also learn how to make sauerkraut, kombucha, vinegar, and gurken pickles. There will be kombucha SCOBY to take home for anyone who wants it.
Beyond Sauerkraut
Ready to explore the world of fermentation? Learn how to make your own fermented pickles, salsa, hot sauce, a variety of fermented non-alcoholic beverages, and even corned beef. No prior fermentation experience required. We’ll make a habanero hot sauce and gardiniera in class. Take home a jar of each.
Bread Making/Sourdough
Learn how to catch, care for, and use a wild sourdough culture. We will also go over regular bread baking techniques for those who want to start simple. Over the course of this class, we will make a batch of sourdough bread while we learn about proofing, the complex biology of a vital sourdough culture, and tips and tricks to get that great artisanal style bread in your own kitchen. Take home your own small round loaf and a sourdough culture.
Cheese and Yogurt Making
Learn how to make a fresh hard cheese and ricotta, and learn about different hard and soft cheese cultures and processes. We will go through the entire process from cultured milk to formed cheese ready for the press. We will also go over how to make yogurt and kefir (freebie: for detailed instructions on making yogurt, see our recipes page).
NOVEMBER Classes: Entertaining
Home-Made Liqueurs, Infused Alcohols, and Tinctures
Learn how to make a variety of infused vodkas, fruit liqueurs, and herbal liqueurs. We’ll make limoncello, ginger vodka, and Irish Cream in class. Take home a small jar of your favorite.
Home-Made Spreads and Appetizers
Hummus, tapenade, pesto/sun-dried tomato cream cheese, and more. Get recipes and tips for customizing as we make a couple amazing and simple spreads and appetizers, including some gluten- and dairy-free options. Take home some of what we make in class.
Home-Made Chutneys and Sauces
Learn how to make a variety of classic chutneys, spicy peanut sauce, and more. Get recipes and tips for customizing as we make a couple amazing. Take home some of what we make in class.
DECEMBER Classes: Gifts for Yourself and Others
Flavored Salts and Sugars
Learn to make smoked, herbed, citrus, and wine-infused salt, and flavored sugars for a special finishing touch on your cooking and baking. Take home a share of what we make in class.
Skin Balms, Creams, and Herbal Salves
Learn to make hand/lip balms, skin creams, and soothing herbal salves for gifts or a treat for yourself. Take home a share of what we make in class.
Soap Making
Learn the basics of making Castile cold process bar soap from scratch. We will discuss the chemistry of saponification, properties of different base oils and local sources, and fragrance oils and other additives while we make a batch of soap. You will also learn how to make liquid soap and two forms of laundry soap. Take home a share of the soap we produce.
Ginger Treats
Ginger can be used for a number of sweet or savory treats. Come cook up a batch of candied ginger, ginger syrup (makes a fantastic ginger ale with club soda), ginger sugar (great for baking), and pickled ginger for sushi. These all make great gifts and you can take home a share of what we make.
Aromatherapy and Essential Oils
Essential oils have potent active compounds that can promote healing and sooth irritation when applied topically, and some have psychoactive compounds that can calm, stimulate, or refresh when inhaled. This will be a science-based class on the uses of essential oils as aromatherapy and topical treatments, including precautions to avoid unsafe practices.
Other Classes, not regularly scheduled:
Eating Well on a Tight Budget
Next class: TBA or private group
Eating with the seasons can be a challenge, but is healthy and satisfying, and can also save you a lot of money. Learn local sources of in-season produce, how to track and plan seasonally, and how to incorporate your own preserved foods.
Granola and Other Healthy, Easy Breakfasts
Next class: TBA
It can be tough to get a good breakfast on a busy workday morning. Learn some recipes and options for some healthy make-ahead staples and quick, easy breakfast ideas. We’ll make a batch of granola in class for everyone to share.
Knitting Basics (Private small group sessions available on request)
Learn how to get started for people who are new to the skill. Learn the basic stitches and go home with the start of a wash cloth and instructions for finishing it. Bring a pair of size 5-10 needles and a skein of worsted weight yarn (or buy here).
Knitting Intermediate – Reading Patterns (Private small group sessions available on request)
Learn more stitches, increases, decreases, and other techniques. Leave with a started project and a pattern.
Sock Knitting (Private small group sessions available on request)
Bring a set of 4 or 5 needles sized 6–10 and worsted weight or greater yarn to match needle size. Get instruction in knitting socks, including cuff, heel, and toe. Leave with the start of your own socks and how to make your own patterns.
Register/schedule for private groups by phone or email.