URBAN FARMING CLASSES AT BIOFUEL OASIS
| Biofuel Oasis is excited to be announcing its urban farm class series for Winter 2012! We specialize in hands-on, seasonally appropriate classes designed to empower people.ALL classes will be held at: Sticky Art Lab, 1682 University Ave (at McGee), Berkeley |
Chickens 201
Sunday, February 26th 10 am.-11:30 a.m.
Location: Sticky Art Lab, 1682 University Ave (at McGee), Berkeley
Cost: $30
So you’ve had your backyard chickens for a while now, but you realize there is so much more to know! Join chicken farmer Alexis Koefoed at this class for chicken owners — topics covered include disease diagnosis, pest control, and enhancing the health of your chickens. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers–this is a great opportunity to ask a real expert!
Instructor: Alexis Koefoed has owned Soul Food Farm for 5 years raising chickens and eggs
Backyard Beekeeping – CLASS FULL (Email to be added to Wait List!)
Sunday, February 26th, 1:30 pm-4:30pm
Location: Sticky Art Lab, 1682 University Ave (at McGee), Berkeley
Cost: $35
This popular class fills up every time we offer it, so sign up early! Honeybees are a joy to keep in the backyard simply for their buzzing presence and, on hot days, the smell of honey, wafting through the air within ten feet of the hive. They increase pollination in your yard and therefore increase your yields from fruit trees and vegetables. You may also harvest honey (gallons per year), beeswax, pollen, and propolis from the hive. We’ll cover what you need to know to feel ready to have a Langstroth backyard beehive – how to get bees, what equipment you need, where to put the hive, how to extract honey and upkeep the hive. There will be local honey to try.
Instructor: Jennifer Radtke of BioFuel Oasis
**Sign up for both Chickens classes on March 4th for a full day of Chicken Workshopping for $60! Use button directly below:
Everything You Need to Know to Raise Backyard Chickens
Sunday, March 4th, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Location: Sticky Art Lab, 1682 University Ave (at McGee), Berkeley
Cost: $35
From setting up a brooder for baby chicks to the essentials of water, feed, and coop requirements for a thriving backyard flock, this class will prepare you for what you need to know! Having chickens is very rewarding, but it can feel daunting to get started. We will go over many topics for setting up and keeping your chickens happy and healthy including: planning your coop, protecting against predators, winter time care, best breeds, nutrition, and optimum egg production. Take it together with the afternoon coop building class and be ready to get your girls this spring!
Instructor: Cooper Funk of Dinner Bell Farm
Chicken Coop Building
Sunday, March 4th, 1:30 p.m-4:30 p.m
Location: Sticky Art Lab, 1682 University Ave (at McGee), Berkeley
Cost: $35
In this 3 hour workshop, participants will learn the essential components of building a well functioning and stylish chicken coop. We will start with a slideshow of completed coops, then discuss fundamental design elements and helpful construction techniques. We will then sketch out some design ideas and have participants leave with an idea of how to go about starting their own backyard chicken coop building project.
Instructor: Matt Wolpe and Kevin McElroy of Just Fine Design
Fermentation 101: Krauts, Pickling, and More!
Sunday, March 18th, 1:30 pm-4:30 pm
Location: Sticky Art Lab, 1682 University Ave (at McGee), Berkeley
Cost: $35
Preserve the harvest, strengthen your digestion and immunity, and create intriguing flavors in your kitchen by learning the simple art of fermentation . This class is suitable for beginners and those who are already fermenting. We’ll start with basic wild fermentation and move on to various methods of fermenting with a culture. Everyone will make a simple condiment to ferment at home. Bring a knife and cutting board.
Instructor: Nishanga Bliss is a licensed acupuncturist who has worked in the holistic health field for over 20 years. She lives in Berkeley where she grows, cooks, ferments, savors, teaches and writes about sustainable food.
Backyard Beekeeping
Thursday, March 22nd 6 p.m.-9p.m.
Location: Sticky Art Lab, 1682 University Ave (at McGee), Berkeley
Cost: $35
This popular class fills up every time we offer it, so sign up early! Honeybees are a joy to keep in the backyard simply for their buzzing presence and, on hot days, the smell of honey, wafting through the air within ten feet of the hive. They increase pollination in your yard and therefore increase your yields from fruit trees and vegetables. You may also harvest honey (gallons per year), beeswax, pollen, and propolis from the hive. We’ll cover what you need to know to feel ready to have a Langstroth backyard beehive – how to get bees, what equipment you need, where to put the hive, how to extract honey and upkeep the hive. There will be local honey to try.
Instructor: Jennifer Radtke of BioFuel Oasis
Urban Farm Tour
Sunday, April 1st, 9:30am – 2pm
Cost: $40
Get on the biodiesel powered Mexican school Bus for a tour around some of Berkeley and Oakland’s finest urban farms. The farms highlighted on the tour will demonstrate a range in the urban farming movement–from Novella Carpenter’s Ghosttown vacant lot farm to smaller backyard homesteads to impressive multi-acre projects. Different aspects of urban farming in the East Bay will be showcased—including keeping urban chickens, raising city dairy goats, beekeeping and more. At each stop, there will be a short tour by the farmer with a tasting of a farm product.
Location: Meet at the Biofuel Oasis, 1441 Ashby Ave, Berkeley
Grow Oyster Mushrooms on Recycled Coffee Grounds
Sunday, April 8th, 1-4pm
Location: Back to the Roots 2935 Adeline St., Oakland CA 94608
Cost: $35
Learn about the benefits of mushrooms and the amazing world of fungi. We’ll take a tour of the Back to the Roots mushroom facility in Oakland and learn how they grown oyster mushrooms on recycled coffee grounds from Peet’s Coffee. Then, we’ll take it down to a DIY scale with hands-on sterilizing and innoculation of coffee grounds. Each student will get a mushroom starter that will grow mushrooms within 2 weeks at home. Save up your coffee grounds and bring them to the class!
Instructor: Ryan Ellis, Back to the Roots
Homebrewing Biodiesel 101
Sunday, April 15, 1 p.m.-6 p.m.
Location: Sticky Art Lab, 1682 University Ave (at McGee), Berkeley
Cost: $50
Yes, you can make your own fuel in your backyard from used cooking oil! The class will feature hands-on testing of used vegetable and the making of liter batches of biodiesel. We will also cover how to collect oil from restaurants and the basic process of making it at home. Whether you are interested in making biodiesel yourself or just want more knowledge about how your fuel is made, this class will give you a quick understanding of the process, chemistry, and equipment in a short period of time. If there is interest, a follow-up class will be offered where we make a full batch of fuel.
Instructor: Jennifer Radtke has been teaching people how to homebrew biodiesel for eight years.
City Goats
Sunday May 13th, 1:30 p.m-4:30 p.m.
Location: Sticky Art Lab, 1682 University Ave (at McGee), Berkeley
Cost: $35
Goats are taking the urban ag scene in America by storm. Once seen as exclusively rural livestock, more and more people are keeping them in their backyards for milk, meat, and natural fertilizer. Many people love goats but aren’t sure if they are ready or can keep them. This class will go over the basic requirements for keeping goats: feed, housing, health, herd management, neighbor relations, milking, and cheesemaking. It’s a great beginner class for the caprine curious.
Instructor: Kitty Sharkey of Havenscourt Homestead raises Nigerian Dwarf goats in her backyard near the Oakland Coliseum along with chickens, ducks, rabbits, quail, and Honey Bees.
How to Enroll
Please click the “Pay Now” button below the class description to reserve your spot in the class via credit card or debit card. (You don’t need a PayPal account – just click “Continue” next to where it says “Don’t have a PayPal account?”)
You can also sign up by calling BioFuel Oasis (510.665.5509) or coming in during business hours.
Our classes often fill up 1-2 weeks before class date, we strongly recommend you sign up early!
Work-Trade
We have low-income and work-trade spots available. Please inquire if you would like to apply for one.
Cancellations must be made seven days in advance in order to receive a full refund. Refunds are not given for classes canceled less than seven days ahead; however, you can always send a friend in your place.