Adult Education
Hone Your Skills of Self-reliance and Environmental Stewardship
We offer adult students a diverse selection of classes: Gardening and grow your groceries, herbal studies, culinary arts, nature and environment, natural arts and crafts and animal husbandry to inspire you to participate in a local sustainable food system. The skills we teach go beyond self-reliance and environmental stewardship. With every interaction we open a world of possibilities to people who may never have had access to the beauty, wisdom and innate knowledge that our natural environment provides.
We offer both individual classes and longer courses. Some classes are offered through a partnership with the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op. (During the registration process, you will be redirected to Brown Paper Tickets. Even though some classes are offered through a partnership with SNFC, all classes are held at Soil Born Farms American River Ranch.) Download class schedule >>
Grow Your Groceries
These classes teach adults basic gardening skills to transform outdoor spaces into thriving, abundant edible organic gardens. We offer both individual classes and longer courses, such as the Beginning Home Gardener Weekend Intensive. Individual class topics include: preparing spring, summer, fall and winter gardens; building soil fertility; garden design and seasonality; irrigation and water management; natural pest management; composting; fruit tree care; seed saving; beekeeping; foraging wild edibles and more.
GYG Upcoming Classes
| Event | Venue | Date | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Gold: Making Compost for Your Home Garden 12-2-23 | American River Ranch |
| In this class, we’ll discuss the basics of how to start, maintain, and harvest compost for your containers, gardens, yards, or community green spaces. |
Register |
| Lawn to Garden 12-9-23 | American River Ranch |
| Learn how to turn your lawn into a thriving food forest! We will cover how to get rid of the grass, what to plant when, amending soil, ongoing care, irrigation, and more! |
Register |
| Regenerative Agriculture Farm Tour 12-16-23 | American River Ranch |
| Take a tour of the farm while learning the principles of regenerative agriculture. See how our farmers implement regenerative practices that revitalize the land and restore the historic American River Ranch. Many of these principles can be applied to your home garden. Everyone can play a part in creating a climate-safe California. |
Register |
Herbal Studies
We offer both individual herbal classes and longer courses, such as the Family Herbalist Course Beginners Program. the Intermediate Herbalist Courses Part A and B and the Homegrown Herbalism Course. Students will learn how to identify, grow and use herbs for health and wellness. Most classes are experiential with tasting, smelling, and hands-on activities with herbs. Topics include: basics of herbal medicine; the art of herbal medicine making (beginning and intermediate); the spring, autumn and winter herbal; growing medicinal and culinary herbs; herbal first aid; herb walks along the American River Parkway; introduction to aromatherapy and more.
Herbal Studies Upcoming Classes
| Event | Venue | Date | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our Bodies’ Systems and the Ayurvedic Doshas: Where Balance Reigns Supreme 12-2-23 | American River Ranch |
| Practical insights and time-honored techniques will empower you to tailor herbal interventions that resonate with your unique constitution, fostering a state of optimal well-being. As we traverse the landscapes of Ayurvedic wisdom, you will emerge equipped with a profound understanding of how to nurture and cultivate balance within the vessel of your body. |
Register |
| Herb Walk, Talk & Tea 12-09-23 | American River Ranch |
| We will discuss the growth habitat, harvest requirements, and how to use each plant. |
Register |
Culinary Arts
Our culinary arts program features a variety of classes that teach adults the basic cooking skills to prepare fresh, whole foods into delicious, healthy meals. The Art of Home Cooking are seasonally-themed classes that inspire you to cook from scratch using basic techniques and wholesome ingredients. Topics include: soups and broths, sauces, greens, pizza, braising, stir-frying and grilling. The Meal Prep Hands-on Cooking workshops are offered monthly where the students prepare the components of seasonal recipes for the upcoming week’s meals (different types of proteins, a myriad of vegetables, a healthy grain and sauces). Participants leave the workshops with containers of prepped ingredients, a plan for the week and a selection of building-block recipes. The Garden to Pantry Food Preservation classes are a combination of hands-on and demonstration style. Students learn a variety of ways to preserve food utilizing the seasonal produce grown on the farm: canning, dehydration and fermentation.
Culinary Arts Upcoming Classes
There are no listings in this category currently available. Check back soon!
Nature and Environment
We offer bird walks along the American River Parkway where you will learn how to identify through sight and sound a variety of resident birds. The walks are ideal for beginner to intermediate birdwatchers. Herbal studies instructors lead herb walks along the American River Parkway to show students how to identify and use over 25 plants for food and medicine. Beekeeping classes are offered for the aspiring urban backyard beekeeper to those who are serious about beekeeping as a profession. All of our nature and environment classes are experiential, emphasizing our connection to the natural world and how to become stewards of the land.
Nature and Environment Upcoming Classes
| Event | Venue | Date | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Gold: Making Compost for Your Home Garden 12-2-23 | American River Ranch |
| In this class, we’ll discuss the basics of how to start, maintain, and harvest compost for your containers, gardens, yards, or community green spaces. |
Register |
| Bird Walk 12-9-23 | American River Ranch |
| Explore the diversity of plants, birds, beneficial insects, animals and the web of relationships that coexist at the American River Ranch. Experience the magical moments nature has in store at this time of year. |
Register |
| Herb Walk, Talk & Tea 12-09-23 | American River Ranch |
| We will discuss the growth habitat, harvest requirements, and how to use each plant. |
Register |
| Regenerative Agriculture Farm Tour 12-16-23 | American River Ranch |
| Take a tour of the farm while learning the principles of regenerative agriculture. See how our farmers implement regenerative practices that revitalize the land and restore the historic American River Ranch. Many of these principles can be applied to your home garden. Everyone can play a part in creating a climate-safe California. |
Register |
Natural Arts and Crafts
The joy of succulents are a variety of hands-on workshops that show you how to create beautiful and useful pieces of art made from succulent plants and other natural materials. Class topics include: succulent container gardens; succulents in a wine bottle; decorative succulent pumpkins; succulent terrariums and succulent wreaths. We will be adding woodworking, photography and art classes soon…
Natural Arts and Crafts Upcoming Classes
There are no listings in this category currently available. Check back soon!
Animal Husbandry
Every year we offer a raising backyard chickens workshop where you will learn how to raise chickens for egg production and soil fertility as well as choosing the right breeds, providing a healthy diet, housing and optimal care for your chickens.
Animal Husbandry Upcoming Classes
There are no listings in this category currently available. Check back soon!
Teacher Training
Growing Together is our teacher training program which supports the Garden in Every School movement, established by Delain Eastin. The goal is to develop sustainable garden programs that will impact campuses through healthy eating, science learning, connection to food and improving student pride in their school. Activities include hands-on workshops and a biannual symposium.
Teacher Training Upcoming Classes
There are no listings in this category currently available. Check back soon!
