Classes & Events
Urban Homesteading Classes at BADSEED
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In 2008, BADSEED began teaching others to “live off the grid in the grid” through a series of “Urban Homesteading” courses focused on agrarian, traditional skills for self-sufficiency and personal fulfillment. The skills offered in these courses allow students to meet their own basic needs in a gentle and ethical manner, rather than procuring them from a global and industrial marketplace.
We offer classes in backyard farming, urban livestock, composting methods, permaculture, traditional canning & preserving, home beer brewing, wine-making, old-world culinary arts, herbalism, etc. If we don’t offer a specific class you are looking for, please let us know! We can create classes to meet the needs of groups of 5 or more. Contact brooke@badseedkc.com for group classes or go ahead and sign up for one of the awesome 2013 courses offered below. New courses will be added throughout the year…stay tuned!
To SIGN-UP for any class, pay on-line or download our Mail-in Registration Form. Mail all registration forms and payments to BADSEED, 1909 McGee St., KCMO 64108.
*ALL CLASSES TAKE PLACE AT THE BADSEED STOREFRONT UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
2013 Course Offerings
Fruit Trees 101
Sunday, March 17th, 2-5:00 pm
*Located at 1201 W. Bannister Rd., KCMO 64114
Fruit Trees are a wonderful addition to any landscape. Just think: if you’d planted an apple tree a few years ago, you’d be enjoying delicious fresh fruits and preserves right now. So stop waiting, and get busy!
In this course, farmer & “budding” orchardist Dan Heryer of URBAVORE Urban Farm will demystify the fruit tree and give you the confidence to plant your own. We will focus on various themes including site selection, planting, and organic management. The pruning demonstration will offer students hands-on learning on how to prune young apple, pear, and peach trees. Print resources will include information on where to get the healthiest nursery stock and the best varieties.
Don’t wait another year to plant these wonderful trees that your kids and grandkids will thank you for.
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration – $30 for individuals or 2 for $50
On-line Registration – $31.50 for individuals or 2 for $51.50
There are tremendous health and taste benefits to adding whole grains to your bread baking. In this class we will explore various grains from Amaranth to Quinoa, discovering fun facts and uses for each. For example, did you know that Quinoa is not really a grain? If you are exclaiming right now how interested you are to find out that Quinoa is not a grain according to me, this class is definitely for you. If you have ever wondered how to incorporate more Einkorn into your diet, this class is definitely for you. If you and your significant other frequently debate whether it is “Teff” or “Teef,” this class is for you.
Through my job as a baker of neat breads at my company New Traditionalist, I have learned to marvel at the variety and utility of whole grains. I can teach you how to do everything but grow your own wheat, and have you making naturally leavened bread from freshly ground (by you if you like) whole grains. We will also try out a couple techniques of cooking and preparing delicious dishes that utilize under-appreciated staples like buckwheat. And don’t forget, as always in my classes, I will feed you and send you home with your own sourdough starter!
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration - $35
On-line Registration – $36.50
How To Raise Backyard Chickens
Sunday, April 28th, 3-5 pm
*Located at URBAVORE Urban Farm, 5 miles east of the plaza – 5500 Bennington Ave., KCMO 64129
Join urban-chicken-maniac, Brooke Salvaggio (and her 40 feathered friends), and discover the joys of keeping backyard birds from day-old chick to egg-producer. Learn everything the future city-chicken keeper needs to know for a successful mini-flock including:
*breeds and varieties (behavior, hardiness, egg-laying potential)
*brooder, coop and run design
*benefits of pasture and grazing
*feed and organic supplements
*natural predators (hawks, raccoons, dogs, etc.)
*not-so-natural predators (the City and residential zoning ordinances….)
Students will receive informational packets including local sources for chicks, feed, and various supplies.
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration - $30
On-line Registration – $31.50
Sourdough BREADS 102: A Bit Beyond Bread
Monday, May 6th, 7-9 pm
Have you ever hankered to try your hand at making truly-from-scratch pizza, starting with flour and raw veggies and meats? Do you feel angry that you have not been able to get New Traditionalist cinnamon rolls lately and wish you could just make your own? Has Wing Street ever left the bread sticks off your order? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this class is for you. If you don’t even know what Wing Street is, you have remained less affected by consumerism than I have, and this class is for you.
As a long time baker of all things yeast-risen, I have found that the ability to make a croissant is usually a feather in the cap at Thanksgiving gatherings. I would love to give you the confidence to bring this new dimension to your culinary arsenal. As much as people love the sourdough breads I specialize in at my company New Traditionalist, the special treats we will learn about in this class really bring the “wow!” factor. And don’t forget, any time you take my classes you will leave with a full belly and your own sourdough starter.
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration - $35
On-line Registration – $36.50
Heirloom Tomatoes: The Art of Planting, Growing & Eating
Sunday, May 12th, 3-5 pm
*Located at URBAVORE Urban Farm, 5 miles east of the plaza – 5500 Bennington Ave., KCMO 64129
Biting into a vine-ripened heirloom tomato is sheer bliss – the extraordinary flavor explodes in your mouth, the sweet acidity lingers on your tongue, and the heavenly juices run down your chin!! There are few things in life more satisfying than growing & eating these garden delights.
Join Farmer Brooke on URBAVORE Urban Farm and learn the art of organic heirloom tomato cultivation. Students will learn about the many mouthwatering varieties on the market & where to obtain seedlings. In depth info on how to plant, care for, and harvest your precious garden gems will be covered along with a hands-on demo. Hand-outs will include local resources, tips, and delicious farm-fresh recipes. Lastly, students will walk away with a few heirloom tomato seedlings to get them started.
*This makes a great Mother’s Day Gift!!
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration - $30 for individuals or 2 for $50
On-line Registration – $31.50 for individuals or 2 for $51.50
How To Build A Chicken Tractor
Saturday, May 18th, 3-5 pm
*Located at URBAVORE Urban Farm, 5 miles east of the plaza – 5500 Bennington Ave., KCMO 64129
In this demo-based workshop, students will learn the basics of mobile pen constructions for raising grass fed, free range poultry. This simple and pragmatic design can be adapted to all environments (both urban & rural) and with a few modifications can accommodate not only meat birds but laying hens and rabbits!
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration - $10
On-line Registration – $11.50
Water Bath Canning 101
Sunday, June 9th, 2-4 pm
Did you know that you can make your own jam, pickles, salsa, and tomato sauce, with just a water bath canner? Come learn just how easy it is to start canning in your own home. Watch helpful demonstrations, enjoy thorough explanations, see first hand the tools and tips for success, and take home wonderful resources and recipes. We’ll demo a strawberry jam (using local & organic berries from Fair Share Farm). You’ll learn everything you need to know to be ready to can this summer’s tomatoes!
Taught by Urban Homesteader and Locavore, Emily Akins.
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration - $30
On-line Registration – $31.50
Herbal Medicine 101
Saturday, June 1st, 1-3 pm
Welcome to the wonderful world of herbs! Learn to heal yourself and your family using traditional plant-based remedies. Powerful medicinal herbs and common “weeds” are growing in your very own backyard, just waiting for you to discover them!!
In this class, students will get the run-down on “herb basics” – including vocabulary/herbal lingo (don’t know the difference between a tea and infusion? Poultice and compress?), medicine-making, familiarity with local healing plants, and MUCH more! Gain competency and confidence for embarking upon your own healing journey with plants. In-class demos will include how to make a tea, infusion, and fresh plant tincture. Handout included.
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration - $35
On-line Registration – $36.50
Gluten-Free Cooking Classes
Using Freshly Harvested, Seasonal Ingredients
*During each session, students will prep, cook and TASTE (!) as a group. Each main course listed below will include a seasonal salad and a seasonal sweet treat (no refined sugars are ever used).
**All dishes will be gluten-free and utilize traditional elements.
***Each Session includes a recipe handout.
Session 1 - SPRING FEAST - Saturday, June 8th, 1-3 pm
On the Menu & Fresh from the field: Chard & Feta Pie with a Potato-Onion Crust. We will use almost 100% local ingredients including rich eggs, home -made goat feta, tender chard, and the first potatoes of the season. A stand-by in our kitchen!
Session 2 – SUMMER FEAST – Saturday, Aug 3rd, 1-3 pm
On the Menu & Fresh from the Field: GRILL MASTERS & MISTRESSES!! Goat-cheese stuffed, roasted bell peppers? Grilled fruits?…and more than you’d ever think of !! Yes, please! One of the easiest and tastiest ways to enjoy summer flavors.
Session 3 – FALL FEAST – Saturday, October 12th, 1-3 pm
On the Menu & Fresh from the Field: Sweet Potato & Roasted Corn Succotash. An amazing and unexpected, delightful blend of mouth-bursting flavors, warming to the body and soul.
About the Teacher: Amy (Bousman) Johnson has been growing and cooking the fruits of her labor for over 8 years. Her love of nourishing foods blossomed while attending a tribal college on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, where she witnessed first hand the devastating effects of food-related illnesses. She has explored the world of healing foods and herbs ever since. Her main influences include the research results of Weston Price, Sally Fallon (author of “Nourishing Traditions”), Paleo & traditional Meditteranean cuisine. Her main passion is time spent in the field and kitchen with her family, where she considers food the best medicine possible. Her super-dense, 5-yr old son has been eating straight out of the garden since infancy. His size, health, and sheer vigor is a living testament to the healing effects of fresh, local food. Amy & her family enjoy spending time on their farm N. of Lawrence, KS, where they organically grow an acre of veggies, raise dairy goats, layer & broiler chickens, rabbits, and turkeys.
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration - $35
On-line Registration – $36.50
The Basics of Goat CHEESE Making:
FETA, MOZZARELLA & CHEVRE
Saturday, June 15th, 1-4 PM
Join community herbalist & cheese-maker, Amy Bousman, and learn to make delicious artisinal cheeses in the comfort of your very own kitchen! The process is surprisingly simple with only a few inexpensive supplies needed to carry on this essential homesteading tradition.
Students will experience the step-by-step process for making three fantastic fresh cheeses (feta, chevre, & mozzarella) using raw goat’s milk from Amy’s very own does!! Print resources and recipes will be included. Mingling will follow with a delightful cheese & wine tasting!!!
FYI – Raw milk (although superior) is not required for these methods of cheese making. Pasturized milk can be used instead.
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration - $45 (2 for $70)
On-line Registration – $46.50 (2 for $71.50)
Chicken Butchering 101
Saturday, July 13th, 9 AM – noon
*Located at URBAVORE Urban Farm, 5 miles east of the plaza – 5500 Bennington Ave., KCMO 64129
Join urban-farming maniac, Ben Wilson of Phantom Chicken Farm, and learn the careful art of processing your own meat bird. Under Bens’s guidance, student’s will slaughter and dress their very own chicken (!!) using traditional techniques and no fancy equipment.
The class fee includes the cost of your bird, which you will take home and enjoy with your family. (yummy preparation techniques will be discussed in class)
*The meat chickens for this class have been 100% pasture-raised at URBAVORE Urban Farm in partnership with Phantom Chicken Farm.
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration - $30
On-line Registration – $31.50
Sourdough BREAD BASICS
Tuesday, July 9th, 7-9 pm
As a self-described bread obsessive, Chris Glenn of New Traditionalist thinks that the experience of starting with simple flour and water to create something beautiful and edible can be magical and super fun. Join Chris as he breaks down the basics of materials, techniques, terminology, and many other resources to send you on your way toward full-fledged “Bread Head” status. Students will experience hands-on demonstrations of mixing, shaping and baking and end the class with a lovely loaf to share. *Students go home with their own sourdough “starter”!!
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration - $35
On-line Registration – $36.50
Herbs For The Family Pantry & Basic First Aid
Saturday, July 13th, 1-3 pm
It’s time to clean out your old medicine cabinet! Toss out those outdated antibiotics & mysterious cough syrups and replace them with safe, effective herbal remedies – all of which can be grown and processed in the comfort of your home!
Learn which herbs to use for common household ailments (such as headaches, stomachaches, fevers, insomnia/restlessness, colds, flus and more). Discover which herbs are a “must” to have on hand for minor medical emergencies.
To get you started with stocking your herbal pantry, each participant will assemble and take home a kit including a 1 oz tincture of individual choice and a trauma compress blend. Other plant-based medicines discussed in class will be available for sale at a discounted price.
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration - $35
On-line Registration – $36.50
Pressure Canning 101
Sunday, July 28th
*Details coming soon
The Secrets of “No-Till” Gardening
Sunday, September 1st, 2-5:30 pm
*Located at URBAVORE Urban Farm, 5 miles east of the plaza – 5500 Bennington Ave., KCMO 64129
Sick of plowing, tilling, fertilizing, weeding & watering??? Well, you don’t have to anymore! Learn the basics of building and maintaining a luscious “no-till” vegetable garden that has the potential to feed your family delicious organic food all year long!!!
Join Farmer Brooke on her 13.5 acre “edible oasis” smack in the middle of the city. We will start out class with a short lecture and inspiring video, then we will take a tour of URBAVORE’s extensive “no-till” commercial veggie production. Finally, we will get to work – transforming a sod-covered lawn into next season’s planting ground without the use of gas-powered equipment or fancy tools!!! Planting & seeding techniques will also be demonstrated.
This class is designed for complete beginners OR long-time gardeners who are sick & tired of starting up that tiller! Methods used in class can be transferred to your garden site immediately, preparing you for a bountiful 2013 garden season. Print resources will include seeding & planting schedules, vital local resources, “farm to table” recipes, and more.
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration - $40
On-line Registration – $41.50
Nourishing Foods:
The Ancient Art of Soaking & Sprouting Grains
Saturday, September 14th, 1-3 pm
Join herbalist and traditional foods practitioner, Amy Bousman Johnson, to discover the ancient art of soaking & sprouting grains such as quinoa, cornmeal, beans, nuts, oats, and more. We will explore and demo the practices as laid out by Weston Price and Sally Fallon (of the ultimate healing cookbook “Nourishing Traditions”).
Come & taste the difference as we learn simple methods for making grains & legumes more digestable and beneficial for overall health. When prepared properly, these basic foods have the power to transform your body & soul.
In-class recipes include soaked oatmeal and an asian-inspired sprout salad. A take home sample of fresh, raw whey from Amy’s goats will be provided as an inspirational addition to get you going at home!
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration - $35
On-line Registration – $36.50
How to GROW GREAT GARLIC!!
Sunday, October 20th, 3-5 pm
*Located at URBAVORE Urban Farm, 5 miles east of the plaza – 5500 Bennington Ave., KCMO 64129
Garlic…aaaahhh…sacred garlic! Any chef would be lost without it. Furthermore, raw garlic contains an impressive array of medicinal properties – strengthening the immune system and preventing disease. This antibacterial, healing WONDER FOOD happens to be one of the easiest crops to grow and Farmer Brooke wants to show you how!
Join “garlic obsessed” organic farmer, Brooke Salvaggio, at URBAVORE Urban Farm and learn the art of growing garlic. The class will cover the many different varieties of gourmet garlic available on the market (from sweet and smoky “German White” to hot and pungent “Georgian Fire”). We will also cover the various sources for obtaining “seed garlic” and how much to grow per season for the average household. Finally, we will prepare beds, plants cloves, and go through all the essential steps of cultivating a righteous crop.
Students will go home with their very own head of “seed garlic” ready to plant, and an informational hand-out including resources & varieties.
*Brooke & Dan of URBAVORE Urban Farm grow over 10 varieties of gourmet garlic. It is their goal to become Missouri’s largest producer of organic garlic as it is their FAVORITE CROP in the whole wide world!!! EAT MORE GARLIC!
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration - $18
On-line Registration – $19.50
Healthy Cooking For Babies & Children:
Using Local, Organic & Seasonal Ingredients
Sunday, October 27th
*Details coming soon
The Art & Craft of Home BEER BREWING
Two Part Class: Sunday, November 3rd & Sunday, November 17th, 1-5 PM
Learn the principles of all-grain brewing, using inexpensive equipment and techniques. During the 2 session class, participants will get hands on experience crafting a fine Winter Ale using malted barleys, hops, yeast, water,and winter spices.
Session 1 – Brewing
· Home Brewing equipment and sanitation.
· Ingredients
· Single infusion mashing
· Sparging
· The boil and hopping
· Yeast and fermentation
Session 2 – Bottling and Conditioning
· Equipment and sanitation
· Bottling and aging
Taught by: Steve Mann and Katie Nixon
Brew master Steve Mann: home brewer with over twenty years experience, was winner of the 1st place ribbon for German style lagers in 1995 and 1997 in the KC Bier Meisters Homebrew Competition.
Aspiring Brew Master Katie Nixon: 3 years experience brewing and each batch has been amazing (the yeast takes all the credit). Works as a tour guide at Boulevard Brewing Company.
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration - $55
On-line Registration – $56.50
Essential Fermentation:
Intro To Kefir, Kombucha, and Cultured Vegetables
Sunday, December 8th, 3-4:30 pm
Throughout human history man has used the art of fermenting foods as a means of preserving not only the food itself, but the human body. In traditional cultures these life-giving foods were absolutely necessary for optimal health. Fermented (or cultured) foods drastically improve digestion & restore the proper balance of bacteria in the gut. They are incredibly rich in probiotics, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. Sadly, in our modern food culture, homemade fermented foods have been replaced with highly processed foods packed with preservatives. This new American diet contributes greatly to our current health crisis.
Look to tradition and revitalize your body with the “magic” of cultured foods!! Join Brooke Salvaggio, farmer and food activist, and learn how to prepare them easily in your own kitchen. We will focus on three concoctions:
Kefir – a fermented milk product similar to yogurt
Kombucha – a sweet & sour effervescent drink
Cultured Vegetables – seasonal veggies salted & lactofermented (like kimchi or sauerkraut)
*Kombucha scobies & kefir grains will be available for purchase at the end of class.
Cost of Class:
Mail-In Registration - $20
On-line Registration – $21.50
