Below is our master list of classes. If a class is upcoming, a date and location will be provided. If you are interested in a class that is not currently on the schedule, feel free to reach out to [email protected] and we’ll see about getting it on the calendar. (PS if this message is still here, none of the functionality works. But we’re getting there!)
Foraging
| Edible Plants of Spring | With the first flush of new growth, spring offers some of the best foraging of the year. We’ll be looking at species such as spring ephemerals and other early bloomers, mustards, and a number of perennial and biennial plants that are best harvested early in their lifecyle. | Alert me when scheduled |
| Edible plants of Summer | Contrary to popular wisdom, high summer can be a difficult season for foraging. This a liminal time of year couched between the explosion of spring’s early growth and the laden branches of fall. This class will focus on those plants and foraging techniques necessary for successful summer gathering. | Alert me when scheduled |
| Edible plants of Fall | Fall is harvest time – both on the farm and in the wild. A season’s worth of stored energy becomes available in the form of fruits and nuts. In this class, we will be looking at the edible species common to NJ and discuss ways of processing and storing this abundance. | Alert me when scheduled |
| Acorn processing | Once a staple in many American, European, and Asian diets, the acorn has fallen out of favor. Learn how to identify some of NJ’s common oak varities, how to effciently gather their nuts, as well as cure, process, and cook this largely forgotten food. | Alert me when scheduled |
Medicinal plants
| Introduction to Herbal Medicine Making | In this class, we will cover some of the different ways of preparing herbal medicine. Students will be introduced to tinctures, infused oils, salves, infused wines, and other extraction methods. We will investigate why one might want to use one method over another and explore how multiple methods can be combined for maximal potency. | Alert me when scheduled |
| Introduction to Holistic Herbal Energetics and Actions | Conventional allopathy combats diseases and symptoms by providing treatments that oppose these conditions. Sometimes, herbal medicine follows similar protocols, but often times, it relies on different models. Come learn how to leverage energetics, actions, and the vitalist approach to support and supplement optimal health. | Alert me when scheduled |
General Botany
| Plant Identification 101 | Plants are of little help until you know who you’re working with. When you learn the basics of plant form and structure, key systems, and taxonony, you open up an entire new world of undertanding that is inaccessible when you rely on mobile identifiction apps. Come see what you’re missing! | Alert me when scheduled |
| Plant Identification 201 | Some species are easy to ID; others are a nightmare. While most field guides can easily key out a plant to the family or genus level, specific species often require observation skills and botanical vocabularies that are far more granular. In this class, we will explore the finer points of plant ID by looking at botanical terminology, dichotomous keys, and those tools necessary for more refined ID. | Alert me when scheduled |
| Winter Botany | Most field guides assume that a speciman is sporting a flower or at least a couple of leaves. But how do you ID a plant during its dormant season? This class will help you identify plants based on characterisitcs like leaf scars, buds, and bark. We will also look at how other senescent features like seed pods and plant skeletons can help you identify dead or dormant species. | Alert me when scheduled |
| Seed Starting and Propagation Methods | Getting plants to grow is almost an occult science. While some species readily germinate, others remain defiant. In this class, we will explore stratification methods, root/crown division, cuttings, and other methods that will help you propagate some of the more diffident species. | Alert me when scheduled |
| Grafting Apple Trees | Apple trees are expensive. Scions and rootstocks are cheap. In this class, we will cover whip/tongue and cleft grafting and explore how these methods can be used for tree propagation and adding new varities to existing trees. | Alert me when scheduled |
Bushcraft
| Wilderness Survival | This class will not teach you how to live alone in the woods. But it may save your life. Learn how to get through the bad situations anyone could find themselves in on a hike, camping trip, or longer expedition. We will focus on what skills will help keep you alive and what gear and tactics can be used to maximize your chances of rescue. | Alert me when scheduled |
| Fire 1 | We once lived and died by our ability to build a fire. Now, it’s largely a lost skill. In this class, we will recover our connection to this life giving force. By the end of the class, students will be able to light a sustainable fire with a single match. | Alert me when scheduled |
| Fire 2 | Nine times out of ten, experienced bushcrafters light their fires with either a match or lighter. When we explore more primitive means of ignition, however, we gain a more nuanced understanding of the processes involved. In Fire 2, we develop a deeper appreciation for the process of fire building by learning how to use ferro rods, flint and steel, as well as the material processing techniques needed to use these tools effectively. | Alert me when scheduled |
| Fire 3 | Bow drill and hand drill fires carry a lot of mystery and misconceptions. In Fire 3, we will dispel them. Come learn how to build a fire completely off the landscape! | Alert me when scheduled |
| How to Cook Outdoors | The backcountry doesn’t have gas hookups. In order to cook a meal, you’re either bringing in a propane stove or you’re cooking on an open fire. This class will teach you how to do the latter. Learn how to build a functional cook setup, manage heat, use a reflector oven, and cook on coals. And please, come hungry! | Alert me when scheduled |
| Rope Use and Knots | Knots are among the most undervalued technologies in existence. Learning to use them effectively will open doors that you didn’t even know were shut. In this class, we will learn to tie eight incredibly useful knots and learn some of their bushcrafting (and everyday!) applications. We will also cover the different kinds of rope, the scenarios in which they excel, and their limitations. | Alert me when scheduled |
Canoeing
| Canoeing – The Basics | While anyone can push water around with a paddle, becoming truly adept on the water requires skills that are a bit more subtle. In this class, we will cover basic paddle strokes for tandem and solo canoeing, learn how to properly trim a canoe, master how to safely secure a canoe to any vehicle, and demonstrate how to line a canoe through dangerous water. | Alert me when scheduled |
| Canoe Poling | Your father told you never to stand up in a canoe. He was wrong. Canoe poling is easily the most efficient way to steer and propel a canoe through shallower water. It is also the preferred method for moving your boat upstream and an indispensable skill for safely navigating whitewater. Once you learn to pole, you will rarely touch your paddle again. | Alert me when scheduled |
| Expedition Canoeing | Alert me when scheduled |
Homesteading
| Fermentation | If there’s one thing this Polish boy from Linden knows how to do, it’s how to ferment! Learn this ancient perservation technique and start making your own sauerkraut, kimchi, sourdough starters, vinegars, and mead! | Alert me when scheduled |
| How to Care for Laying Chickens | Chickens are probably the best livestock for beginners. In this class, you’ll learn how to to feed, care for, and hygenically house your new flock. We will also cover breed selection, common problems, and what to expect of your birds. We will also explore how chickens can help out around the homestead. | Alert me when scheduled |
| How to Care for and Process Meat Chickens | Most meat chickens are raised in deplorable conditions. When we understand how to raise and dispatch them humanely, we learn a valuable skill that benefits the bird, the soil, and the planet. Learning how to raise your own meat birds will also provide you with a deeper understanding of both our industrial food system and animal farming more generally. Warning – animals will be dispatched during this class! | Alert me when scheduled |
| How to Care for and Process Meat Rabbits | There are no perfect animals for your homestead, but rabbits are pretty darn close! Learn how to care for, feed, butcher, and breed your own rabbit warren and find out why rabbits are among the easiest and most sustainable sources of meat you can raise! Warning – animals will be dispatched during this class! | Alert me when scheduled |
| Preserving the Harvest | Alert me when scheduled | |
| Starting Your Garden | Alert me when scheduled | |
| Growing Mushrooms | Forgaging mushrooms can give people the willies. We get it. When you grow your own, however, you always know what you’re eating. In this class, we will focus on the basic of mushroom growing. Come learn how to produce more oyster, shittake, and winecap mushrooms than you could possible eat. | Alert me when scheduled |
| Suburban Homesteading | Alert me when scheduled |