Education Classes

We see our 2012 education events. More to be added to the list. Please contact Home Grown New Mexico for questions at homegrownnewmexico@gmail.com and 473-1403 for questions.  Visit us on Facebook, Twitter and at homegrownnewmexico.org. We hope that you will join us.

Native Bees Class

Sunday, May 20
12:00pm – 2:00pm
Milagro Community Garden
Rodeo Road & Legacy

Constructing a mason and leaf-cutter bee brooder can be a great way to support native pollinators.  As their names suggest, leaf-cutter and mason bees make their homes using vegetative materials or adobe, in the bored holes of trees or drilled woodblock.  We can mimic their unique habitat by drilling holes into timbers and strategically setting them out in our gardens.

Responding to the a heightened awareness regarding the decline of honey bees, any gardener can help pollination in the local ecosystem by supporting these tame, non-honey producers.  They are easy to care for, rarely stinging, and fascinating to observe pollinators.  In North America, there are four thousand of species of native bees that include those previously mentioned, as well as miner bees (burrowed nesters), and carpenter bees (they create their own nesting holes in trees).

During this construction seminar, Pablo Navrot, will offer media resources of where to learn more about native pollinators, and lead the class through the building and installation of a mason and bee brooder house. $5 donation suggested for garden.

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Backyard Chicken Basics Class

Sunday, April 15
1:00pm – 3:00pm
Mike & Molly’s House
747 Old Las Vegas Highway
Chickens are inquisitive, entertaining and food producing.  Owning a small flock of chickens is becoming as popular as having a cat or dog.  They are easy if you have an understanding of what they need for shelter, food and health.  Come learn how you can start your own flock today.  Find out what is the best breed for you, how to provide a healthy diet and what type of chicken coop is right for your backyard. Learn how to build a proper brooder and how to deal with predator issues.  Walk through Mike and Molly’s chicken yard and find out what they have learned about what works and what doesn’t from raising chickens for over 10 years.

Molly and her husband Mike write mikeandmollyshouse.com a blog dedicated to money-saving ideas, gardening, chickens, building projects and much more.  Suggested $10 donation.

Pollinator Garden Planning Class

Saturday, April 21
10:00am – 11:30am
Milagro Community Garden
Rodeo Road and Legacy

Come learn about the types of plants that attract honeybees and other pollinators to your garden. Loretta McGrath will discuss how pollinators benefit annual vegetables, address native pollinators, their habitats and plant preferences and provide an introduction to backyard top-bar beekeeping. She will also provide information on beekeeping classes and meetings and steps you can take to support pollinators of all kinds-from planting to policy action. Loretta McGrath directs the Pollinator Partners Project at Farm to Table and teaches sustainability studies at Santa Fe Community College. Suggested $5 donation to the community garden.

Build a Papercrete Greenhouse
Saturday, May 5
10am-12:30pm
Mike & Molly’s House
747 Old Las Vegas Highway

Papercrete is just what it sounds like.  It’s concrete made with paper.  Papercrete is made by grinding up paper in water and adding cement.  The resulting slurry can be cast into a variety of forms.  You can think of it as industrial paper mache. It is inexpensive to make, amazingly sturdy, lightweight and insulating.  It’s also a lot of fun to work with!  This class will be hands on so plan on getting dirty.  We will make a batch of papercrete and cast it into blocks and then make a second batch and use it as mortar to build papercrete walls on a solar greenhouse.  Come learn all about how to use this economical recycled building material. Mike and his wife Molly write mikeandmollyshouse.com a blog dedicated to money-saving ideas, gardening, chickens, building projects and much more.

Solar Cooking Class

Saturday, May 12
10:00am-11:30am
Milagro Community Garden
Rodeo Road and Legacy

Get started with solar cooking! Making your meals in a solar oven can be easily integrated into your current life style with a little planning.  Prepare your meals in the morning and come home to dinner! Solar cooking won’t heat up your home in the summer, and the fuel is free.   Learn about the range of solar cookers available, how they work, how to cook in them, what kind of pots to use, and safe temperature ranges.

Amanda Bramble is the director of Ampersand Sustainable Learning Center in Cerrillos, NM (www.ampersandproject.org).  She has been solar cooking for 15 years and uses it as her primary cooking source. Suggested donation of $5 to the community garden.