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Gardening Classes

Register for classes at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, 1900 Alhambra Blvd. Sacramento or call the Customer Service Desk at 916 455-2667 weekdays, 9 am – 5 pm and pay by credit card. Classes will be held at our Farm on Hurley Way, 3000 Hurley Way, Sacramento, unless otherwise noted.

Backyard Composting

Saturday, June 27 - 10 am to noon
$25, $20 Co-op owners
Composting is truly one of the most important skills for a home gardener. Learn all you need to get started and be successful in creating what gardeners call “black gold.” We will cover foundational concepts, compost bin options, trouble-shooting and touch briefly on worm composting.
Instructor: Randy Stannard

Preserve the Harvest with Dehydration

Saturday, July 11, 10 am-noon
$20, $15 Co-op owners
Location: American River Ranch
Preserve summer’s abundance for the months to come. Create tasty snacks and foods that keep and travel well. Learn to prepare and store fruits and vegetables using powered dehydrators, sun drying, and solar dehydrators.
Instructors: Alison Harris and Dennis Prendergast

Integrated Pest Management at Home

Saturday, July 18, 9-10 am - Free
Location: American River Ranch
Integrated Pest Management is a way to reduce pesticide use by managing your population of bad bugs through the use of beneficial insects and biological controls. Learn how pesticides affect water quality, and how to use safer alternatives.
Instructors: Dylan Seidner and Christine Sotelo

Seed Saving

Saturday, July 25, 9-11 am
$20, $15 Co-op owners
Location: American River Ranch
Saving seed is one of the oldest and most important practices in agriculture. Save seeds from your favorite plants to enjoy them for seasons to come. We will process and save seed from tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, carrots, onions and lettuce.
Instructor: Jared Clark

Home Vermicomposting

Saturday, August 8, 9-11 am
$20, $15 Co-op owners
Location: The Farm on Hurley Way
Reduce waste with the power of worms! This class will teach you everything you need to know to raise and care for the ultimate urban livestock. You will also build your own worm compost bin to take home (worms included).
Instructor: Randy Stannard

Garden Planning

Saturday, August 15, 10 am-noon
$20, $15 Co-op owners
Location: American River Ranch
Prepare your garden now for fall and winter food production. We will go over bed preparation, seeding, plant selection and spacing to help you make the most of your garden all year.
Instructors: Alison Harris and Julie Steele

Raising Chickens in Your Own Backyard

Saturday, August 22, 9-11 am
$20, $15 Co-op owners
Location: The Farm on Hurley Way
Backyard chickens are all the rage, but are you ready to have your own flock in your backyard? Learn how to take care of chickens in an urban environment. Urban gardener Antonio will cover such topics as housing, nutrition, predators, diseases, and more.
Instructor: Antonio Garza

Build a Rain Garden

Saturday, August 29, 9-11 am
$20, $15 Co-op owners
Location: The Farm on Hurley Way
Learn how to build a rain garden using California native plants to soak up rain water from your down spout. A rain garden is designed to temporarily hold water and slowly filter out many common pollutants like sediment, oil, grease and nutrients from going into the storm drain. Rain gardens require less watering and fertilizer than conventional lawns, and provide habitat for birds and butterflies.
Instructors: Eric Berntsen and Christine Sotelo

Garden Smart with Native Plants

Saturday, Sept. 12, 9 am-noon
$20, $15 Co-op owners
Location: American River Ranch
Growing a seasonal succession of native plant flowers, berries and fruit will help you avoid using pesticides and drastically cut your water usage. And you will be creating habitat for our native birds, bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Learn about the native plants that are especially suited to our region, and take a guided walk on the American River to see them.
Instructor: Christina Lewis, California Native Plant Society

Container Gardening

Saturday, Sept. 26, 10 am-noon
$20, $15 Co-op owners
Location: The Farm on Hurley Way
Small is beautiful... and delicious! Learn how to make the most of small spaces, planting vegetables and herbs that are best suited for containers. You will also learn how to simplify irrigation and soil preparation.
Instructors: Alison Harris and Julie Steele

Ongoing Events

The American River Ranch farm stand is OPEN!
Hours: Saturdays, 8:30 am - 2:30 pm.
CLOSED on July 4th
The farm stand features fresh, seasonal, local and organic vegetables and fruit. Stop by every week and enjoy a country experience in the city. We encourage you to bike or walk to the ranch and bring your shopping bag. Cash and EBT accepted. Address and directions here.

Eileen’s Kitchen

Join Eileen Murray in the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op’s Community Learning Center & Cooking School located at 1914 Alhambra Blvd. for a delicious community dinner highlighting seasonal vegetarian fare. Live music with guitarist Jon Merriman complements the dining experience. Wine is available by the glass; corkage fee is $10. Pre-registration is required. Register at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op Customer Service Desk or by calling 916 455.2667. The price is $25 per person. (proceeds benefit the farm)

Upcoming dinners: Friday, July 10