Classes
No classes are currently scheduled.
Schedule a PRIVATE or GROUP class
I am available to teach any of the classes listed below at your home or a facility of your choice, such as your church. If you invite at least 4 additional participants who pay the regular fee then the class is FREE for you. Classes may also be scheduled at my home for a $10 discount per student. For classes at my home there’s a maximum of 4 students/session
For the cooking classes, if you do not have kitchen facilities, I have equipment I can use to teach courses at your facility as long as you have a room with enough room to set up a table, electrical outlets that can handle hot plates and a sink.
Classes
Organic Gardening
Whether you’ve been gardening your whole life or don’t know what dirt is, this course will give you the tools to raise delicious, healthy vegetables using organic techniques. Topics will include the whys and hows raising vegetable organically, the differences between organic and conventional gardening, composting, controlling pests naturally, seed starting and many others.
Seed Starting
Are you tired of buying the same variety of tomato every year at the plant nursery and want to grow a four-lobed or tri-color one? Or just want the fun of seeing the whole life of your vegetables from seed pouch to harvest? Then come to this class and learn to start your own plants from seed. You’ll learn about the equipment, materials, and techniques needed to raise your own vegetables from seed to garden.
Organic Pest Control for Vegetable Gardens
In vegetable gardens, pests and diseases are a fact of life. Using pesticides, herbicides and fungicides is not! I’ve grown over 2,300 pounds of vegetables in my home garden over the last three years without using any of them. This course will introduce you to Integrated Pest Management, a system which works to use to anticipate, avoid and control pests/diseases and is especially useful when growing plants organically. It includes both general information and specific techniques and when you’re done, you’ll be able to grow tons of your own organic veggies.
Food Preservation
Are you concerned about the ingredients in the food you eat? Do you have a CSA share or vegetable garden and don’t know what to do with all those veggies? This course will teach you how to preserve vegetables and fruits by canning, freezing, and drying and will introduce you to the necessary equipment. Everyone will have a chance to sample what is cooked, and go home with the recipes. Students do not need advanced cooking skills to make any of these dishes.
Vegetables Kids Will Eat
Vegetables are good for children, but getting kids to eat their veggies is not always easy. This course will give you recipes that kids will eat. Some recipes will hide the vegetables so kids won’t even know they’re eating them and others will make them so delicious kids will eat vegetables they can recognize. The recipes will include main dishes, side dishes and dessert. Everyone will have a chance to sample what is cooked, and go home with the recipes. Students do not need advanced cooking skills to make any of these dishes.
Introduction To Chinese Cuisine
Introduction To Thai Cuisine
Introduction To Indian Cuisine
Introduction To Vietnamese Cuisine
So it Friday night and you’ve got a hankering for Hot & Sour soup or Pad Thai but it blizzarding out or there’s just no Thai restaurant nearby. If you take any of my courses you’ll be able to make your own authentic Asian dishes whenever you want to. You’ll be introduced to the ingredients and techniques needed to make classic Asian dishes as well the cuisines associated with them. Each cuisine is taught as a separate course.
If your home or facility where the course is being taught is more than 25 miles from Red Hook then there will be an additional travel surcharge.
If you are interested in a class please email me at ask@hudsonvalleybackyardfarm.com or use the contact form on this site.
Student Testimonials
Jay Levine’s food preservation class was excellent. He took the mystery out of water bath canning jams & salsa’s for me. I now have confidence to start canning on my own. Everyone in the class got to take home samples of the yummy in class creations.
Linda G., Spring 2010
Jay’s Organic Gardening and Food Preservation classes are informative and fun. Whether a novice or seasoned gardener there is something to be learned by all.
Carol A- Spring 2010
The Food Preservation class was very informative, and I’m looking forward to enjoying some of my garden treasures next winter. Being able to participate during the hands-on portions of each class was just the introduction I needed to finally give canning a try. Thanks, Jay!”
Heather L.- Spring 2010
Even though I had previous experience in the subject matter, I was happy to learn some new and alternative methods from Jay. He is a fun and approachable teacher.
Jutta M.- Spring 2010
Events
Saugerties Winter Farmers Market:
Sunday 3/11/12, 12:00 pm-4:00 pm
Saugerties Senior Center, 207 Market Street, Saugerties, NY
Red Hook Winter Farmers Market:
Saturdays 10:00 am-2:00 pm, 3/10 & 24, 4/7
Elmendorf Inn, Rt. 9, Red Hook (1/4 mile north of the intersection of Rts 9 & 199)
