A Week of Practical Homesteading

This one week immersive course will cover homesteading as a way of living and working regeneratively. The course, anchored in sustainable food production and consumption will introduce you to core homesteading activities such food growing (fruit, vegetables and herbs), rearing poultry for eggs and meat, beekeeping, preserving and fermentation, bread making and micro-dairying. We will also look at the business of homesteading and how students can apply homesteading activities to new business ventures or diversifying current business activity. 

What You’ll Learn: 

• The benefits of homesteading to people, planet and pocket
• The Homesteading Mindset
• Growing food - planning and design for all spaces (acres and containers), soil health, fruit, vegetable and herb growing
• Preserving and Fermentation
• Water and the Land - water harvesting and reeds beds
• Making Butter, Yogurt and Cheese
• Bread making (sourdough and others)
• Homesteading as a business

Course Elements: 

• Indoor and Outdoor Classroom Learning
• Tours of the organic farm, gardens and greenhouses
• Afternoon Cookery Demonstration
• Practical sessions on soil, compost, seed sowing, orchard planting etc.
• Practical cooking session
• Visit to Mahon Point Farmers Market
• Q&A sessions throughout the day as we review each session and put theory into practice

Good to Know:

• As we’ll spend time walking and learning around the farm please bring suitable clothing and footwear - and allow for changeable weather!
• Refreshments and Lunch included; eat alongside our students, cookery school teachers, farm staff, gardeners and visiting experts
• The course is held at Ballymaloe Cookery School’s Organic Farm and Gardens in Shanagarry, Co. Cork P25 R274
• Tea and Coffee with whatever’s fresh out of the oven will be served from 9am on the first day of the course so please arrive early to sign in, meet other students and get ready for a busy week of hands on learning

Additional Info

Discounted / Part-Funded Tickets Through NOTS:

Eligible participants living in Ireland can avail of a generous cost reduction on this course through our course partners National Organic Training Skillnet. Go to the NOTS Course Listing and sign up through NOTS to avail of their reduced price offering and to get the course for just €1150. Once you sign up and pay the reduced rate through NOTS, they will notify us, and you will be all set for the course on October 21st! Please note – to qualify for the NOTS rate, you must be a) resident in Ireland; and b) employed in any sector (either full-time or part-time).