learn at the urban homestead!
The Urban Homestead exists to inspire and educate members of the Waco community to transform urban yards, parks, church grounds, and empty lots into beautiful, ecologically designed sites of production. This is achieved through modeling affordable, abundant and holistic production systems, as well as functioning as a community learning and resource center.
Classes we are Now offering
Rabbit Processing Demonstration
Date: September 28th
Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm
Details: Come learn how we process backyard rabbits in a humane, sanitary, and ethical manner. Take home a whole rabbit!
Price: $75 per participant (limited local community subsidized discounts available - email localeducation@worldhungerrelief.org to inquire about qualifications and availability)
Honey Harvest & Beekeeping 101
Date: TBA
Time: 6:30am-12:00pm
Details: Come join us for the entire process of harvesting honey with our bee expert and WHRI board member, Evan. We will meet up to discuss the day’s plan and have some classroom instruction (coffee provided) then we will go together to the hives. As a bonus you’ll get first dibbs on that famous local honey that you harvested!
Price: $175 per participant
Texas Fall/Winter Gardening
Date: July 27th
Time: 10am-12pm
Details: Get face-time with our Lead Cultivator, Grant as he walks the class through how to nurture a productive, sustainable backyard fall/winter garden in our Central Texas context.
Price: $50 per participant (limited local community subsidized discounts available - email localeducation@worldhungerrelief.org to inquire about qualifications and availability)
Backyard Composting
Date: November 2nd
Time: 10am-12pm
Details: Our composting experts are offering their time to share their knowledge with the community. Everything you’d like to know about the why, what and how of composting.
Price: $50 per participant (limited local community subsidized discounts available - email localeducation@worldhungerrelief.org to inquire about qualifications and availability)
Cancellation/Rescheduling:
Most of our classes will be still held even in the rain, we are a farm after all, however in the event of weather that prevents us from safely conducting the class we will work with you to reschedule. If we have to cancel the class you will have the option to credit the price towards another event or receive a refund. Because of the popularity of our community classes, the limited amount of spots available, and the costs associated with running a class, we have a strict cancellation policy. If you need to cancel more than 21 days from the class we can offer a 50% refund. No refund is available if cancellation occurs 21 days or less from the event.
more About the urban homestead…
The Urban Homestead is a 1/5th acre demonstration and teaching site located at the WHRI Farm. It includes includes gardens, a miniature ‘food forest’ orchard, compost systems, rainwater catchment, urban livestock, and a classroom, all designed to work in harmony with one another. With our systems approach, we are showing how even a backyard can function as a mini-ecosystem. The Urban Homestead is being supported by a grant from the Texas NRCS Urban and Rural Conservation Project, awarded in the fall of 2020!
Why the Urban Homestead?
We intentionally designed the property to be 1/5th acre, as that is the average lot size in McLennan County. All of the methods we demonstrate are replicable within urban environments, and are great for backyard homesteaders or community gardeners. This project is one way that we hope to address pressing social, economic, and environmental issues. Within the Waco community 46.5% of the population lives in USDA-declared food deserts, and 19.8% of residents in McLennan county are considered food insecure. We believe that with the proper training, support, and appropriate growing methods many members of our community could be empowered to become a part of the solution. As awareness grows around the need for more local and resilient food systems, we are committing to supporting household food production as a key component of the changes we need to see.
If you want to learn more, see the site, or get involved further in this project, please email localeducation@worldhungerrelief.org
