Welcome to Seward Co-op's new classroom! We are so thrilled to finally be able to offer classes to our members and the general community. Take a look at our course offerings below. We are continually adding new classes so be sure to check our website often for our newest postings.

Interested in teaching a class at Seward Co-op? Download our classroom guidelines and course proposal forms.

You can register for classes at our Customer Service desk. ***

Read our teacher profiles here.

Upcoming Classroom Events:

March.

Urban Chicken 101
Lecture
Wednesday, March 17, 6:30-8:30
$12/$10 members
Albert Bourgeois
Fresh eggs and crazy chicken antics are just two good reasons for keeping a few hens in the back yard.  This class will cover everything you need to know to start up a small flock of chickens in your back yard, with an emphasis on coop design for weathering the cruel Minnesota winters.

Urban Chicken 102
Lecture
Thursday, March 18, 6:30-8:30
$12/$10 members
Albert Bourgeois
More topics for the backyard chicken enthusiast!  This class will cover chick brooding, common chicken health problems, parasites, chicken tractors, pasture-raised poultry, and butchering.  We’ll also discuss a number of handsome chicken breeds that have made their mark in American history.

Choosing Breast Health over Breast Cancer
Lecture
Wednesday, March 24, 6:30-8:30
$20/$17 members
Katherine Krumweide
When it comes to breasts, many of us may spend time worrying whether they are too small, too big, or other cosmetic issues.  But how much time have we actually spent thinking about whether they are healthy or not?  Many women think that breast cancer is inevitable.  Not so!!! We’ll cover the issues that adversely affect breast health and steps to take to promote breast health.

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April

Muffins in Minutes
Demo/Tasting
Thursday, April 1, 7-8:00 p.m.
$10/$8 members
David S. Cargo, St Paul Bread Club
Don’t spend your hard-earned dollars for store-bought muffins when you can make your own quickly, more cheaply, and more healthy. A few simple techniques and a couple of simple tools will put a myriad of different muffin recipes at your fingertips and in your oven in short order.

Bread Without Fear
Demo/Tasting
Monday, April 5, 7-8:00 p.m.
$10/$8 members
David S. Cargo, St Paul Bread Club
Learn to bake bread from scratch with confidence. Learn the three essential skills for successful bread baking and how to avoid bread baking failures. Learn how to choose recipes, shape loaves, and enjoy fresh baked bread out of your own oven.

Nutrition in Pregnancy
Lecture
Wednesday, April 7, 6-7:00
$15/$12 members
Diana McCleery
Good nutrition is the foundation of a healthy pregnancy for both mom and baby.  Learn the nutritional needs of pregnancy, the place of supplementation, tips for eating in pregnancy, during labor, and more!

Yogic Eating
Lecture
Thursday, April 8, 7-8:45 p.m.
$17/$13 members
Mary Langfield, CHHC
Are you interested in learning about what Yoga has to do with your food choices? Have you found a peace with a Yoga practice, but still feel challenged in the food department? Find out how implementing a Yogic outlook towards your food can help you with portion control, emotional eating, and cravings.

Too Much Bread
Demo/Tasting
Wednesday, April 14, 7-9:00 p.m
$20/$17 members
David S. Cargo, St Paul Bread Club
Let’s say you find yourself with more bread than you know what to do with. Learn to make economical and convenient main dishes, side dishes, and desserts with your leftover bread. Join the exploration of international cuisines for solutions to your problem of surplus bread. A world of interesting tastes awaits you.

Spring Bike Tune-up
Lecture/Hands-On
Thursday April 15, 7:00-8:30
$5/$3 members
Lucas Jensen, The Hub Bike Co-op
Get your bicycle out of storage and ready to roll for another summer with this simple run-down from a professional Hub Bike Co-op mechanic. Learn how to fix flat tires, adjust your brakes and derailleurs, clean and grease your bike and more.

How to Shop the Co-op on a Budget
Lecture/Tour
Free to All, Pre-registration at Customer Service required
Saturday, April 17, 11:00-11:45
Claudia Rhodes, Events Coordinator, Seward Co-op
Has the iffy economy got you wondering if you’re getting the biggest bang for your buck at the grocery store?  Get the inside scoop on how to squeeze more out of a dollar while still eating healthfully here at Seward Co-op. Earn a money saving Co-op coupon, too.

Kombucha 101
Demonstration
Monday, April 19, 6:30-8:00
Barb Bredesen
Fermented foods have been used for thousands of years to bring good health to those that use them. If you have tasted the kombucha varieties from the co-op, perhaps you already know how beneficial it can be. This class offers tastes of many different variations of kombucha and instruction on how to make it. Class fee includes your own starter culture and a 1 liter bottle of Kombucha Divine.

Looking Toward Summer: The Family First Aid Kit
Lecture
Wednesday, April 21, 7-8:30
$15/$12 members
Jackie Krammer
Homeopathy offers natural remedies to treat burns, injuries, bruises, sprains, cuts and stings. This class will cover what practical remedies every family should have in their home first aid kit, how to use them safely and effectively, and when to consult a professional.  Learn more about how to treat your family with this safe and affordable.

La Vita Verde ~ Greens cookery 101
Demonstration/Tasting
Thursday, April 22, 6:30-8:00
$25/$20 members
Nick Schneider
Finding it a challenge to eat those dark leafy greens everyone on is talking about?  Either way, in this class you will gain an understanding of how to quickly and creatively prepare a variety greens for all your daily meals.  Learn improvisational techniques and some culinary nuance from a professional chef as we explore a variety of greens through the culinary ethos of the Mediterranean, India and East Asia.

Greening Your Kitchen : From Tweaking to Gut Rehab
Lecture
Wednesday, April 28,6:30-9:30
Free to All, Pre-registration at Customer Service Required
Kel Heyl, Studio Rebus Incorporated
This class will assist you making your kitchen greener. Greener as in more energy efficient and greener as in healthier for you and healthier for our Planet.    We’ll use a stairway approach, from the simple and low cost steps to the more complex and expensive.  From insulating with healthier materials and painting with low VOC paints to planning a whole new kitchen.   We’ll look at some tools for planning, budgeting and building.  A remodeling project will be used as a case study.  Whether you’re a do-it-yourselfer or going to hire someone to do it all, this is a good place to start.

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May

Seasonal Eating Calendar: Put Local, Seasonal Eating into your Life
Lecture
Tuesday, May 4, 7:00-8:30
$15/$12 members
Linda Halley & Jennifer Nelson, Gardens of Eagan
Join us to create your seasonal eating calendar, including gardening, weekly menus, working with CSA deliveries, winter eating, and more.  With a little planning, your family can live a healthier, seasonal lifestyle.

Skin and Body Care
Lecture/Hands On
Saturday, May 8, 1-2:30 p.m.
$25/$20 members
Yael Grauer
Learn what foods, plants, supplements and practices promote healthy, glowing skin.  We'll discuss the link between insulin resistance and skin issues, plants and herbs that promote liver health, steams, scrubs and bath salts.
We'll make our own gently exfoliating (and oh-so-pleasant) sugar scrub!

Greening Your Bath : From Brush to Flush
Lecture
May 12, 6:30-9:30
Free to All, Pre-registration at Customer Service Required
Kel Heyl, Studio Rebus Incorporated
This class will assist you making your bathroom Greener. Greener as in more energy efficient and greener as in healthier for you and healthier for our Planet.    We’ll use a stairway approach, from simple and low cost steps to the more complex and expensive.  From redecorating with low VOC paints to installing low flush toilets to planning a whole new bath.   We’ll look at some tools for designing, budgeting and building.  A remodeling project will be used as a case study.  Whether you’re a do-it-yourselfer or going to hire someone to do it all, this is a good place to start.

Bike Safety for the City Rider
Lecture/Hands-On
Thursday May 13, 7:00-8:30
$5/$3 members
Jason Tanzman, The Hub Bike Co-op
Get tips on lighting your bike, positioning yourself in traffic lanes and avoiding crashes while riding your bike. Learn the techniques and the regulations to follow for riding safely and legally on Minnesota streets from a League Cycling Instructor certified by the League of American Bicyclists.

Three Sisters Hands-On Garden Class
Lecture/Hands on
Saturday, May 15, 1:00 -2:30
$7/$5 members
Russ Henry, Giving Tree Gardens
A great opportunity for anyone learning to grow food, this fun hands on, all ages class will not only teach you how to grow a traditional three sisters (corn, beans, and squash) food production garden, but you’ll also learn the gorilla gardening technique known as “seed bombing”, the secrets to making perfect compost, and some of Giving Tree Gardens best garden installation techniques!

Minnesota Wild Food
Demonstration, Hands on, Outdoor Walking Tour 
Thursday, May 20, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
$15/$12 members
Martha Zemur, Seward Co-op Member & Naturalist
Minnesota Wild Food, it's closer than you think.  Learn about highbush cranberries, currants, sumac, cattail roots, lambs quarters, nettles, just to name a few of our readily available edible native plants and "weeds."  Participants will meet and hike from Seward Co-op to explore: identification, collection, preparation for immediate eating, and  preservation for later.

Chocolate Bliss
Lecture
Saturday,  May 22, 10:15 - 11:30a.m.
$13/$9 members
Mary Langfield, CHHC
Calling all choco-philes! This delicious, interactive workshop extols the astounding health benefits, delicious taste and mythic lore of "the food of the gods". Participants taste naturally sweetened, organic and mouthwatering chocolate goodies, while learning the history behind this superfood and how to pick the highest quality, environmentally friendly chocolates.

How to Fix-a-Flat
Lecture/Hands-on
Thursday, May 27, 7:00-8:30
$5/$3 members
Lucas Jenson, The Hub Bike Co-op
A flat tire is one of the simplest repairs on a bicycle and one of the most commonly needed. A professional Hub mechanic will show you how to keep your bike on the road and out of the repair shop with the most effective tools and methods to replace and patch tubes, check your tires and install new tires.

How to Shop the Co-op on a Budget
Lecture/Tour
Free to All, Pre-registration at Customer Service required
Saturday, May 29, 11:00-11:45
Claudia Rhodes, Events Coordinator, Seward Co-op
Has the iffy economy got you wondering if you’re getting the biggest bang for your buck at the grocery store?  Get the inside scoop on how to squeeze more out of a dollar while still eating healthfully here at Seward Co-op. Earn a money saving Co-op coupon, too.

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June

Ask the Farmer: An Open Session
Lecture/Q & A
Wednesday, June 2, 7:00-8:30
$5/$3 members
Linda Halley, Farm Manager Gardens of Eagan
Everything you ever wanted to ask an organic farmer but didn’t have the time, opportunity, or perhaps, the guts to ask.  No question will be left unanswered.

Yogic Eating
Lecture
Thursday, June 3, 7-8:45 p.m.
$17/$13 members
Mary Langfield, CHHC
Are you interested in learning about what Yoga has to do with your food choices? Have you found a peace with a Yoga practice, but still feel challenged in the food department? Find out how implementing a Yogic outlook towards your food can help you with portion control, emotional eating, and cravings.

Chinese Medical Food Therapy for a Health Spring and summer
Lecture/Demonstration
Saturday, June 5, 11:00-12:00 p.m.
$5/$3 members
John Pirog and Sarah Weaver, Northwestern Health Sciences University
Learn some tasty and fun ways to stay healthy using food therapy principles and ingredients from Chinese Medicine. Many of the foods you can find right at the Co-op have medicinal properties and can be used to promote strengthened resistance to common ailments of spring and summer or treat conditions when they arise.  Learn some recipes for calming allergies, preventing heat stroke, dehydration, recovering from food borne illness, and achieving a general state of harmony with the spring and summer seasons.

Sweet Nothings
Lecture
Saturday, June 12, 11-12:30 p.m.
$17/$13 members
Mary Langfield, CHHC
What do fruit juice, chocolate chip cookies, Twinkies, and nacho cheese all have in common? SUGAR!  A potato chip may not satisfy your sweet tooth but it does add to your daily sugar intake. Why is all this sugar bad? While it’s not always hidden, sugar is everywhere.  And whether you’re counting your carbs, watching your waistline OR diabetic, hypoglycemic, or have food sensitivities, all that sugar could be dangerous.
In this class you’ll learn where to find the sugar in your everyday staples, cutting sugar from your diet, delicious and nutritious sugar substitutes, and tools to use against those evil sugar triggers.

Mineral Infusion
Lecture/Hands On
Saturday, June 19, 1-2:30
$25/$20 members
Yael Grauer
Learn how to nourish your bones, tendons and ligaments. We'll discuss foods and herbs and spices used in Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, Western herbalism and homeopathy. Learn how to make herbal infusions, and leave with your own mineral-rich tea blend!

Your Kids Are What You Feed Them
Lecture/Workshop
Wednesday, June 23, 6:30- 9 p.m.
$35/$30 members
Kelli Schulte
This class helps parents create a nutritious diet that kids will eat. We will address the following topics: What to leave in your child’s diet, what to take out, and why. Learn about healthy snack alternatives. What to buy that is organic. The key to get kids to eat nutritious food. The basics of supplements. Affordable menu planning.  All with resources!  We will also sample some tasty treats event the pickiest of eaters will eat!

How to Shop the Co-op on a Budget
Lecture/Tour
Free to All, Pre-registration at Customer Service required
Saturday, June 26, 11:00-11:45
Claudia Rhodes, Events Coordinator, Seward Co-op
Has the iffy economy got you wondering if you’re getting the biggest bang for your buck at the grocery store?  Get the inside scoop on how to squeeze more out of a dollar while still eating healthfully here at Seward Co-op. Earn a money saving Co-op coupon, too.

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July

What Does “Certified Organic” Really Mean?
Lecture
Wednesday, July 7, 7:00-8:30
$5/$3 members
Linda Halley, Farm Manager, Gardens of Eagan
There are many misnomers and ambiguous terms in the food world.  Cut through the myths and wordage and learn what you can before spending your food dollar on certified organic food.

Sleep, Oh Sleep!
Lecture/Hands On
Saturday, July 10, 1-2:30 p.m.
$25/$20 members
Yael Grauer
Learn how to beat insomnia or simply get more nourishing, restful sleep. Sleep deprivation is correlated with increased insulin and cortisol levels, obesity, hormone dysregulation, androgen derangement, digestion problems, depression and many other ailments. We'll discuss foods, supplements, herbs, essential oils and other practices that will help you get your zzzz's! Leave with your own sleepy-time tea!

Eco Friendly landscaping and Organic Home Gardening
Lecture/Tour/ Hands On
Saturday, July 17,  1 -2:30 P.M.
$7/$5 members
Russ Henry, Giving Tree Gardens
This class will answer all of your basic organic home gardening and Earth-friendly landscaping questions.  We’ll talk together about soils, compost, garden design, rain gardens, native plants, food production and anything else that you bring a question about!  We’ll walk through the Giving Tree Gardens installations at the co-op and use these gardens as living examples of excellence in landscaping.

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August

Need some Pizzazz?
Lecture/Hands On
Saturday, August 14, 1-2:30 p.m.
$25/$20 members
Yael Grauer
Enjoy a lecture on ways to reduce the need for sugary/caffeinated foods to get energized. We'll discuss sleep, insulin resistance, powdered herbs and homeopathic remedies that help with energy.We'll also focus on healthier alternatives and food timing, and make zoom balls--rejuvenating herbs snuck into a base of almond butter, cashew butter and honey.

La Vita Verde ~ Greens cookery 101
Demonstration/Tasting
Thursday, August 26, 6:30-8:00
$25/$20 members
Nick Schneider
Finding it a challenge to eat those dark leafy greens everyone is talking about?  Either way, in this class you will gain an understanding of how to quickly and creatively prepare a variety greens for all your daily meals.  Learn improvisational techniques and some culinary nuance from a professional chef as we explore a variety of greens through the culinary ethos of the Mediterranean, India and East Asia.

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September

Sweet Nothings
Lecture
Saturday, September 16, 11-12:30 p.m.
$17/$13 members
Mary Langfield, CHHC
What do fruit juice, chocolate chip cookies, Twinkies, and nacho cheese all have in common? SUGAR! A potato chip may not satisfy your sweet tooth but it does add to your daily sugar intake. Why is all this sugar bad? While it’s not always hidden, sugar is everywhere.  And whether you’re counting your carbs, watching your waistline OR diabetic, hypoglycemic, or have food sensitivities, all that sugar could be dangerous.
In this class you’ll learn where to find the sugar in your everyday staples, cutting sugar from your diet, delicious and nutritious sugar substitutes, and tools to use against those evil sugar triggers.

Harvest of Health, Fall Flavors
Saturday, September 18, 1 -2:30 P.M.
Lecture/Tour/Hands On
$7/$5 members
Russ Henry, Giving Tree Gardens
From the fall garden to the kitchen, this class will help gardeners prepare for the winter to come.  We’ll start outside in the co-op gardens where we’ll talk about fall harvest, winter garden preparations, and bulb planting, then we’ll venture into the demonstration kitchen to learn how to best preserve our fall vegetable harvest through the delicious, nutritious art of vegetable fermentation!  Russ will bring in some of his favorite home made recipes to share with everyone!  This dynamic class will help gardeners wrap their hearts and taste buds around the connection between the garden and the kitchen!

Yogic Eating
Lecture
Thursday, September 23, 7-8:45 p.m.
$17/$13 members
Mary Langfield, CHHC
Are you interested in learning about what Yoga has to do with your food choices? Have you found a peace with a Yoga practice, but still feel challenged in the food department? Find out how implementing a Yogic outlook towards your food can help you with portion control, emotional eating, and cravings.

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October

Chocolate Bliss
Lecture
Saturday, October 2, 10:15 - 11:30a.m.
$13/$9 members
Mary Langfield, CHHC
Calling all choco-philes! This delicious, interactive workshop extols the astounding health benefits, delicious taste and mythic lore of "the food of the gods". Participants taste naturally sweetened, organic and mouthwatering chocolate goodies, while learning the history behind this superfood and how to pick the highest quality, environmentally friendly chocolates.

Healthy Holiday Eating
Lecture
Thursday, October 14, 7-9:00 p.m.
$15/$10 members
Mary Langfield, CHHC
Are you dreading the Holidays? Does temptation grab a hold of you and you cannot seem to shake it? Do all the sugarplums, bars, cake, cookies, and turkey call your name when you are at a Holiday gathering? Do you want specific tools that you can use during this holiday season to stop the overeating pattern? Then join the Healthy Holiday Eating class and learn how to break the cycle of Holiday weight gain.

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November

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December

Chocolate Bliss
Lecture
Thursday, December 2, 7- 8:15 p.m.
$13/$9 members
Mary Langfield, CHHC
Calling all choco-philes! This delicious, interactive workshop extols the astounding health benefits, delicious taste and mythic lore of "the food of the gods". Participants taste naturally sweetened, organic and mouthwatering chocolate goodies, while learning the history behind this superfood and how to pick the highest quality, environmentally friendly chocolates.

*** Please pre-register at Customer Service, as space is limited. Prepayment of your class is required to reserve your spot. If you cancel prior to 48 hours before the class, a full refund will be given. No refunds will be given for cancellations received after the 48-hour deadline or for no-shows. If you have any questions, please contact Claudia Rhodes: crhodes@seward.coop