Events & Classes

We're bringing back our annual in-person seed packet sale! Stock up on seed packets for the growing season for just $0.25 - $1.00 per packet. We will have packets of vegetables, flowers and herbs.

Saturday, January 18th, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Berges Conference Center, The Delmar Divine, 5501 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112

The most frequently asked question we receive about school gardens is What can we grow during the school year? The short answer is: a lot! These post-holiday winter weeks are a great time to consider your garden plans. Arrive early for our seed packet sale and then join us for a hands-on workshop exploring spring and fall garden crops, low-maintenance summer options, and even winter possibilities for school gardens. We will cover timing, month by month maintenance guidelines, seeds vs. seedlings, and other useful planting information. We will also take some time to sketch plans and discuss potential curriculum connections for specific crops as well as ways to enjoy these crops with your students.
This class is free, but you must register. Spots are limited!

January and February are the time to start seedlings so if this is something you would like to try you should take this class! Dean Gunderson, Seed St. Louis' Chief Programs Officer, and Chani Sorkin, Seed St. Louis' Director of Community Projects will cover the basics of starting seeds, what is needed for growing healthy seedlings, and general tips and tricks so you have happy healthy seedlings come spring.

This class is free, but you must register. Spots are limited!

Over one-third of all food produced on our planet is wasted. Stop throwing food away! Learn how to save money and save the planet at the same time with smart planning and smart shopping. Enjoy sampling waste-reducing recipes in class. NEW: Illinois teachers earn PD hours.

Cost: $15 per person
Location: Collinsville Aqua Park, 10 Gateway Dr., Collinsville, IL 62234

This event is offered as part of a ongoing series on food waste and composting in partnership with Table to Garden, Willoughby Farm and Good Dirt Composting Collective. The classes in this series have a fee but scholarships are available. For more information, call Carol Frerker 618-977-2430. Madison county teachers are eligible for a 100% fee waiver by contacting Lisa Rogers at [email protected].

For those with limited or no outdoor space, there are a lot of edible plants that can be grown inside: herbs and spices, leafy greens, citrus, and even pomegranates. Many factors influence the ability to grow inside like space, resources, and patience. In this virtual class, we will cover the basics of growing food in your living room from seed to harvest. Discussed topics include the best edible indoor plants, soil, lighting, watering, fertilizing, and propagation. Learn how to bring agriculture inside!

Join us for this new event, a Tool and Seed Swap! If you’ve been gardening for some time, you typically will have tools that you don’t use. This event is your chance to clean up your garden shed and get tools to those who could use them. This swap will be for non-motorized tools only. Tools must be in good working order (no broken tools, please!) and clean. Since this is the time for swapping seeds we’ll be having a seed swap as well! These can be seeds you saved yourself or extras you don’t need. Please have seeds in labeled envelopes and be sure they are four or less years old. Learn how to fold your own envelopes for seed in this short video! (https://youtu.be/Fh9imzi8sRI?si=mROrpeHp5zU-pmS4)

Location: Berges Conference Center, The Delmar Divine, 5501 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112
Date: Wednesday, February 12
Time: 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

The Community Agriculture Conference is an annual event to learn about all things gardening and urban agriculture. Gardeners of all levels are welcome to attend! The conference will be both in-person and virtual. Three select sessions will be streamed for free for those who were not able to attend in person. For this 16th annual conference, we will have a day of breakout sessions and networking to get to know and learn from your fellow gardeners.

Stay tuned for more information and the link to register!

In-Person Conference Location: Delmar Divine, 5501 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Students are far more capable of learning when they feel safe, seen, heard, that they matter, and that they belong. In this presentation, we will share tips and resources for building a culturally relevant garden education program. Abbey Schumacher will discuss ways in which you can grow student curiosity and participation in the garden, engage families, leverage diverse assets in your school community, and create garden spaces that reflect your school’s unique cultural landscape. Dean Gunderson will offer an overview of culturally significant crops from around the world that grow well in the St. Louis region and hold particular educational, artistic, and/or nutritional value for the school garden. This class is a part of the 2-part class series Place-Based Learning and Cultural Inclusion in the School Garden. Attendees can register for one or both!

Place-based learning is an educational approach that uses the local community and environment as a framework for teaching. This class will explore how you can harness the power of place-based learning in the garden to create meaningful, real-world educational experiences for students. Tonia Scherer will share ways to connect students to their local environment through garden projects that leverage community and enrich their understanding of regional plants, history, and culture. Dean Gunderson will discuss crops that were domesticated in the St. Louis area, such as sunflowers and squash, as well as those that were introduced from Mesoamerica, such as corn, beans, and other important wild edibles that have been used for thousands of years. This class is a part of the 2-part class series Place-Based Learning and Cultural Inclusion in the School Garden. Attendees can register for one or both!

Our annual Garlic Sale will have hardneck garlic, softneck garlic, and overwintering cover crop seed packets. We will also have row cover, hoops and sod staples if you would like to extend your growing season. Learn more about the varieties we'll have available at the link below.

Sale Location: Seed St. Louis Carriage House, 3815 Bell Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63108
Sale Time: 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Wrap up our inaugural series of food waste reduction and composting classes with a potluck meal and Compost Swap. What's a Compost Swap? A social gathering to swap composting stories, swap food scrap recipes, and swap a "big picture" perspective with a microscopic view of compost. See, touch and smell the final product under the microscope and bring your own compost to examine! Bring a side dish or dessert to share. (Main course and drinks provided free of charge.) This event is free but an RSVP is requested.

There is a whole world of edible plants that are perennial that can be grown in St. Louis while producing year after year. This class will cover the best perennial vegetables for a fall and winter harvest while we will focus on the large world of perennial root and tuber crops, there are also some other delightful vegetables we'll cover. These are great crops for schools as they can be harvested during the school year.

This class will be co-taught by Jessica Blessing-Patterson of DIG Annuals and Perennials and Dean Gunderson of Seed St. Louis. It will be held at DIG (3120 Pennsylvania St. Louis, MO 63118) and there will be examples of most of the perennial crops that will be discussed. A limited number of plants that will be discussed during the class will be available for purchase by class participants at the end of the class.

This class is free, but you must register. Spots are limited!

Join us October 10th for the Fall School Gardener Meet-Up & Perennial Plant Swap! Come tour a school garden in University City, meet other gardeners, and participate in a fall plant swap. This networking event is open to anyone who gardens with youth. It is not mandatory for you bring a plant to share, but it is encouraged.

Location: Pershing Elementary School Garden, 6761 Bartmer Ave., University City, MO 63130
Street parking is available on Bartmer, Sadler or Ferguson Avenue. The garden is located next to the building towards the southeast corner of Bartmer and Sadler.

It's not required to RSVP but it is preferred!

The growing season is coming to an end so now what? This class will cover how to wrap up the year in your garden and set yourself up for success next year. This class is free but spots are limited so don't forget to register!

This class will cover:
- How best to clean up and prep your garden
- What to compost, what to throw away
- How to clean up the area around your garden in order to look tidy while still supporting our local bees and other insects
- How to prep your soil for next spring
- How to use up or store that last harvest from the garden
- How to prep overwintering crops for the coming cold

Cost: Free
Location: Bell Community Garden, 3871 Bell Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63108
Parking: Free street parking is available on Bell Avenue

Join us on Friday, October 4, 2024 at Delmar Divine as we come together to commemorate four decades of building connections and fostering relationships within our community. This special evening will be filled with music, food, and heartfelt conversations as we reflect on the past and look towards the future.

Come and celebrate with us as we honor the individuals who have made a difference in our community over the years. Let's raise a toast to the next 40 years of growth, unity, and cultivating communities!

This event will be located at the Delmar Divine, 5501 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112