Events & Classes

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.

In-Person Conference Location: Delmar Divine, 5501 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Reduce food waste by using all the food parts, eating what you didn't know you could eat and salvaging overripe produce. Learn how creative chopping and food prep make tasty meals easier and more affordable. And keep food from taking up space and rotting in the landfill! 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].

At this sale we will have seed potatoes, onion sets, bare-root leeks, mushroom spawn, and bare-root strawberry plants, bare-root asparagus plants, water chestnuts (limited quantities), and Korean taro root (limited quantities). This is a popular sale so please arrive early for the best selection!
Learn more about each of the March Sale items, including planting information, at the link below.

Saturday, March 8th, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Seed St. Louis Carriage House, 3815 Bell Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63108

Those who are members of gardens or orchards in the Seed St. Louis network have access to pre-order these items at discounted prices. Please contact your garden/orchard leader for the pre-order information!

Join the Seed St. Louis Young Friends for a casual happy hour at 2nd Shift Brewing on March 12th from 5–7 PM! Connect with the Young Friends group, chat with staff, and support Seed St. Louis—all while enjoying great beer. For every pint sold, $1 will be donated to Seed St. Louis. Mark your calendar and feel free to reach out for more details. We look forward to seeing you there!

Wednesday, March 12th, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
2nd Shift Brewing, 1601 Sublette Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110

Managing a compost system to do what you want when you want requires a few secrets of the trade. Learn basic principles and get practical advice to make composting easy and doable. This class covers what composting is, what causes the composting process, what can and cannot be composted, and how to use compost, so you know how to troubleshoot along your composting journey! NEW: Illinois teachers earn PD hours.

Cost: $15 per person
Location: Willoughby Farm, 631 Willoughby Ln., Collinsville, Illinois 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].

Explore two strategies for indoor and small spaces that keep food scraps out of the landfill. Learn how worms can eat your garbage and turn food scraps into a powerful soil amendment. And, learn how small-scale bokashi fermentation can work in your home to enrich soil. Class includes hands-on demonstrations. NEW: Illinois teachers earn PD hours.

Cost: $15 per person
Location: Willoughby Farm, 631 Willoughby Ln., Collinsville, Illinois 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].

Scalable bin systems make composting easy for yards of all sizes. Tumblers spin organic materials into "black gold" with physical effort. We will cover how to make or buy bins and tumblers, set them up and manage them so you can transform food scraps, yard trimmings, and garden waste into a nutrient-rich amendment for your soil. Class includes hands-on demonstrations. NEW: Illinois teachers earn PD hours.

Cost: $15 per person
Location: Willoughby Farm, 631 Willoughby Ln., Collinsville, Illinois 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].

**EVENT CANCELED due to weather and HVAC issues**
Unfortunately, we have to cancel this class, along with the Tool & Seed Swap, that was supposed to be tomorrow due to the weather as well the fact that the building's HVAC system needs to be repaired. If we reschedule we will let you all know!
********
It's 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 during our Tool and Seed Swap so be sure to stop by!) **This class is free, but you must register. Spots are limited!**

Location: Ameren Community Room, The Delmar Divine, 5501 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63112
Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Time: 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

**EVENT CANCELED due to weather and HVAC issues**
Unfortunately, we have to cancel this class, along with the Tool & Seed Swap, that was supposed to be tomorrow due to the weather as well the fact that the building's HVAC system needs to be repaired. If we reschedule we will let you all know!
********
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.

Over 40% of the wasted food in American landfills comes from family homes. Learn how to store and use food wisely so you are not throwing your hard earned money away. Understand date labels and food preservation strategies. 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 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!

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].

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!

We're bringing back our annual in-person seed packet sale! Stock up on seed packets for the growing season for just $0.25 - $1.50 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!