Welcome back everyone from end-of-summer getaways and labor day festivities!
You may notice that autumn fruit crops are early this year--drought forcing the seasons somewhat assunder--and some crops faring better than others. We got the sad news from our friend and IUH instructor Kathleen Eliot, that the olive crop at Hillcreat Ranch failed--no fruit at all this season, thus our annual foray to Sunol for olive picking & brining has been cancelled. Things here in my garden are extremely dry and I am loosing the battle with powdery mildew as the dry foggy days seem to encourage it. But tomatoes continue to put out their daily goodness and I have had abundant crops of figs and asian pears. I have welcomed three new bantam hens to the micro-farm system. Blondie, Brownie and Snicker-doodle-doo are helping with fly reduction inside my new rabbit enclosure and providing cute eggs.

I hope you will join us for classes this Harvest season or for one of our two gatherings--Day of the Dead on November 1st or our annual Winter Open House, December 13 & 14. Both are free to the public.

Harvest Season Classes Open for Registration
We have streamlined things a bit this fall and are offering a smaller but solid selection of our core skills plus some new seasonal topics. As you brush summer from your brow, join us in September for old favorites like Chessemaking 101, Canning Extravaganza, Urban Orchard Care & Pruning (possibly the last chance to learn from arborist Molly Bolt who has moved to LA!) and Apicentric Beekeeping. In September we are also offering a class on Biochar Remediation with international Biochar promoter Paul Taylor ( see below), Mozarella Making (no pre-requisite), Medicine Making with Maya Blow and a reprise of our Chicken Butchering class-- a must-have skill for every chicken owner. Even if you do not want to eat your laying birds, knowing how to put a sick or injured bird out of misery is essential.

New Topix for 2014 coming up
October 1 ~ Made with Masa
October 4 ~ DIY Home Tile Setting
October 11 ~ Make Your Own Miso
October 11 ~ DIY Auto Mechanics
October 22 ~ The Whole Lamb- Community Meat Share and Butchery
November7 ~ The Bitter Truth: Making & Mixing Homemade Bitters
November 12 ~ Meat 101:Working Your Turkey

Biochar: What it is and why should we care?
Biochar is a new take on an ancient technology. Using a phenomenon called pyrolisis to process carbon based materials, Biochar offers a source of clean renewable fuel, removes agricultural waste from landfill and county waste streams and results in a soil amendment more effective and longer lasting than compost. Pockets of ancient Biochar, called Terra Preta" exists to this day in the Amazon jungle as remnants of cultures that tamed the untamable jungle for agricultural use hundreds of years ago. Using specialty updraft ovens, the gases are burned off carbon based materials and the carbon is sequestered back into the earth, rather thaninto the atmosphere. The resulting charcoal is structured such that it helps with water and nutrient retention in the soil and increases surface area and habitat for soil micro-organisms. Boichar is a simple super-technology whose time has come. Small biochar stoves can be built using recycled materials and are viable as a small scale solution for urban gardens. Join IUH and international Biochar expert Paul Taylor on September 13th to learn more.

Tomato Season Recipe -Homemade Ketchup
Ingredients
3-5 lbs give or take garden fresh tomatoes
1-2 carrots
2-3 stalks celerly or 1 small head fennel
1 large onion
1 red pepper
ginger diced
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 - 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
1/4-1/2 t each cinnimon, allspice, coriander, cloves
salt & pepper to taste

Puree tomatoes and place in a stockpot
Chop additional veggies and ginger coarsely and add to the pot.
Cook on medium until veggies are soft.
Puree everything again and strain through a sieve
Return to saucepan add spices, salt, pepper and sweetener and reduce on low until paste-like.
Freeze or can.

Day of the Dead
Saturday November 1st 3pm-7pm Dover Park Mandala, Altars, Kids Activities, Procession and a meal.
This is a DIY event and we hope you will get involved!
FREE pre-event cooking classes with Seth Peterson & Ruby Blume: Knife Skills, How to Cook Simple for 200 Guests, Tamales Making and more. Dates/time/location TBA.
Wanna offer your own altar, facepainting or a kids activity? Please let us know!
Volunteer: We need folks to help with set up, clean up, dionations, cooking and serving
We are also still looking for people who could take on the roles of Kitchen Manager, Volunteer Coordinator and Altar Crew Chief.

CLASSES
SEPTEMBER
Saturday September 13 1pm-5pm Biochar for Urban Gardeners
Saturday September 14 10am-1pm Cheesemaking 101
Saturday September 20 10am-3pm Urban Orchard: Care and Pruning of Fruit Trees
Saturday September 20 1pm-5pm Canning Extravaganza
Sunday September 21 11am-3pm Home Butchering: Fowl
Wednesday September 24, 6:30pm-9pm Design Clinic: Heirloom Kitchen Skills
Thursday September 25 Mozarella & Burrata
Saturday September 27 10am-4pm Api-Centric Beekeeping with the Kenyan Top Bar Hive
Sunday September 28 1pm-4pm Local Medicine: Tinctures and Teas for Winter Health

OCTOBER
Wednesday October 1 6:30-9:30pm Made With Masa
Saturday October 4 10am-2pm DIY Home Tile Setting
Saturday October 5 3-5:30pm Brewcraft: Making Fruits and Honey Wines
Sunday October 5 2014 10am-1pm Cheesemaking 102: Brie, Butter & Bleu
Wednesday October 8, 6:30-9pm Every Day Nut Milks & Cheeses
Saturday October 11, 2014 10am-1pm Make Your Own Miso
Saturday October 12 2pm-6pm DIY Auto Mechanics
Wednesday October 15, 6:30-9pm Ferment! Kraut Pickles & Kim Chi
Saturday October 18 10am-3pm Rabbit Butchering and Tanning Demonstration
Saturday October 18 3-5:30pm Lather 101: Home Soap Making
Wednesday October 22 6:30-9:30pm The Whole Lamb: Community Meat Share & Butchery

NOVEMBER
Wednesday November 5, 6:30-9pm Ferment! Kvass Kombucha, Ginger Beer and Whey Sodas
Friday November 7, 7pm-10pm The Bitter Truth: Making and Mixing Homemade Bitters
Saturday November 8 10am-1pm Hand Sewing Basics
Wednesday November 12, 6:30-9:30pm Meat 101: the Turkey
Saturday & Sunday November 15-16 Cheesemaking Intensive

Instructor Seth Peterson & Students Break down a Whole Pig

Blondie says: Come take a class!