Soil Association Master Classes: learn to make sausages and grow veg

It wasn't cool knowing how to make homemade raspberry jam a few years ago. Now it is and the Soil Association and Stony yogurt have picked up on that and kick-started what we think could become a whole new movement, A Taste of the Good Life Master Classes. People who are interested in learning skills such as bee-keeping and sausage-making can participate in these different master classes, which will take place on about 100 Soil Association farms over the next year.

Director of the Soil Association Patrick Holden explains why these master classes are a good idea: "This is a wonderful opportunity for people to come onto organic farms, meet artisan producers and get hands-on experience of a huge range of useful skills. More and more people want to know where their food comes from, how it is produced -- and for many that leads on to wanting to try it themselves, whether it's taking on an allotment, keeping a couple of hens in the back-yard or growing carrots in a window-box."

Holden emphasises that the master classes are about having fun, but also about learning skills and getting an insight into how food is produced. He thinks, and we agree, that it will benefit the whole country as we get ready for a "more sustainable and less energy dependent food and farming future."

The courses cost between £40 and £100 and if you're a Soil Association member you get them half price. If you still haven't got around signing up for a membership, do it now and get a master class for free.

Although we SmartPlaneteers, in all modesty, are quite learned when it comes to making jam and bread and whatnot, we can't make ice cream or keep bees, so we're quite excited about giving that a go.

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