"GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS," May 20, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Hotel Boulderado, Boulder. During Small Business Week, the Boulder County Independent Business Alliance will be celebrating YOU with a one of a kind event that provides support, education, and training. Packed with the necessary resources, tools, and best practices for your business to thrive including: Social Media, Email Marketing, and Financing. So come learn, network, and prosper! Partner Organizations include Transition Colorado, BGBG, Boulder Chamber, Latino Chamber, KGNU, Goozmo, SBDC, Boulder Valley Credit Union, 10 for Change, and Elevations Credit Union. This event is free to BIBA members courtesy of Constant Contact. There is very limited capacity for this event and invitations are going out through several organizations, so sign up now!

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES KICKOFF, May 20,
 5:30 p.m., Millennium Harvest House, Boulder. The free 2011 "Notorious FAC" series (est. 1958) begins with Girls on Top!, a seven-piece, high-energy dance band featuring the greatest soul, funk, and R&B tunes from the 70s and 80s. At this event, Transition Colorado will unveil its 2011 EAT LOCAL! Campaign, featuring the 10% Local Food Shift Pledge and Challenge. 

FARM DINNER AND CONVERSATION WITH AUTHOR GARY NABHAN, May 22, 2:00 p.m., Abbondanza Organic Seeds & Produce, 10145 Oxford Rd. Join the community for a real farm food dinner and potluck dessert, as Gary Nabhan talks about his new book, Chasing Chiles: Hot Spots Along the Pepper Trail (published by Chelsea Green, who will also be on hand). Gary Paul Nabhan is an internationally-celebrated nature writer, seed saver, conservation biologist and sustainable agriculture activist who has been called "the father of the local food movement" by Mother Earth News. Gary is also an orchard-keeper, wild forager and Ecumenical Franciscan brother in his hometown of Patagonia, Arizona near the Mexican border. Elissa Altman, founder of PoorMansFeast.com, says: "Chasing Chiles is nothing short of a brilliant ethno-bio-culinary convergence. It accomplishes what so very few books do: marrying place to flavor and science. The result is a visceral understanding of the profound impact climate change has on the global community and the foods that we always seem to take for granted." Abbondanza will provide a farm meal of Green Chile, Chicken Pesole, Black Beans and Blue Corn Tortillas. Bring your own place settings, dessert to share, and beverage. $15 suggested donation. Please RSVP to info@eatabbo.org or 303-485-7818. Sponsored by Transition Colorado. 

MOVE YOUR MONEY, June 6 (save the date!). Boulder County Independent Business Alliance will be hosting a panel discussion as a kickoff to our Move Your Money week-long campaign to inspire you to switch your banking to a local credit union or financial institution. Small institutions are more stable than large, mega-investment banks.  Collectively moving your money is a way to support our community and tell the large firms that you don't approve of their business practices. Mark your calendar and watch for details here.

CENTRAL ROCKY MOUNTAIN PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE'S 25th ANNUAL PERMACULTURE DESIGN CERTIFICATION COURSE, Aug. 1 - 13, Basalt, CO. The CRMPI Design Certification Course is designed to give the participant an understanding of the essential elements and ideas of permaculture so that they can better design and engineer sustainable systems, including forest gardens, greenhouses, and other permaculture endeavors. Summer workshop series: Forest Garden, 6/11; Greenhouse, 6/12; Medicinal, 7/9. To register for course or workshops, call 970-927-4158 or email Jerome@crmpi.org.

URBAN HEN MEET & GREET, May 17, 7:30 p.m., 185 Griffith St., Louisville. An opportunity for folks interested in legalizing urban hens in Louisville to meet and share organizing ideas. 

TREE ID AND SELECTION, May 19 - 28, Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver. Rocky Mountain Gardening Certificate Program Required Course. This seminar provides an overview of shade, ornamental and conifer trees, both common and unusual, that can be grown in Colorado. Individual trees will be discussed in the classroom using slides and samples, followed by a field trip to Regis University to see trees in a park-like setting where they have been able to attain mature size. Cultural and maintenance requirements will be covered. Class meets May 19, 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.; May 26, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.; May 28, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. For more information: www.botanicgardens.org, 720-865-3580.

LEADER LEARNER GARDENING, May 21, 10:00 a.m. - noon, Crescent Grange, 7901 W. 120th Ave., Broomfield. Come to our Community Garden! Experienced gardeners are available for questions and demonstration of Permaculture gardening techniques. Learner gardeners can team up with Leaders and share in the team produce. Weather permitting. Organized by BeeYond Gardening.

SECRETS OF VEGGIE GARDENING IN THE MOUNTAINS, with Roland Evans, May 21, 1:30 p.m., Harlequin's Gardens, 4795 N. 26th St., Boulder. Learn how to amend soils, choose the right varieties, simple plant protection strategies. CEO of Organic Bountea, Roland grows over 50 varieties of veggies at 7500 feet. More info here.

INTRODUCTION TO AQUAPONICS, May 21, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., The GrowHaus, 4751 York St., Denver. This class will provide participants the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of aquaponics in a living classroom environment at The GrowHaus, a non-profit urban farm and marketplace in the Elyria-Swansea neighborhood. The course will be a combination of classroom lecture and hands on work among three different aquaponics systems. Details here, or call 720-470-7007.

"GROWING OUR URBAN AGRICULTURE" POTLUCK AND PARTY, May 21, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., UrbiCulture Farms Aquaponics, 1855 W. 12th St., Denver. It's a Spring Celebration of Colorado's Urban Farmers! Suggested $5 donation goes to Grow Local and UrbiCulture Community Farms. Since the theme of this party is the Urban Farmer, come dressed like one! Think pearls and overalls! Tuxedos and workboots? Think Colorado when deciding what to bring to eat or drink, and remember these potlucks are ZERO WASTE - please bring your own silverware, plate, etc. Questions: pompomdana@comcast.net.

CHEESE MAKING CLASS, May 22, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., The Lyons Farmette, 4121 Ute Highway, Lyons. In our cheese making class we will discuss the broad spectrum of cheese from fresh to aged, stinky to mild, and bloomy to washed rind.  We will focus on making cheeses that are easily made in the home specifically mozzarella and ricotta, as well as pairings for cheese. Hilary Van Dusen made artisanal goat cheese for Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy for three years.  She worked primarily with the raw milk cheeses, which have won several awards at the American Cheese Society and World Cheese Competition. $35 per person. Please RSVP to betsyburton@mac.com. Payment is required to reserve a space in this class. Please send your check to The Lyons Farmette  P.O. Box 312, Lyons, CO 80540.

SPRING PRUNING FOR SHRUBS, with Mikl Brawner, May 22, 1:30 p.m., Harlequin's Gardens, 4795 N. 26th St., Boulder. When spring-blooming shrubs have flowered, they should be pruned for better bloom, strength, health, beauty and to remove broken, diseased and old wood. Mikl pruned professionally for 35 years. More info at www.harlequinsgardens.com/classes/.

BACKYARD CHICKEN KEEPING, May 22, 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver. Join us for an introduction to raising backyard hens. Topics covered will include: Choosing the perfect chickens (best breeds and how/where to purchase); chick care; housing and fencing; feeding; common chicken challenges; all about the eggs; financial considerations; livestock permitting process. The instructor will bring her pet chickens to class for a demonstration, and she will host a separate open house at her urban farm in NW Denver. For more information: www.botanicgardens.org, 720-865-3580.

LEADER LEARNER GARDENING, May 28, 10:00 a.m. - noon, Crescent Grange, 7901 W. 120th Ave., Broomfield. Come to our Community Garden! Experienced gardeners are available for questions and demonstration of Permaculture gardening techniques. Learner gardeners can team up with Leaders and share in the team produce. Weather permitting. Organized by BeeYond Gardening.

FRIENDLY WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT, May 28, 10:00 a.m. - noon, Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver. Do you like the wild animals that are a part of the Colorado environment but don't like it when some of those critters ruin your garden and landscape? We will examine ways to manage wildlife problems without hurting the deer, rabbits, and other animals that remind us all the time that they were here first! The class will look at wildlife laws and how they impact management strategies for the landowner. Adjusting the landscape to accommodate the wildlife will also be examined as an alternative to more drastic measures. For more information: www.botanicgardens.org, 720-865-3580.

URBAN PERMACULTURE 101, May 28, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., The GrowHaus, 4751 York St., Denver. How can our urban areas become sustainable in their use of food, energy and water? What kinds of fruits and vegetables grow best in Colorado's climate? How can we set up our social institutions in ways that mimic the diversity and resilience of natural systems? These are just some of the questions posed by permaculture, a holistic system of design grounded in a mix of indigenous wisdom and ecological science. In this full-day intensive, led by urban permaculturist and GrowHaus Director of Operations Adam Brock, will provide a comprehensive overview of the permaculture paradigm as it applies to urban areas. $45 in advance (register online here), $55 at the door. FREE for residents of Elyria-Swansea!

DENVER URBAN AGRICULTURE TOUR, May 28, 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., DHA Sustainability Park, 2501 Arapahoe St., Denver. Slow Food Denver and Grow Local Colorado invite you to the first Denver Urban Agriculture Tour, showcasing some of the many projects that are happening in our city, including The GrowHaus, UrbiCulture Farms Aquaponics and Heirloom Gardens urban homestead. All proceeds will go to support Slow Food's C.A.F.E micro-grant program, helping to launch innovative and sustainable food initiatives in the Denver Metro area conceived by Colorado-based food entrepreneurs. $35 per person, includes transportation, light breakfast and picnic lunch.

WALKING CONVERSATION ON "GROW LOCAL" AND PLANETARIUM VISIT WITH DANA MILLER, May 30, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., Denver City Park, 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver. We have the distinct honor to walk with Dana Miller, the dynamic co-creator of Transition Denver, who promotes the Grow Local Campaign events. Nature's many wonders will fill our senses along our walk. Meet Dana and Fran at the Grizzly Bear statue on the NW corner of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, facing the lake and the mountains. After the walk, we'll have a chance to experience even more of the awesome wonders of nature that are beyond our earthly senses. We'll share a visit to the awe-inspiring "60 Minutes in Space" presentation in the Planetarium of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Both the Planetarium presentation and the walk are FREE.

NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE: SUSTAINABLE MEDICINE, May 31, 7:00 p.m., Institute of Taoist Education and Acupuncture, 325 W. South Boulder Rd., Louisville. As people move away from pharmaceutical drugs due to cost, limited availability or desire for other options, nature provides her own medicine chest that is abundant, inexpensive, powerfully effective and sustainable. Join Dr. Cheri King as she shares how you can make your own medicine using backyard weeds and how pure water or something as simple as a carrot can stimulate the body's ability to heal. Free. Sponsored by Transition Louisville.

EDIBLE FOREST GARDENS: AN INTENSIVE DESIGN COURSE, June 3 - 8, Woodbine Ecology Center, Sedalia. With Eric Toensmeier, author of "Perennial Vegetables" and co-author of "Edible Forest Gardens", Pavlos Stavropoulos, Mary O'Brien, and Jim Gibson. The full five day residential course will emphasize the design process, with hands-on design work for all participants. Participants will also learn the art and science of habitat mimicry, polyculture assembly, and plant a demonstration forest garden. A special focus of this course will be eco-cultural restoration of indigenous management of native useful plants and landscapes. Click here for details and scholarship opportunities. Email: info@woodbinecenter.org.

SPRING FARM TOUR, June 4, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Grant Family Farms, 1020 West County Road 72, Wellington. Grant Family Farms is hosting their 4th annual Spring Farm Tour on June 4 and would like you to be a part of it! Their goal this year is to inspire all attendees to be proud of Colorado's agricultural history and our local food movement. $8 general admission; free for CSA members, guests, and children under 12. Live music, tours, educational workshops, farmer's market, local vendors, spring swap, silent auction, and guest speaker Hill Grimmett from BeLocal. More information here, or call 970-568-7654. 

BACK TO BASICS GARDENING: PLANTING YOUR SUMMER HARVEST, June 4, 9:00 a.m. - noon, Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver. The time to plant without the danger of frost is here! This class explores what to buy, what to start by seed; what veggies to plant and how; mulching and composting techniques, as well as vertical garden design. Class materials: favorite gardening planting tool, gardening gloves, sunscreen, and favorite art supplies for garden design project! For more information: www.botanicgardens.org, 720-865-3580.

PLANT A FAERIE GARDEN (FOR KIDS), June 4, 10:00 a.m., Harlequin's Gardens, 4795 N. 26th St., Boulder. Harlequin's staff will help children 5-9 create a faerie garden to take home. Please bring small natural objects to include. We will provide a container, plants etc. that will support butterflies, toads, beneficial insects and other fairies. More info at www.harlequinsgardens.com/classes/.

WILD EDIBLE AND MEDICINAL PLANTS, June 4, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m., Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, 8500 West Deer Creek Canyon Rd., Littleton. Explore the treasure trove of wild herbs, medicinal plants and edible weeds common to every backyard with clinical herbalist Susan Evans. Learn how to make a blood cleansing tea from red clover, a tasty salad from lambs quarters, stop bleeding with yarrow and much more. Discover the amazing plants you've been stepping on all these years! For more information: www.botanicgardens.org, 720-865-3580.

LEADER LEARNER GARDENING, June 4, 10:00 a.m. - noon, Crescent Grange, 7901 W. 120th Ave., Broomfield. Come to our Community Garden! Experienced gardeners are available for questions and demonstration of Permaculture gardening techniques. Learner gardeners can team up with Leaders and share in the team produce. Weather permitting. Organized by BeeYond Gardening.

GARDENING WITH NATIVE PLANTS, with Mikl and Eve Branwer, June 4, 1:30 p.m., Harlequin's Gardens, 4795 N. 26th St., Boulder. Native shrubs & wildflowers thrive in CO., support native pollinators & birds, save water & have a Western look. Learn how to choose & grow natives successfully. 20 years experience. More info at www.harlequinsgardens.com/classes/.

GROWING VEGETABLES WITHOUT CHEMICALS, with Niki Hayden, June 5, 10:00 a.m., Harlequin's Gardens, 4795 N. 26th St., Boulder. Niki will cover soil amendments for fertility, pest barriers and nontoxic methods for insect and weed control. Niki has many years of experience with healthy gardening: Front Range Living. More info at www.harlequinsgardens.com/classes/.

HANDS ON AQUAPONICS, June 11, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., The GrowHaus, 4751 York St., Denver. Join us for a hands-on aquaponics intensive workshop providing valuable information and skills. The cost of the course will help cover the system materials required to build an IBC aquaponics system. This class will provide participants the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of aquaponics in a living classroom environment at The GrowHaus, a non-profit urban farm and marketplace in the Elyria-Swansea neighborhood. The course will include a brief classroom lecture and hands on construction building a personal aquaponics system using an IBC container. It is recommended (but not essential) that participants have previously attended the Introduction to Aquaponics workshop. Details here.

HERBAL FIRST AID KITS FOR HIKING, BIKING, AND CAMPING, June 11, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m., Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver. In this class we demonstrate how to easily and inexpensively put together an herbal first aid kit for home, car, hiking/biking or camping. Contents include "herbal bactine", an all purpose wound healing salve, bug spray, poison ivy/oak remedy, herbs to stop bleeding, remedies for burns, pulled muscles, infections and more. Everyone takes home a bottle of anti-bacterial/antiviral tincture which can be used internally or externally, a jar of wound and rash salve and an extensive handout with recipes, a trauma cheat sheet and list of resource for supplies. For more information: www.botanicgardens.org, 720-865-3580.

HIGH ALTITUDE GARDENING with Diane Badertscher, June 11, 1:30 p.m., Harlequin's Gardens, 4795 N. 26th St., Boulder. Gardening above 6000' has its own challenges. There are certain plants and certain strategies that can improve your successes. Diane lives and gardens at 8000' and can help you. More info at www.harlequinsgardens.com/classes/.

LEADER LEARNER GARDENING, June 11, 10:00 a.m. - noon, Crescent Grange, 7901 W. 120th Ave., Broomfield. Come to our Community Garden! Experienced gardeners are available for questions and demonstration of Permaculture gardening techniques. Learner gardeners can team up with Leaders and share in the team produce. Weather permitting. Organized by BeeYond Gardening.

OPPORTUNITIES AND TRICKS OF XERISCAPE with Mikl Brawner, June 12, 1:30 p.m., Harlequin's Gardens, 4795 N. 26th St., Boulder. There are advantages to gardening with less water, and tricks that will improve your success. Mikl's xeriscape experience of over 20 years has taught him tricks that will cost you a lot less than it cost him. More info at www.harlequinsgardens.com/classes/.

BACKYARD CHICKEN KEEPING, June 12, 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver. Join us for an introduction to raising backyard hens. Topics covered will include: Choosing the perfect chickens (best breeds and how/where to purchase); chick care; housing and fencing; feeding; common chicken challenges; all about the eggs; financial considerations; livestock permitting process. The instructor will bring her pet chickens to class for a demonstration, and she will host a separate open house at her urban farm in NW Denver. For more information: www.botanicgardens.org, 720-865-3580.

PLANTS FOR PERMACULTURE, PART 1, June 16, 4:30 p.m., Harlequin's Gardens, 4795 N. 26th St., Boulder. Alison Peck will discuss woody plants for food, medicine, habitat and more, based on 25 years experience. More info at www.harlequinsgardens.com/classes/.

DEALING WITH THE UNLIMITED GUESTS (PESTS) OF THE GARDEN, June 16, 6:00 p.m., Louisville Public Library. Carol O'Meara will return to discuss what pests and or diseases to look for in our gardens, how to prevent them or best deal with them. We grow our own veggies for better health, so learn how to deal with unwanted pests all the while keeping your garden healthy. Sponsored by Transition Louisville.

MINDFULNESS IN NATURE AND CONTEMPLATIVE HIKING RETREAT with Margaret Emerson, June 17 - 19, Syzygy Community House, Rollinsville. This yoga, meditation and hiking nature retreat will be limited to 10 participants and there are only a few spaces left! This 3-day retreat is meant to be a nurturing, perhaps life-affirming experience that will give you tools to further your contemplative practice at home. The retreat will build upon exercises and lessons from Contemplative Hiking Along the Colorado Front Range. The retreat will include group work and discussions as well as adequate time for participants to journal, rest, meditate or do yoga on your own, or socialize. Click here for more information and registration: http://contemplativehiking.com/upcoming-workshops/.

ALL NATURAL SKIN CARE, June 18, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m., Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver. See how easy and inexpensive it is to make your own facial steams with herbs, cleansing grains and creams, wonderful masques, including alpha hydroxy, herbal toners and astringents, and a rich creamy moisturizer that contains far more nutrients and anti-oxidants for your skin than anything available commercially. You'll also learn how to make a profoundly healing cream for damaged skin and premature wrinkling. Learn a few tricks for blemishes and how to make a creamy, healing lip balm. Take home an extensive handout, bag of steaming herbs, a month supply jar of moisturizer and a pot of lip balm. After using the moisturizer from class you and your skin will never again be satisfied with anything less. For more information: www.botanicgardens.org, 720-865-3580.

PLANTS FOR PERMACULTURE, PART 2, June 18, 10:00 a.m., Harlequin's Gardens, 4795 N. 26th St., Boulder. Alison will lead a tour of her mature permaculture landscape at Nyland Cohousing. More info at www.harlequinsgardens.com/classes/.

LEADER LEARNER GARDENING, June 18, 10:00 a.m. - noon, Crescent Grange, 7901 W. 120th Ave., Broomfield. Come to our Community Garden! Experienced gardeners are available for questions and demonstration of Permaculture gardening techniques. Learner gardeners can team up with Leaders and share in the team produce. Weather permitting. Organized by BeeYond Gardening.

MAKING HERBAL PREPARATIONS with Garima Fairmax, June 18, 10:00 a.m., Harlequin's Gardens, 4795 N. 26thSt., Boulder. Turn plants into effective herbal teas, infused oils, salves, lotions & tinctures. Hands-on learning: leave with samples. Garima is a certified herbalist; her company: Wild Sage Skin Care. More info at www.harlequinsgardens.com/classes/.

DENVER AWAKENING THE DREAMER SYMPOSIUM, June 18 and 23, 2:00 - 6:00 p.m., Green Spaces Colorado, 1368 26th St., between Walnut & Larimer, LODO Denver. Join others bringing forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on planet earth. Tickets and registration here. 

KNOWING AND SUPPORTING BENEFICIAL INSECTS, with Carol O'Meara, June 18, 1:30 p.m., Harlequin's Gardens, 4795 N. 26th St., Boulder. If you know the good bugs, you can relax and let them do their work. If you also support them, you will have less to do. Carol is a Coop. Ext Agent and an excellent teacher. More info at www.harlequinsgardens.com/classes/.

INTRO TO WORM COMPOSTING, June 22, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., Growing Gardens Greenhouse, 1630 Hawthorne Ave., Boulder. Vermiculture (worm composting) is an efficient and year round method to composting your kitchen scraps, and plant leftovers. Learn how to set up your own bin, this can be done indoors in an apartment, garage, basement, or under your kitchen sink. The worms do all the work and you will  lower the volume of garbage generated in your home and you will have beautiful compost to use in your garden or indoor plants. Instructor: Zala Habibi is a dedicated Community Gardener and Master Composter she has been teaching and composting with worms for many years. Cost: $35 includes materials. More information at www.growinggardens.org/ or 303-443-9952.

BACK-YARD BEEKEEPING with Julie Finley, June 23, 4:00 p.m., Harlequin's Gardens, 4795 N. 26th St., Boulder. Learn honeybee culture and the plants that support them. Visit our Top Bar hives to learn a great system for natural and small-scale beekeeping. Julie buzzes with 15 years experience. She's a honey. More info at www.harlequinsgardens.com/classes/.

MEDICINE FROM WEEDS, NATIVE AND LANDSCAPE PLANTS, June 25, 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Feed Denver Urban Farms and Markets. Plant walks and talk. Let's roam about and meet the 'wilder' healing plants growing in your backyard and neighborhood. Simple plant identification, wild-crafting and earth stewardship guidelines will be discussed. Mary O'Brien has been working with plants in some form for most of her adult life. She has taught herbal medicine, led edible and medicinal herb walks, built and maintained a medicinal garden for a local botanical park and made herbal products for local distribution. Her emphasis is on using native and locally grown plants for medicine. Her teaching has now expanded into permaculture and creating personal healing gardens.

LEADER LEARNER GARDENING, June 25, 10:00 a.m. - noon, Crescent Grange, 7901 W. 120th Ave., Broomfield. Come to our Community Garden! Experienced gardeners are available for questions and demonstration of Permaculture gardening techniques. Learner gardeners can team up with Leaders and share in the team produce. Weather permitting. Organized by BeeYond Gardening.

GROW GREAT GRUB, with Gayla Trail, June 30, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m., Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver. Starting from her new book and over a decade of experience growing edibles on her city rooftop, Gayla shows inspiring and practical ways to grow organic food-from common vegetables and herbs to the wonderfully weird-in small and difficult spaces. Gayla Trail is a writer, photographer, and graphic designer with a background in Fine Arts, cultural criticism, and ecology. She is the author, photographer, and designer of two best-selling books on urban gardening: You Grow Girl: The Groundbreaking Guide to Gardening (2005) and Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces (2010). Visit her at www.yougrowgirl.com. For more information: www.botanicgardens.org, 720-865-3580.