Category: Education

For today’s post I am excited to talk about the many wonderful classes offered by GreenStar Coop. For several years I’ve attended many of GreenStar’s evening classes and workshops and have always found them informative, inspiring, and personal. With class topics ranging from “Backyard Medicinals and Wild Edibles,” to “Gut and Psychology Syndrome,” to “Raw Food Desserts” the emphasis is on health, wellness, natural care, cooking, and alternative and homeopathic healing modalities.

Earlier this week I attended the “Fall Harvest Desserts” class led by Theresa Joseph and assisted by Anita Devine,two familiar faces who lead several of the popular macrobiotic cooking classes throughout the year. (The pair is featured above in the photo). This class was noteworthy, (not only because I got to sample loads of delicious – and relatively healthy – desserts made by Theresa), but because this was the inaugural class to be held in GreenStar’s newly opened classroom space. Simply christened “The Classrooms at GreenStar,” this space sits just across the street from the Buffalo St. GreenStar store and holds three classrooms dedicated to continuing and expanding their educational endeavors. Additional plans are in the works to further renovations of this new space to include a functional teaching kitchen, (you know, one with those nifty ceiling mirrors above the countertop workspace for the audience).

The class series is organized and run by Education Coordinator, Pam Wooster. Pam has been with GreenStar for 21 years and started these classes back in 1995. With the task of setting up the class calendar, selecting topics, and soliciting guest practitioners specializing in a range of topics, I think she has one of the most interesting jobs in town and I told her that if she is ever in need of an assistant that yours truly would no doubt make an awesome assistant.  🙂

In any case, with or without an assistant, Pam does a great job of running this program, balancing topics, and selecting engaging practitioners. As a general rule, practitioners in the realm of health and wellness who have a degree, certification, or training in their area of specialty are invited to teach a class or workshop. (Though I hear plans are in the works for a possible more informal ‘home-based’ series where the teachers do not necessarily need to be professionally trained, but could be self-taught and have years of experience).

Classes range from lecture-style seminars, to more informal discussion sessions, to hands-on workshops and can address both physiological and psychological needs. One of my favorite hands-on workshops that I’ve attended (besides ones in which I get to sample tasty treats), has been an aromatherapy workshop led by Kash Iraggi of Balance Aromatherapy. Students had the chance to mix their own blends of essential oil spritzers from dozens of heavenly pure oils. I made a enlivening concoction from citrus, clove, and eucalyptus oils. Many of the cooking classes that I’ve attended have been invigorating and refreshing, challenging me to be more creative in my cooking methods and introducing me to new ingredients I had never tried.

Pam draws upon local resources, listings in local media, and a network of practitioners to find instructors for the classes and develop new class subjects. Attendees to every class add suggestions for new class topics that would interest them, and practitioners themselves are welcome to contact Pam at pam [at] greenstar.coop if they feel they have something unique in the realm of health and wellness to share with the community. Over the years some of the more popular classes have been Pricilla Timberlake’s annual Thanksgiving cooking class and Anita Devine’s macrobiotic cooking classes. This past summer “Beer 101” drew a large attendance with the Ithaca Beer Co. leading a class on beer history and brewing.

All classes and workshops are one-time events, and you simply sign up per class ahead of time by calling the GreenStar at 607-273-9392. Classes are held at their main store at 701 W. Buffalo Street. Many of the classes are free, but the more materials-intensive classes (such as the cooking classes), usually cost $8 for GreenStar members and $10 for non-members. Visit GreenStar’s Event’s page to see the calendar listing each month’s class offerings.