Faculty

K.Ruby Blume (founder, director, faculty) 
Ruby is an educator, gardener, beekeeper, author, artist, and activist. As a life-long learner and hardcore generalist, she has studied everything from permaculture design to sewing machine repair and has taught herself canning, fermentation and cheesemaking techniques, as well as how to set tile, install a sink, do electrical wiring, tend a beehive and repair a motorcycle. Ruby holds certificates in permaculture design, massage, coaching and sheep shearing. She has studied native plants, botany, pollination ecology, soil ecology and micro-biology. She has extensive experience in the arts including work with ceramic, mosaic, glass, textile, printmaking, puppetry, collage, assemblage, costume design and photography. and is known for her work as founder and artistic director of the art for justice project, Wise Fool Puppet Intervention.  The product of three generations of teachers, Ruby's experience as an educator extends back thirty years. She has taught music, art, puppetry, theatre, gardening, beekeeping, canning and more to people ages five to ninety-five. She founded The Institute of Urban Homesteading in 2008 and co-authored the book Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living (with Rachel Kaplan, 2011).  Ruby currently lives on 22 acres outside of Grants Pass. OR where she grows vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs and cares for cows, sheep, rabbits, chickens, dogs, cats, finches, doves, pigeons and bee

Jeannie McKenizie (faculty)
Jeannie lives on a half acre homestead in Montclair that was the neighborhood's first chicken farm. She has been gradually reviving the old farmstead which now includes chickens, bees, and goats, an organic garden and many fruit trees. Jeannie is a circus artist, dancer, musician and teacher. She currently teaches music in a few elementary schools and plays with several bands around town. Jeannie has been involved in many aspects of homesteading and she’s excited to share her growing knowledge of and passion for backyard chicken farming, urban goats and making artisan goat cheese.

Alexandra Hudson (faculty)
Alexandra is a Clinical Herbalist and avid alchemist of all things delicious. She trained at the Ohlone Herbal Center and now sees clients in their low-cost community clinic, as well as in private practice.  Alexandra loves to incorporate tonifying herbs into her everyday culinary experience and to teach and demonstrate kitchen-hacking techniques.   In 2013 she founded Kaleidoscope Foods, a local producer of vegan & bone broth-infused kale chips which offers nourishing on-the-go foods to the public.  Alexandra lives on a mini goat farm in the Oakland hills where she tends her garden, crafts herbal medicine, and joyfully practices healing traditions with her household. She leads monthly herb walks around Lake Merritt. Alexandra is dedicated to sharing her knowledge of herbs, food and health with her immediate and greater community.