These hands-on, private immersions cover everything from humane harvesting to butchery, cooking, and preservation. Whether it’s a pig, goat, duck, rabbit, or chicken, we’ll walk you through the full process with care and clarity, helping you build both skill and reverence for the life that feeds you.

Whether you have your own flock and want to learn how to process yourself, or you’d like to come and learn with us and our animals, we’d be happy to show you the way. As part of our classes you have the ability to take home the food you process, stocking your freezer for months to come.

On top of actually harvesting, we also teach whole animal butchery, meat processing (think sausage, head cheese) and meat preservation (think smoking and curing).

These opportunities are immersive experiences where you’ll walk away feeling confident in your skills to break down just about any animal.

The steps…

Send an email to Yoshua at friends@youenjoylife.us on what your interested in. (more logistics listed below)
Tell us which animal you are interested in processing. Depending on the size of each animal, you’ll either be with us for a half day, a full day, or up to 2-3 days (for a pig). See info below about available lodging on the homestead.
Note: These classes are private, so you can do them alone, or invite up to 5 other people to join in and split the cost. You organize the group. The overall cost for the workshop, regardless of people, stays the same at the base, but goes up per person to cover food. $50 extra a person per day.
*Technically you aren’t paying for the meat, you are paying for the education, but the meat comes free with each workshop.

Email Yoshua

Logistics

Pigs

3-Day Private Workshop
Cost: $5,000 (Includes full animal worth of meat and instruction for up to 6 people)
Meat Value: $2,200+ | Yield: ~200+ lbs

We raise a small number of extra pigs specifically for those who want to experience the full cycle—from harvest to freezer. This immersive, private workshop is a deep dive into the world of whole animal butchery, cooking, and curing.

You’ll not only learn how to respectfully harvest a pig, but how to break it down in a way that makes sense for your needs—choosing the cuts you want, and preserving the rest through time-honored methods. We’ll cook together, share meals, and explore how nothing goes to waste.

What’s Included:

One whole pig (~200+ lbs of meat), divided however your group chooses
Custom cut selection and instruction
Two farm-fresh meals per day plus tasting throughout as we process and cook
Hands-on learning in slaughter, butchery, curing, and cooking
All materials and tools provided
Bonus and included: Option to visit with the pigs while they are being raised and learn about raising pigs!

Schedule:

Day 1 – Harvest & Quartering: Humane slaughter, gutting, quartering, lard rendering, head cheese making, cleaning intestines for sausage
Day 2 – Butchering & Curing: Learn primal and sub-primal cuts, bacon, pancetta, and other curing methods
Day 3 – Sausage & Cooking: Fire-cooked meat, sausage making, rillettes, celebration meal

Goats

1–2 Day Private Workshop (Second day reserved for butchering and processing)
Cost: $1,000 (1 day) or $1,500 (2 days) | Includes full animal and meals for up to 6 people
Meat Value: $300 | Yield: ~20–25 lbs

For those wanting to work with a smaller animal while still learning the full range of skills, goat is an incredible option. We source our meat goats from a local woman who raises them with care on organic pasture, ensuring the highest quality meat. This workshop can be completed in one day for the full harvest or extended to two days for full butchery and culinary use.

What’s Included:

One goat (~20–25 lbs of meat)
Choice of one or two full workshop days
Two nourishing meals per day
Instruction in slaughter, skinning, gutting, butchery, and fire cooking
All materials and tools provided

Schedule Options:

Day 1 – Harvest & Quartering: Humane slaughter, skinning, gutting, raw organ tasting (optional), goat tallow rendering, quartering
Day 2 (Optional) – Butchering & Cooking: Learn to break down the meat, cook over fire, prepare various dishes, and utilize every part

Chickens, Rabbits & Ducks

Half-Day Private Immersion
Cost: $500 | Includes 1 animal to take home and a shared meal (up to 4 people, $25/per person over two people, extra for meal)

For a more accessible entry point into animal processing, our half-day immersions with poultry or rabbit are a powerful place to begin. You’ll be guided through the entire harvest with care, presence, and practicality—and we’ll share a meal afterward to honor the life that was given.

What’s Included:

Your choice of 2 chickens, or 1 duck or rabbit
Guided instruction in slaughter, plucking or skinning, gutting, and cleaning
Shared farm meal prepared together
All materials and tools provided

Timing:
~4 hours, including harvest and shared meal

Location:

10 minutes from downtown Boulder, this 5-acre farm property nestled against the foothills is a budding homestead community. Location will be revealed via email at least a week before the class.

Ready to take part in this experience?
If you’re feeling the pull to be part of one of these intimate, hands-on workshops, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to reserve your spot, ask questions, or talk through what might be the right fit for your group.

Or email us directly at: friends@youenjoylife.us

Email Yoshua

“I stopped eating meat about a decade ago out of concern for the way we treat the animals whose products end up in our grocery stores. I found our society’s disconnection from the living beings that we consumed disturbing, frustrating, and quite sad. It was important to me that if I were going to consume an animal, I could stand behind the humans or environment that supported that animals life. So I took Yoshua up on an offer to see what a more humane and connected process could look like, and I’m very glad I did. This course is an opportunity to experience playing a direct role in the natural cycle of life, death, and energetic transformation in a positive environment with a human who deeply respects his animals. It is intense, as taking a life should be, but I’m beyond grateful to have had this experience and taken away both a deeper connection to animals we tend to forget are sentient beings and practical skills for when I decide to raise and harvest animals myself. Would recommend for anyone, meat eater or not.”

— Trevor Haynes

Meet Your Instructors

John Clay

John has spent his adult life deeply immersed in all aspects of the food world—from cooking to growing to butchering. He previously served as the head whole-animal butcher at Wyebrook Farm, a regenerative farm in Pennsylvania, and has managed permaculture and organic farms in Maine. John’s deep reverence for nature and passion for teaching others how to interact with food forms the foundation of his work.

Yoshua Greenfield

Yoshua is the founder of You Enjoy Life Homestead, an educational homestead in North Boulder dedicated to reconnecting people with traditional food systems, self-sufficiency, and sacred practices. With years of experience in fermentation, regenerative farming, and ceremonial animal harvesting, Yoshua invites people into a deeper relationship with the land, food, and the cycles of life and death.

Overnight Lodging on the Homestead

Extend your time on the land with an overnight stay in our cozy glamping tent. Nestled up against the foothills, this space offers a peaceful retreat to unwind, reflect, and connect more deeply.

What’s Included:

A spacious canvas tent with a queen bed (sleeps 2)
Outdoor composting toilet and open-air shower/tub
All meals included—nourishing, seasonal, organic and homemade
Access to a nearby river spot for cold plunging (5-minute drive)
Optional space to pitch your own tent (up to 2 additional guests)

Rates:

$150 per night for up to 2 guests in the glamping tent
$100 per night for an additional tent (BYO), max 4 guests total
1-2 night options.

aja@ajarose.love

youenjoylifemusic@gmail.com

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