Some of the ‘Nuts and Bolts’ of being a student at Bolad’s Kitchen

Bolad’s Kitchen is a four-year commitment on the part of student and teacher alike, with Martín teaching each class through ten-day sessions here on his ranch in Northern New Mexico, with sessions falling every six months. Martín’s teaching is intense and cumulative, so each session builds on the teachings from previous sessions, and after the first two or three sessions of a new class, we will no longer be accepting new students to allow the existing group to further coalesce into a unique village of hopeful learners for the remainder of the first four years, or longer as the case may be. Like a jar of precious seeds the Singing Seeds and Flowering Hands class is full to the brim with registered students. This class registration is full and can’t take any more. But, new classes are always forming and though the list of the next class is filling up, there is still some space. To sign up for the next available Bolad’s Kitchen class visit the New Classes page. The Tule Pond and the Salamander’s Hand are also distinct classes that have been coming for eight and at least ten years respectively (some students in the Salamander’s Hand have attended regularly since the school’s beginning 19 years ago!) and these classes are for ongoing students.

Those making the intention to enroll in a new class at Bolad’s Kitchen are committing to attending all of each of these ten day sessions twice yearly for the first 4 years of a class, or a total of 8 sessions. During a session (which commence on a Thursday evening and wrap up late morning on a Sunday, 10 days later), the days are divided up between mornings and afternoons, which run anywhere from 3-5 hours each, with a 1.5 to 2 hour break in the middle of the day to have some food and take a few draughts of clean high desert air.

Students make their own arrangements for food, lodging and transportation while they are here, renting houses, casitas or hotel/motel rooms in Ojo Caliente and surrounding towns or arranging to camp (depending on the time of year) nearby on private land that locals make available to students or in Carson National Forest just north of here. Folks lodging near the school will often return to where they’re staying for lunch each afternoon, coming back in time for the afternoon teachings, or are welcome to bring a lunch each day and find a good spot in the sun or shade around the hall or under the cottonwoods to eat. All other meals are taken wherever folks are staying. In addition to a few local restaurants, there is a wonderful little general store in town for essentials, and as the majority of students choose to cook for themselves, folks will often do a bigger grocery shop in the larger towns/cities of Taos, Espanola or Santa Fe before the session begins, with an opportunity to restock on the day off that usually falls mid session. It is also very useful to have a car or access to a vehicle while here (often students who are flying in will get together and share the cost of a rental for the 10 days, making the cost quite reasonable), as the school is located wonderfully rurally with no consistent public transportation, and most places to stay are not within walking distance of ‘the Lady’ (what we call the school’s adobe hall). We do offer a simple shuttle service at the beginning and end of each session to help folks who are flying or taking the train get from Albuquerque to here and back again. We happily send out more details on some of our recommendations for places to stay in the area, along with transportation and shopping tips, once students have fully registered and begin making their plans to attend.

A Note on Tuition:

We have struggled long and hard over the pricing of the school, trying to keep the price reasonable enough so that all who truly want to attend will not be hindered by their economic situation. Knowing full well that to maintain the respect for the teaching that is being offered, we should be charging at least $5,000 a year per student, and in keeping with this we are suggesting a price of $2,500 a year, or $1,250 for each session, for those who can afford it. As we are a “non-endowed” school, this second tuition rate may help ensure that Bolad’s Kitchen can continue on, to keep a low tuition and to provide scholarships to certain dedicated students who otherwise would be unable to attend. We are trusting completely that those who have the means to pay $2,500 or more, according to their desires, will show their ability to make it possible for the remainder of students to attend at the lower tuition, in accordance to their means as well.

We have kept the tuition for Bolad’s Kitchen the same for 19 years since it’s beginning in 2004 and would like to continue to do so for as long as we possibly can. We are hoping that with no questions asked, students whom are able to pay the higher rate of $1,250 a session will do so, helping us keep the cost down to $850 for one session for the rest.

The cost for ongoing students is $850 for one session. For those who are able to pay a higher tuition, the cost is $1,250 for one session. Tuition is due with registration.