Coptic Bookbinding was developed by the Egyptian Copts in the 2nd century A.D. and represents the earliest known form of a true codex. This multi-section, non-adhesive binding features an exposed spine which reveals the decorative, braid-like sewing of the binding -- commonly known as a chain stitch. These books lay flat when opened, making them easy to write in and an ideal candidate for journals and notebooks. This class will include a brief introduction to material considerations and each participant will bind a book to take home.

Each class participant models their own solar project, and collects all the information they need to finance, construct, or manage their own solar project.

This will be an experiential day of learning to interpret the stories of the living landscape. From birds returning, frogs calling and breeding, and mammals feeding on rich spring growth (and each other), to wild edibles along the river bank and the history of the land written in tree species and growth, we will endeavor to put together the puzzle pieces that show us how the wild communities around us function and abound at this special time of year. Emphasis will be placed on respect, connection, interpretation of track and sign, and productive times, places, and methods by which to see and experience more of what is happening around us. This class will take place in the diverse landscapes of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. Please be prepared for a full day off and away!

Come join in an old fashioned barn dance with the Driftless Folk School. We will begin with a potluck at 5:00 and begin dancing at 6:30, wrapping up around 9:00. Acclaimed and notable local caller Sue Hulsether will call the dance and the infamous Farm Market Buskers will be playing. Bring a dish and your dancing shoes and join in the fun in celebration of Earth Day and the Returning of Spring!

This course is certified through the Safety and Woods Working (SAWW) training program and is part of a four-level series designed to increase safety and efficiency of chainsaw use.

Participants in Level 1 training will spend part of the morning in the classroom, and at least 5 hours outside practicing techniques to operate chainsaws safely, comfortably and productively. Topics covered include personal protective equipment (PPE), body mechanics, chainsaw safety features, the chain and the cutter tooth, reactive forces, planning and executing tree felling, intro to limbing, and bucking. Level I introduces the participant to bore cutting and open face felling, and develops the mechanics to execute these techniques. Hands-on training gives participants the opportunity to fell or limb at least one tree.

This will be a full day of exploring, learning, eating and discussing the abundant edible growth that spring offers. We will explore and sample both plants that grow near to our homes and those of the wilder forests and meadows, and we will make sure our learning is complete with discussions on plant families, concerns and cautions, habitats and proper recognition, and many other aspects of knowledgeable and productive harvesting in spring. Spring is overwhelmingly a time of greens, but some roots are still available after the winter, and buds, stalks, and flowers are also great spring foods. Some early mushrooms may even make an appearance. This is truly a spectacular time in the Driftless, and with some dedication and education, you can make it a delicious one as well!

These majestic and powerful animals are rarely seen in the developed world, but in many places they remain essential sources of power for food production, freight and everyday living. In this class you will learn how oxen are traditionally driven in the western world and have the opportunity to practice driving a trained team…

Whether you grow, forage or purchase mushrooms, it is easy to bring them into your kitchen and medicine chest. Learn how to best prepare mushrooms for optimal benefit and get inspired to incorporate them into your daily life through this informative workshop.

Come learn the magic of fruit tree grafting! With this versatile skill you will be able to make your own apple trees at a fraction of the cost of purchasing them, and have the tools to clone any apple tree you happen to fancy.

Mindfulness In Nature is a “Down to Earth” approach to Mindfulness Meditation. We use nature as part of the mindfulness experiences. One can practice mindfulness with a leaf, a branch, a tree, a stone, a flying bird, a fire, the landscape, clouds and more. Gently, we increase our connection to self and nature.

Join long-time orchardist Rikardo Jahnke to learn how to start your own orchard, along with a tour of Rikardo’s own beautiful ridgetop orchard near Gays Mills, the apple capital of western Wisconsin. Topics covered in the class will include:

-Getting ready and planning

-Siting and layout considerations

-Buying trees vs. grafting your own

-Apple varietal selection

-Pears, plums

-Small fruits (raspberries, grapes, currants, blueberries, etc.)

-First, second, and third years in the orchard

-Equipment and tools

-Deer, insect, and disease control

-Harvest, Putting By, and Marketing

Learn how to work with copper to make one-of-a-kind jewelry. In this class, make a hammered copper ring, a shaped pendant, and a pair of hammered copper earrings with simple tools. Cut, hammer, drill, and polish the pieces.

This full-day mushroom foraging class will begin indoors with a Mycology 101 crash course. We'll cover fungal biology basics, the variety of shapes and structures found among mushrooms, key identifying characteristics, and foraging tips and tricks. After breaking for lunch, we'll spend the afternoon exploring the woods together, applying our new knowledge to understanding the fungi we observe. We'll look for fall edibles in our area, including maitake/hen of the woods, chicken of the woods, oyster mushrooms, chanterelles, giant puffballs, lobster mushrooms, hedgehog mushrooms, and more.

Using the warm, red metal my Bodewadmi (Potawatomi) relatives call “miskwabik” (copper) and basalt hammer stones from the shores of G’chi gamii (Lake Superior), we will hand-forge bowls on wooden stumps. In a process called “sinking”, or hammering on the inside, we will anneal the metal in a wood fire and form our richly colored, beautiful vessels using the power of our own muscles. Come join us in this elemental journey of copper, fire, water, and stone.

Immerse yourself in a full day of woolly goodness and the wonderful world of fiber arts! Learn how to spin your own handmade yarn, the process of taking sheep wool from farm to fiber, and how to hand dye beautiful fibers for spinning or felting.

Calling ALL voices! You are invited to come and sing with us! Community Singing is accessible to anyone and everyone. All songs are taught call and response (no need to read music or have previous singing experience). They are simple, yet beautiful when sung together. Some songs are rounds, some have multiple simple parts, and some have simple harmonies. This kind of singing is for the sheer joy of being together in community, and there is no performance. Come experience the pleasure of simple connection with others through music.

Calling ALL voices! You are invited to come and sing with us! Community Singing is accessible to anyone and everyone. All songs are taught call and response (no need to read music or have previous singing experience). They are simple, yet beautiful when sung together. Some songs are rounds, some have multiple simple parts, and some have simple harmonies. This kind of singing is for the sheer joy of being together in community, and there is no performance. Come experience the pleasure of simple connection with others through music.

In this class we will discuss types of batteries and how to connect and maintain them. We'll also introduce other elements necessary for setting up off-grid solar, including rack types, roof mounts, solar panels, charge controllers, off-grid inverters, and wiring.

Beekeeping for beginners will cover the basics needed to start your first hives.

Make a tall or wide version of a Shaker Cheese Basket in a hex or triaxial weave pattern. This intermediate level basket project uses reed to create a hexagonal pattern over the whole basket. We will begin learning to lock together a triangle, the fundamental shape in this weave, by weaving a star-shaped ornaments. When we all understand that concept, we will move on to making a hex weave basket in one of two shapes: tall and vessel-like or short and tray-like.

Fermented dairy is a wonderful way to incorporate probiotics into the diet, use extra milk, and can make dairy more digestible for some. In this class, participants will learn how to make easy dairy ferments, including yogurt, kefir, fresh cheese and cultured butter. We will discuss the health benefits of these foods, ways to use different animal milks in the recipes and fermentation troubleshooting.

This course is certified through the Safety and Woods Working (SAWW) training program and is part of a four-level series designed to increase safety and efficiency of chainsaw use.

Prerequisite: Completion of Level 1 training…

The scythe is a wonderfully efficient tool for the farmer, homesteader, and homeowner alike. It can be used for mowing hay, harvesting grains, maintaining hard to cut areas around trees and fences, or even mowing the lawn. Come learn about getting the right scythe blade for your situation, proper snath (handle) fit, sharpening, and mowing technique. Bring your scythe if you have one. There will be some loaners available for the class. Note: this class will not cover "American-style" scythes.

This traditional Japanese technique of fabric folding and binding makes gorgeous repetitive patterns on fabric and is dyed with Indigo. We will learn a bit about the history and tradition of Shibori and about Indigo dyeing around the world. We will then try some ourselves using clips, tubes, bands and other items to make resists on our fabric for dyeing. Ignite your innovation and creativity! This fun and kind of addictive activity gives instant results and makes you want to try many more. It is magical to observe the oxygen react with the Indigo, creating all shades of ‘blue jeans’ blue.

Known as "the foster mother of the human race," cows can serve both as beloved pets and a source of rich abundance for their owners. For this reason and more, family cows are gaining popularity in the Driftless Region, but they can represent a challenging learning curve for those without livestock experience.

This class will provide you with a first-hand introduction to cows and the world they live in. You will get to try your hand at halter training a calf; learn how to interact with a cow and read its body language; consider fencing, feeding and sheltering your cow; look at milking and milk-handling equipment (including how to cool milk quickly to preserve quality); and last but not least, we will milk a cow by hand and (if you like) taste the fresh, still-warm milk. This class is designed to equip prospective family cow owners with real-world skills and knowledge, but will also be an enjoyable experience for the strictly curious.

Beekeeping for beginners will cover the basics needed to start your first hives.

You're the only one with your voice and it is accessible to you anywhere, everywhere and anytime! The ability to sing can feel mysterious and magical, yet it is our right as humans to use our voices with confidence and clarity. In this workshop, you can expect to learn voice science strategies to shift how you use your voice on a daily basis. Once empowered with this knowledge, you will involve the body through intentional yoga asana that supports the voice while quieting the mind and allowing you to move your singing from analysis to authentic artistry. Finally, you will learn and sing traditional yoga mantra in community and voluntarily as soloists to culminate your workshop learning. Knowing how to sing and use your voice can be one of the most rewarding skills to learn that will support you not only in music spaces, but also your communities and companies!

Join the Driftless Folk School + Thoreau College for our 2nd Annual Community Celebration on July 6th, 2024 from 1:00 - 5:30 PM! 

There will be a variety of our Folk School Instructors leading demonstrations of their classes, a Silent Auction with instructors’ handmade goods and other fun prizes, traditional games and activities for the whole family, a few farm animals to meet (lamb, oxen, etc.), live music from multiple local bands (+ an optional community song circle), along with some refreshing beverages, snacks, seasonal fresh fruit, and an ice cream truck!

Intarsia knitting creates blocks of colors by switching different balls of yarn throughout your flat knitted piece. Over the course of a day-long class, you will learn how to intarsia knit geometric shapes, letters, and representative objects onto panels. The end result of these panels will be a scarf that will serve a utilitarian and stylistic purpose. In class you will start your project, with something to continue in your own time outside of class. It's a deeply rewarding skill that introduces artistic skills akin to drawing into the act of knitting.

Meet our new event, Bike The Yards, the little sibling to Bike The Barns! We will meet in Viroqua for a biking tour of urban gardens around town (cars are welcome to follow). We will visit a small handful of yards within easy biking distance being urban-farmed right here in Viroqua. From hoop houses to orchards, we'll hear from the gardeners themselves about how they tend their yard, prune their trees, use rain water, and plan permanent beds. At each garden stop, there will be an opportunity for a few minutes of hands-on gardening, as a way to get our hands in the soil and to lend a helping hand to our volunteer garden hosts. Come be inspired by these beautiful and productive gardens being nurtured in our neighbors' back yards!

In this workshop we will:

• discuss the history and background of flower remedies and a relational, place-based approach

• learn about the process of making a flower essence (both indirect and direct methods)

• identify flowers in the field and have a chance to practice making your own flower essence with a provided kit for you to take home

• practice preserving and bottling essences

• become familiar with gem, animal, and environmental essences

• expand understanding of flower families and their energetic components

• explore how color, scent, and environment can influence the energetics of a flower remedy

• experiment with formulating flower remedies that combine multiple essences to make a particular formula using an expansive flower essence apothecary

This is an introductory shape-note class using Jim's book The Harp of Life. The class assumes students can read music. Students will get an introduction to four-shape notation and basic performance practice. The book includes music in 1, 2, 3, and 4 voice parts. We will start with the simpler tunes, singing through the individual parts and then putting the tunes together. We will also sing some of the rounds. If the class seems able and time allows, we will move on to some of the more challenging music.

If you have been looking for a way to add more probiotic-rich foods and beverages to your diet (without breaking the bank!), then this workshop is for you! Participants will learn how to make their own non-alcoholic fermented drinks, including kombucha, water kefir (aka tibicos), beet kvass, and shrubs. We will be tasting lots of samples, discussing the health benefits of these drinks and talking all about fermentation troubleshooting.

Make a colorful batik image on cotton cloth, to frame or make into a pillow or scarf. Batik is a wax resist technique in which we make a design, draw it on cloth with liquid wax, building a “fence” to contain the fabric dyes we paint on. When it is dry and washed the result is a gorgeous batik. Come explore this interesting and beautiful way to decorate cloth! The batik art form is practiced in most corners of the world, but is believed to have reached its highest expression on the island of Java, Indonesia. Most people have seen gorgeous batiked scarves and sarongs from that part of the world. Come with a sketch of your batik ideas for a piece about 18” square.

Beginner and intermediate butchers alike will benefit from this class. The boneless chuck roll subprimal comes from the beef shoulder. Students will create chuck eye steaks, Denver steaks, a sierra steak, and a chuck roast, wrapped and ready to fill their home freezers. Foundational concepts such as food safety, knife safety, knife sharpening, quadruped anatomy, and beef muscle cookery will be covered as well. The meat knowledge and knife skills practiced during subprimal butchery will dovetail into all your future butchery and cookery pursuits…

Mindfulness In Nature is a “Down to Earth” approach to Mindfulness Meditation. We use nature as part of the mindfulness experiences. One can practice mindfulness with a leaf, a branch, a tree, a stone, a flying bird, a fire, the landscape, clouds and more. Gently, we increase our connection to self and nature.

Using the warm, red metal my Bodewadmi (Potawatomi) relatives call “miskwabik” (copper) and basalt hammer stones from the shores of G’chi gamii (Lake Superior), we will hand-forge bowls on wooden stumps. In a process called “sinking”, or hammering on the inside, we will anneal the metal in a wood fire and form our richly colored, beautiful vessels using the power of our own muscles. Come join us in this elemental journey of copper, fire, water, and stone.

Fermented vegetables are a wonderful way to incorporate probiotics into the diet, put up the garden harvest, and make vegetables even more nutritious and digestible. In this class, participants will learn how to make sauerkraut, kim chi, lacto-fermented pickled vegetables and condiments. We will discuss the health benefits of these foods, ways to add them to meals, and fermentation troubleshooting.

Plaited baskets are simple but beautiful and still strong holders for many precious and humble items.

Raising a few chickens can be the easiest way to grow your own meat. Chickens are easy to start and relatively cheap to raise. They have a short lifecycle and can be kept on a small plot of land. To bring this process to a happy conclusion, however, the would-be poultry grower must be ready to butcher as well.

This half-day class will teach the basics of chicken anatomy and meat sanitation and provide hands-on experience with killing, scalding, plucking, and gutting. Plus, you’ll go home with your own freshly butchered chicken, ready for the oven!

This course is certified through the Safety and Woods Working (SAWW) training program and is part of a four-level series designed to increase safety and efficiency of chainsaw use.

Participants in Level 1 training will spend part of the morning in the classroom, and at least 5 hours outside practicing techniques to operate chainsaws safely, comfortably and productively. Topics covered include personal protective equipment (PPE), body mechanics, chainsaw safety features, the chain and the cutter tooth, reactive forces, planning and executing tree felling, intro to limbing, and bucking. Level I introduces the participant to bore cutting and open face felling, and develops the mechanics to execute these techniques. Hands-on training gives participants the opportunity to fell or limb at least one tree.

This class will help the aspiring banjo player learn the basics of playing their instrument in an old style! Clawhammer banjo is a method of playing that's usually associated with traditional American music, although the style can be well applied to contemporary genres, too. Topic to be discussed in class include the history of banjos, fundamentals of strumming, frailing, and drop-thumbing, music theory for the banjo, alternative tunings, and a few reels, waltzes, and more…

In this hands-on, exploratory workshop we will build our own silk-screens from three common items you may already have at home, learn how to use four different resist methods to create a stencil and add your own prints to a range of textiles. First, you’ll learn about traditional screen-printing techniques and then we will get rolling with simple, DIY methods so you can jump right in and begin printing. By the end of class, you’ll create four silk-screens and multiple custom printed textiles to take home. This is a fun and funky beginner class for you to dip your toes into the fantastic world of screen-printing!

Kolrosing is an ancient form of wood surface decoration. Thin lines are incised into wood and a powderized substance, such as ashes, coffee grounds or cinnamon, is rubbed into the lines. Oil is applied to the wood, suspending and sealing the substance, creating colored patterns on the surface that are smooth to the touch.

Unlike woodcarving or woodburning, Kolrosing is not removing wood, but spreading the wood and filling the grooves. The technique is easy to learn and is commonly used to decorate wooden spoons and other utilitarian objects.

This course is certified through the Safety and Woods Working (SAWW) training program and is part of a four-level series designed to increase safety and efficiency of chainsaw use.

Participants in Level 1 training will spend part of the morning in the classroom, and at least 5 hours outside practicing techniques to operate chainsaws safely, comfortably and productively. Topics covered include personal protective equipment (PPE), body mechanics, chainsaw safety features, the chain and the cutter tooth, reactive forces, planning and executing tree felling, intro to limbing, and bucking. Level I introduces the participant to bore cutting and open face felling, and develops the mechanics to execute these techniques. Hands-on training gives participants the opportunity to fell or limb at least one tree.

This class introduces you to herbs that can promote winter health as well as address common ailments. Everyone will make their own simple elderberry oxymel syrup, elderberry tincture and herbal lozenges to take home. During class, we will also taste a variety of herbal tea and infusions that can be easily made at home.

A full day of making soap. We will cover the myriad ways to add herbs for your soap, as well as how to make a creamy, moisturizing farm-fresh bar of goat milk soap. This class will cover the qualities of the herbs we can add, for their healing and moisturizing qualities and 3 approaches to soap making: hot process, cold process, and hand milling. In addition to making soap, we will learn to felt soap as well as add loofah sponges for exfoliation as well as additional nourishing skin qualities. This is a comprehensive soap-making class, that will offer a foundation for making soap with the best ingredients from the field, forest, and farm. Participants will leave with many bars of soap to cure at home, a recipe guide and skills for a lifetime.

This course is certified through the Safety and Woods Working (SAWW) training program and is part of a four-level series designed to increase safety and efficiency of chainsaw use.

Prerequisite: Completion of Level 1 training…

Explore the creative possibilities of this traditional skill as you design and complete a coiled basket using pine needles and sweetgrass. Herbalist Linda Conroy will guide and instruct you on how to coil and stitch a simple basket as well as integrate other materials into your basket, such as black walnut hull, pine cone, beads, and more.

Learn to make delicious cheeses! This workshop is suitable for the home cheese maker, small farmstead chef, and cheese lovers as well.

If you're looking for ways to keep up with the spirit of giving without giving in to the pressure to spend lots of money on trendy but less-than-ecological gifts, look no further!

Join Linda Conroy of Moonwise Herbs for this magical make-and-take workshop - perfect for the budding herbalist or the experienced medicine maker looking for some inspiration.