Driftless Folk School
Courses, Spring-Summer 2008
Home Cooking and Food Preservation
Spring Wild Foods: Dandelion Intensive
How many ways are there to eat a dandelion? You’d be surprised! Join Rose Barlow for an adventure in harvesting, cooking and exploring the culinary virtues of dandelion, from roasted dandelion root coffee to dandelion blossom cake and lots more in between. We will harvest and cook with every part of the dandelion: roots, leaves, buds and blossoms, culminating in a delicious gourmet lunch. Class will include hand-outs, recipes and lots of hands-on activity.
Date: May 3 (Half Day)
Course Fee: $40
Enrollment: 2-12 students
Pruning Apple Trees
Students will learn the basic concepts and “rules” for restoring apple trees which have not recently been pruned and how to maintain apple trees through regular pruning. Specific skills will include:
Participants will have a chance to practice what they have learned under close personal supervision and instruction. Class participants should be reasonably fit.
Date: April 5 (Full Day)
Course Fee: $60
Supply Fee: $35 for pruning saw (recommended)
Enrollment: Ages 16 and older
Draft Horse Basics
Those interested in horsepower for agriculture, logging, or transport are given a chance to gain greater confidence through hands-on experience in this class. Animal care, harnessing, ground driving, and hitching to implements will be explained, demonstrated, and practiced. The exposure to horse drawn equipment, their mechanisms, and appropriate uses will be an important part of this class.
Date: August 9 (Full Day)
Course Fee: $60
An Introduction to Beekeeping
The class will introduce students to the basics of small beekeeping in a classroom setting. See what makes up a colony of bees and the home they share and mutually care for. Get a glimpse of the tools a beekeeper uses to care for her colonies. Learn the stages of a worker bee’s life, what makes a queen, and ways that a drone is different from all of the other bees. Come and get excited about bees—you will never regret it!
Date: April 26 (Afternoon Session)
Course Fee: $40
Enrollment: Ages 10 and up
Composting with Biodynamic Preps
Manfred Klett will lead a hands-on workshop in which we’ll develop an understanding of the biodynamic compost preparations. Manfred will introduce imaginative pictures of each of the six compost preparations, talk about the natural scientific properties at work in the compost pile, and learn about the role and application of each preparation. It is recommended that you also attend Manfred’s lecture on “Earth and Cosmos” on the evening of April 5. This workshop is offered in collaboration with the Viroqua Biodynamic Group. Dr. Klett is a visiting instructor from Europe, where he was formerly the director of the Department of Agriculture at the Goetheanum, in Dornach, Switzerland.
Date: April 6 (Morning Session, Sunday)
Course Fee: $60— Covers workshop and lecture
Introduction to Biodynamic Agriculture
In this seminar, we’ll learn about the comprehensive ecological, spiritual-scientific methods of Biodynamic agriculture introduced by Rudolf Steiner. Compare organic and Biodynamic practices, learn to prepare a Biodynamic preparation, and apply to fields and gardens on a practicing Biodynamic Farm. Dress up for a hands-on farming experience.
Date: April 26 (Morning Session)
Course Fee: $40
Basic Scythe Workshop
With the greater ecological awareness of recent years, the scythe has been undergoing a Renaissance. Not the heavy American-style scythe, but the lightweight, ergonomic, and razor-sharp “Austrian” scythe. Organic gardeners and homesteaders are discovering that they can easily mow their tall grasses, cover-crops, and weeds with the Austrian scythe. They can even make their own hay! Come to this workshop and discover how easy and effective it is to mow with an Austrian scythe. You will learn the difference between the American-style scythe and the Austrian one. You will learn the correct mowing technique for the Austrian scythe. You will also learn how to hone the scythe blade in the field with a whetstone, and how to maintain the blade’s basic sharpness with a peening jig. Scythes will be provided for use during the workshop for a material fee. Complete scythe outfits will also be available for purchase.
Date: June 7 (Half Day)
Course Fee: $40
Supply Fee: $10
Advanced Scythe Workshop: “Making Hay with an Austrian Scythe”
Get up at dawn, come to this workshop, and experience the timeless art of making hay with a scythe. Listen to the morning birds and the rhythmic “swish” of your scythe. Smell the aroma of a dew-covered meadow and the fresh cut grass and clovers. Enjoy conversations with your friends. All while mowing the grass! No motor noise, no gasoline, and no exhaust fumes!In this workshop, you will improve your mowing and whetting skills, learn how to mow in teams, and learn the art and process of drying hay. As the day progresses you will learn how to spread the hay to dry, ted the hay, rake it into windrows, and finally form it into haycocks for the night, or place it on hay drying racks. If there is enough pre-dried hay on hand we may also make a haystack for long term outdoor storage. Scythes and wooden hayrakes will be provided for use during the workshop. They will also be available for purchase. Pre-requisite: Basic Scythe Workshop
Date: June 8 (Full Day, Sunday)
Course Fee: $60
Supply Fee: $15
Introduction to Permaculture
Permaculture (permanent agriculture/ permanent culture) is a design methodology that strives to create ecologically sound, energy efficient, economically profitable, self-reliant and beautiful living environments. Class participants will learn the basics of Permaculture, including Permaculture ethics, stacking, succession, integrated design, polycultures, guilds, earthworks, waterworks, renewable energy and animals. The class will consist of two parts. The morning will be spent in a classroom setting introducing the topic using images from actual Permaculture sites. The afternoon will be spent “in the field” performing a Permaculture site analysis and creating the beginnings of a Permaculture site design for the host landowners.
Date: April 19 (Full Day)
Course Fee: $60
Enrollment: 13 and older
The Art of French Potager Gardening
The potager gardening style is over 1000 years old and is characterized by a particular set of criteria, including raised beds bordered by herbs. The garden area needs to be confined by a fence or hedge. Once it is set up, it is easy to maintain, so much fun to work/play in, and highly productive. The potager style is perfect for a limited space, such as a city lot or a narrow valley in the Driftless Region. Come and spend a fun day in Georgia’s Yuba, WI garden, learn how it is done, and then go home and design your own personal gardening space.
Date: July 12 (Full Day)
Course Fee: $60
Enrollment: 16 and older, 5-12 students
Herbal Medicine Making: A Day of Plant Alchemy
Crafting herbal medicine from your own backyard is fun and empowering. Join herbalist and wild crafter Linda Conroy for this inspiring day of plant alchemy. This day will be spent identifying and harvesting healing plants that are all around us. Participants will have the opportunity to harvest as well as learn methods for preparing herbs for medicine. We will learn to make infused oils, salves, herbal tinctures, infusions and much more! A whole and wild food lunch, some of which we harvest together will be included.
Date: July 20 (Full Day, Sunday)
Course Fee: $60
Enrollment: 2-12 students
Making Herbal Salves and Lotions
Learn the magic and science of making the freshest, highest quality skin care for yourself using herbal oils and infusions. Homemade salves and lotions are inexpensive, fun to make and tremendously helpful for healing burns, wounds, bites, and making your skin happy. We will go from the growing plants to finished products, and learn about the healing qualities of “weeds” that are most likely already in your own backyard. Natural preservatives, beneficial acid constituents and properties of various oils will be explained, which will guide you in formulating the best combinations for your needs. You will go home with samples of our creations, handout sheets with recipes, information from the class and a list of recommended books.
Date: September 13 (Half Day)
Course Fee: $40
Supply Fee: $8
Our Green Allies: Herbs, Part 1
An introduction to natural healing using herbs that are readily found around us and how to use them in the home. You will be introduced to pulse testing, which aids in the selection of herbs. Learn to make infusions, decoctions, and tinctures. Handouts will be provided, as well as a list of resources. Bring paper and pen for taking notes. A selection of Marcee’s tinctures and flower essences will also be available for purchase.
Date: June 7 (Full Day)
Course Fee: $60
Supply Fee: $10
Our Green Allies: Herbs, Part 2
In this class we will continue with studying herbs, and will explore some of the more traditional “garden” herbs. Students will create a few more tinctures, and teas, continue working with pulse testing, and will also dig up some plant starts to put in their own gardens.
Date: June 14 (Full Day)
Course Fee: $60
Supply Fee: $10
Our Green Allies: Flower Essences
Flower essences provide a beautiful, subtle form of vibrational healing, gently altering a persons’ core issues. Originated by Dr. Bach, there are many essences beyond the original 38 waiting for your discovery! This class will teach techniques for making essences for yourself from flowers near your home, how to determine the use of different essences, and how to select essences using various methods such as repetorizing, dowsing, kinesiology, and pulse testing. Handouts and a list of resources will be provided, and you will leave with one or two essences that you have made. Bring paper and pen for taking notes. A selection of Marcee’s tinctures and flower essences will also be available for purchase.
Date: June 21 (Full Day)
Course Fee: $60
Supply Fee: $10
Biodiesel Workshop
Course participants will learn the principles and practices of making biodiesel. The morning session will focus on the basic chemistry involved in performing the biodiesel reaction and on safety considerations. Emphasis will be on learning the practical techniques used to characterize the waste vegetable oil used as a feedstock and for mixing the methanol and catalyst used in the reaction. The afternoon session will feature preparation of a 4 gallon batch of biodiesel using readily available tools. A method for final purification using ion exchange resin and silica gel beads will also be included.
Dates: June 7 (Full Day)
Course Fee: $60
Ages: 12 student maximum; Ages 18 and older (Under 18 with parents
Life Off the Grid
What is it like to live off the grid? Is it really possible to generate all of your electricity from renewable sources? Come hear the story of how three families built an off grid rural neighborhood in northeast Iowa and have happily generated most of their power from the sun and wind for nearly 10 years. Find out what has worked, what hasn’t, and what it took to get here. I will have a solar panel, a variety of meters and a small inverter to display, plus a very interesting worksheets to hand out. There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion during this half-day class.
Dates: August 2 (Half Day)
Course Fee: $40
Blacksmithing: Ornamental Ironwork— “Forging Scrolls”
Scrollwork in blacksmithing is a common approach to adding ornamentation to ironwork. In this challenging class, observe and practive several techniques to achieve a variety of scrolled ends—tapered, tear-drop, ribbon, and branching scrolls will be covered. This class offers a good opportunity to experience the movement of hot iron, and its ability to be “worked.” Class will be held at Metamorphosis Forge, near Hillsboro, WI.
Dates: March 29 (Full day)
Course Fee: $60
Supply Fee: $15
Enrollment: Ages 12 and older
Blacksmithing: Joinery and Brazing of Metals
Most projects, large or small, require the assembly of individual pieces to complete the finished work. The focus of this class will be to learn the traditional forging techniques of riveting, mortise and tenon, collaring, forge welding, along with tapping and threading, and brazing of metals- all of which can be done without electricity. Students will realize the options available for designing more advanced projects in metalwork.
Dates: August 23 (Full day)
Course Fee: $60
Supply Fee: $15
Enrollment: 4-8 students, Ages 12 and up
Fire, Forging, Fun!— Blacksmithing for kids
This class is an opportunity for youth to experience working with an open fire, and to create with their hands, and hammers. Students will be introduced to the forge, anvil, hammers and tongs, vises, and other hand tools used in the blacksmithing trade. Along with the physical lessons of forging, patience, awareness, concentration, and safety will all be an important focus of the class. Class will be held at Metamorphosis Forge, near Hillsboro, WI.
Dates: August 16 (Full day)
Course Fee: $60
Supply Fee: $10
Enrollment: 4-8 students, Ages 8-18
Pine Needle Basketry
Participants will be offered the opportunity to learn basic coiling techniques and stitching techniques to make a Pine Needle Basket. Participants will have the opportunity to choose the center of their basket: a walnut hull, a polished rock, a pine needle knot, etc. They will also choose other materials for accent: ie sweetgrass, broom corn, beads and more!! Each participant will be guided in this art and will leave with a unique basket all their own. Bring a small pair of scissors, reading glasses (if needed) and a thimble.
Dates: April 5 (Full day)
Course Fee: $60
Enrollment: 2-12 students
Broom Making
Discover the art of making handmade brooms! Little John will guide you through this beautiful and functional creation with students learning to make one round or one flat hearth broom (your choice) and a flat wisk. Also we may make a pot scrubber at the end of class if time permits. Handles of various woods have been gathered and cured for you to use, and all materials are provided. Discussion about decorative options will be included. Broomcorn will be for sale for your future brooming needs!
Dates: April 12 (Full day)
Course Fee: $60
Enrollment: 2-12 students
Introduction to Home Cheese Making
Join cheese maker and whole food cook Linda Conroy and find out how simple it is to make cheese in your own kitchen. This introduction will offer an opportunity to explore this lost art. We will create and sample several simple cheeses that can be cultivated at home. We will make cultured butter, feta cheese, mozzarella and several varieties of soft cheese. After learning to make kefir, we will transform this fermented milk beverage into soft spreadable cheese and a soft condiment that can be used in place of sour cream. You’ll also learn some cooking ideas for whey, a byproduct of cheese making. Students can build on this introduction to create many varieties of cheese at home. Includes: samples, cheese to take home, recipes and a cheese culture to get you started.
Dates: April 12 & July 19 (Full Day)
Course Fee: $60
Supply Fee: $15
Homemade Jams
Discover the homemade goodness of jams made with fresh fruit in this half-day class focusing on jam making. The balance of consistency, flavor, and color can be tricky to achieve, but this class will walk you through the process from beginning to end. We will pick the fruit right here on the farm, talk about the properties of different types of fruit, and go through the step-by-step process of jam preparation. And of course everyone gets to go home with a few jars of delicious and fragrant strawberry, raspberry, and cherry jam.
Dates: June 28 (Half Day)
Course Fee: $40
Supply Fee: $15
Cooking for Celiacs and More!
Would you like to have more energy and enjoy tasty food, while making better choices for yourself and/or family and friends living with celiac? Cooking for celiacs can be fun, easy, and satisfying and a wide variety of choices is available to meet individual needs. Georgia says, “celiac has been a great gift in my life. I’m eating organic foods and fixing healthy meals that everyone is enjoying without feeling deprived and my entire family is benefiting.” Join her in a journey of healing and light-hearted cooking as she shares her menus and cooking tips.
Dates: May 16 (Afternoon, Sunday)
Course Fee: $40
Enrollment: 4-8 students
Pickling Homegrown Produce
Learn how to pickle and enjoy homegrown produce from the garden to the dinner table. Participants in this day-long course will begin by harvesting fresh pickling cucumbers, peppers, green beans, and herbs from the garden. You will have a chance to see how these crops are grown and learn when to pick vegetables at the peak of freshness. With good ingredients in hand, you will then learn how to create crisp, flavorful, and safe pickles for you and your family to enjoy through the dark months of winter. Each course participant will receive written instructions and two jars of their own pickled cucumbers, peppers, or beans to savor at home.
Dates: August 16 (Full Day)
Course Fee: $60
Supply Fee: $10
Chicken Butchering Basics
Raising a few meat 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. Fun for the whole family!
*Dates:*September 6 (Half Day)
Course Fee: $40
Supply Fee: $15
Baking Pita Breads
In this half-day class we will learn how to bake traditional flat bread from the Caucasus and Middle East in a modern kitchen, using both sourdough starter and dry yeast. From Armenian lavash for wrapping your fajitas to traditional pita with that classic pocket for stuffing, you will examine several kinds of flatbread and practice making them. You will learn how to knead the dough, roll it out, and bake it in a regular home oven or on a griddle.
Dates: September 20 (Full Day)
Course Fee: $60
Supply Fee: $15
Straw/Clay Infill for Walls
Clay/straw infill has been used in many variations for millennium. This all-natural infill technique is typically used with timber framing or modified conventionally framed buildings. It is insulative while still maintaining a degree of mass. Class will begin with a discussion of straw/clay infill strengths and weaknesses, where it can best be used, sources of materials, forming and variations of technique. Protecting the straw/clay wall with natural plasters and stucco will also be discussed. We will then proceed to the construction site. Forms will be built and applied in situations typical of any project. We will then mix the straw/clay and fill a section of wall. Mixing by hand and machine mixing will be used. Class will end with a visit to a completed home with straw/clay infill. You will get dirty. Dress appropriately.
Dates: May 17 (Full Day)
Course Fee: $60
Enrollment: 2-12 students
Willow Wattle Fencing
Learn how to work with willow in both a large and small format. Wattle fencing has long been familiar to gardeners throughout England. Learn how to make a wattle fence panel and help to build an installation of a larger piece. These charming structures create more organization in the yard. This hands-on workshop will cover material selection, harvesting, preparation and construction of both a simple wattle fence panel and the larger installation piece. We will discuss other willow crafts as well. Take away a section of wattle fence and the know-how for building larger structures.
Dates: July 5 (Full Day)
Course Fee: $60
Enrollment: Ages 10 and older
Woodturning
Visit a working Amish woodshop and learn to create functional and ornamental crafts using a woodturner’s lathe. Students will try their hands at turning, learn to determine grain structure and appropriate wood species, gluing of multiple woods, and how to sharpen and maintain a chisel edge. Options of wood finishes will be discussed.
Dates: August 9 (Half Day)
Course Fee: $40
Enrollment: 8 students maximum, Ages 13 and up.
Natural Plastering: The 3 Coat Method
Robert Schulz and Summer Deal-Schulz
Observe and practice this beautiful, historic and rediscovered approach of protecting the exterior and interior of a shelter. The mixture of clay and lime-based plasters can be applied to a variety of wall structures, and this class will focus on strawbale and straw/clay walls. Building design and air quality issues will be discussed including foundations, overhangs, mold concerns, ventalation, and permeability. We will take you through the step-by-step process of locating source of materials, prepping walls, and mixing and applying plasters. Note: we suggest you bring a change of clothes.
Dates: June 21 (Full Day)
Course Fee: $60
Supply Fee: Please bring a trowel or two
Enrollment: 4-12 students.
Hand Woodworking Series 1: The Miracle of Wood
From root to leaf man has found a multitude ways to use trees. This class is designed to give students an appreciation of the miracle we call wood. Class will include a hike through the woods, a tactile exploration of many native woods, introduction to the basic tools used in hand woodworking. How to choose the appropriate wood for a given project will be covered. Students will go home with samples of native woods, a bibliography of woodworking information and a “reverence for wood”* *taken from the title of Eric Sloane’s incredible book.
Dates: May 24 (Half Day)
Course Fee: $40
Supply Fee: $5
Take all four classes in the hand woodworking series for a total fee of $200, including both course fees and supply fees, or sign up for any one of the classes in the series separately.
Hand Woodworking Series 2: Building a Shaving Horse
This vise like holding apparatus is basic to any hand woodworking shop. Shaving horses have many variations of design and style but all function to hold the wood securely so it can be worked on. Students will construct a shaving horse of their own. As time allows, students can learn and practice various techniques of using their shaving horse. Keep in mind that a shaving horse is fairly large to transport. Those taking the woodworking series can leave theirs at the shop until the end of the series.
Dates: June 7 (Full Day)
Course Fee: $60
Supply Fee: $20
Take all four classes in the hand woodworking series for a total fee of $200, including both course fees and supply fees, or sign up for any one of the classes in the series separately.
Hand Woodworking Series 3: Basics of Green Woodworking
Green wood is that which is not fully seasoned. Most furniture or construction projects require wood that is properly dried (seasoned). In this class we learn take advantage of the properties of unseasoned wood. A rake is the chosen project because it exemplifies many of the skills required to build with green wood. The rake can easily be customized for any person or purpose. From the large hay rake to the little garden rake, they are useful and demonstrate green wood working principles. Each student will construct the size and style rake they wish to go home with.
Dates: June 14 (Full Day)
Course Fee: $60
Supply Fee: $10
Take all four classes in the hand woodworking series for a total fee of $200, including both course fees and supply fees, or sign up for any one of the classes in the series separately.
Hand Woodworking Series 4: Making a Wooden Hand Plane
The hand plane is one of the most used tools in woodworking. Class will start with a discussion of the wide variety of styles, sizes and purposes of hand planes. Students will construct a hand plane custom fitted to their use and grip. A high quality blade is included in the materials fee. Sharpening, adjustment and use of your plane is part of this class.
Dates: June 21 (Full Day)
Course Fee: $60
Supply Fee: $15
Take all four classes in the hand woodworking series for a total fee of $200, including both course fees and supply fees, or sign up for any one of the classes in the series separately.
Driftless Archeology
Come and take part in an interactive presentation and discussion of 10,000 years of human activity around the North Fork of the Bad Axe River. There will be an artifact display and, if you have artifacts, please bring them. Weather permitting, we will also have a field trip, so dress appropriately. Loren Cade is a lifelong resident of the upper Newton Valley area of Vernon County. His interest in archaeology began at an early age, when he discovered his first artifact in a tobacco field on his father’s farm. Loren discovered several prehistoric Native American campsites and later became active as a volunteer with the Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center (MVAC).
Dates: May 17 (Half Day)
Course Fee: $40
Supply Fee: $20
A History of Western Art
Art history is history at its most accessible and most compelling. Tracing a storyline through Western history using masterworks of sculpture, architecture, and painting allows us to actively involve ourselves in comparing and contrasting the determining values, physiological underpinnings, and changing worldviews of historical societies. The face and feeling of the human drama that underlies historical “events” is stored in these art works, providing valuable perspectives available to the keen and open eye. This course, modeled on the Art History block taught at the Youth Initiative High School, will explore the thrilling story of art from ancient Egypt and Greece to the 20th Century. Projected digital slides of great works of art will form the focus of discussion and analysis in each session. By the end of the course, participants will have developed a sense for the broad outlines of art history, as well as a vocabulary for discussion and appreciation of art. Scheduding based on interest. Please contact Registrar to schedule course.
Dates: Four 3-hour sessions. Please contact registrar to schedule.
Course Fee: $40
Enrollment: 4-15 students
Appalachian Clogging and Rhythms
Upgrade your toe-tapping habit: Appalachian clogging is one of the best forms of noise making around. With our very own feet as the rhythm-band, we will learn the basics of Appalachian flatfoot clogging and a few fancy steps, too. When our legs and hearts need a bit of a rest, we will learn a bit of hambone (body percussion) and master the art of the musical spoons. Smooth soled shoes are recommended- no taps, please. Live music at all sessions.
Dates: Tuesdays in June, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Course Fee: $65 for 4 sessions
Enrollment: 4-20 students, Ages 10 and up
Evening Owling
Participants in this class will receive an overview of the owl species of Wisconsin, as well as of the role owls play in the environment and basic owl biology. Then, the class will head outside to listen for owls. Chuck has some CD media with calls to use to familiarize everyone with the different calls that are made by resident owls. Sometimes you can actually get owls to respond to recorded calls.
Dates: March 15 (9 pm-late!)
Course Fee: $15
Stargazing: Perseid Meteor Shower
Rediscover one of the truly great pleasures of country living – exploring the awe-inspiring beauty of the night sky. This class will help participants orient themselves when gazing up at the heavens and familiarize them with some of the major summer constellations. They will then learn how to pick out planets and other celestial features, such as the Andromeda Galaxy, with a simple backyard telescope. The class will begin one hour after sunset and will last for up to two hours. This session is scheduled to coincide with the peak of the Perseid Meteor Showers, the most prolific of the year. This year, the Perseid peak will fall on the night of the new moon, making for a potentially spectacular show. Fees will be refunded in case of poor weather
Dates: August 12 (Wednesday Evening)
Course Fee: $15
