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.

This class is a great opportunity for both beginners and intermediate weavers to learn and expand on their skills.

Every 4th Wednesday of the month from 6-7PM. Join us for a potluck dinner and a chance to build connections, meet other members of the DFS Community, and chat about Folk School topics like land stewardship, natural building woodworking, arts & crafts, organic agriculture, herbalism, wilderness skills, home cooking, and more!

Open to everyone. Feel free to bring an instrument to play or a craft to work on. Come with an open mind, an attitude of curiosity, and a food item to share!

Learn the history and basics of electricity, and electrical theory, including Ohm's Law, amps, volts, and watts, and how they are calculated in simple home wiring jobs.

The class will also learn about wire, wire sizes, and some basic home wiring, including how to properly wire a switch, an outlet, a light, and a circuit breaker. The class will also get to safely explore a circuit breaker box, including the use and wiring of circuit breakers, and proper grounding, including placement of the ground wire and the ground rod.

This is a hands-on on class for all experience levels, for ages 9 and up. Learn to use traditional and modern tools to create beautiful, symbolic Pysanky!

The word Pysanka(-y plural) derives from the Ukrainian verb, pysaty, to write. Writing pysanky is an ancient tradition dating back thousands of years! Special symbols and colors are used as prayers and talismans to ward off evil.

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 the practice of yoga, sung mantra is one of the earliest & central components of the practice. For this workshop, you can expect to learn voice science strategies to support four foundational mantras: So Hum, Om, AUM, & Om shanti, shanti, shanti. Once empowered with this knowledge, the combined voice strategies & mantras will be incorporated into a guided practice including kriyas, pranayama, asana, mudra, & meditation that supports the voice while quieting the mind. Finally, the workshop will close with singing mantra in community and voluntarily as soloists to culminate the workshop learning. Knowing how to sing and use your voice can be one of the most rewarding skills to learn that will support you in your communities, companies, and beyond!

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 is a hands-on on class for all experience levels, for ages 9 and up. Learn to use traditional and modern tools to create beautiful, symbolic Pysanky!

The word Pysanka(-y plural) derives from the Ukrainian verb, pysaty, to write. Writing pysanky is an ancient tradition dating back thousands of years! Special symbols and colors are used as prayers and talismans to ward off evil.

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.

Brooms have been made and used for centuries throughout the world. Make your own hearth broom which is both decorative and utilitarian, using natural broom corn and hand tools. Students will learn to prepare handles and broom corn, assemble and tie brooms securely using a foot spindle, weave handles, attach hangers, and stitch brooms.

This course will take students on a guided hike of the Wintergreen Trail at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, one of the most beautiful places to spot the unique and transient spring ephemerals. We will meet at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve Visitors' Center at 9am and begin our hike shortly after. Please come prepared with rain gear or other clothing that will allow you to sit on the wet ground and draw for a time. As we walk through the fields and forest, we will focus on the unique ecology of these understory plants that bloom and fade before the forest canopy leafs out. We may see skunk cabbage, hepatica, Dutchman's Breeches, and other fantastic species, taking time to draw several and record notes. Please bring the following: a small field notebook, pens, pencils & erasers, water, and a light snack. The language of this class is geared toward high school students and adults, but children are welcome to come along.

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. In the class we will discuss and demonstrate whip-and-tongue and cleft grafting in detail. The basics of bridge grafting, bud grafting, and top working older trees will be covered. The care and protection of young trees, selection of root stocks, and sources of grafting scion wood will also be discussed…

Turkey wing whisk brooms are beautiful and valuable tools in your home, workshop, garage or wherever you frequently tidy up. Make your own turkey wing broom using natural broom corn and hand tools. Students to prepare broom corn, assemble and tie brooms securely using a foot spindle, weave handles, and attach hangers.

Have you ever wanted to make a leather bound journal by hand? Either for yourself or for a loved one? Come spend a half day with a local leathersmith and learn step by step how to make a notebook to your own preferences, and leave with a completed book!

Every 4th Wednesday of the month from 6-7PM. Join us for a potluck dinner and a chance to build connections, meet other members of the DFS Community, and chat about Folk School topics like land stewardship, natural building woodworking, arts & crafts, organic agriculture, herbalism, wilderness skills, home cooking, and more!

Open to everyone. Feel free to bring an instrument to play or a craft to work on. Come with an open mind, an attitude of curiosity, and a food item to share!

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

Participants in Level 2 SAWW training will refine and build upon chainsaw proficiency skills learned in Level 1. Participants in Level 2 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 basic chainsaw maintenance, review of the cutter tooth and hands-on sharpening, introduction to wedges, planning and executing tree felling, planning and executing limbing and bucking. Level 2 participants will sharpen their own saws, may fell trees against lean, and learn advanced bucking techniques. Hands-on training gives participants the opportunity to fell or limb at least one tree….

Are you curious about alternative energy or photovoltaics and want to know more? Would you like to put solar panels on your house or property? Are you curious about conserving energy, and the costs of alternatives?

This course will give you practical, real-world, and background information on solar panels, solar electricity, and various PV systems. Each class participant models their own solar project, and collects all the information they need to finance, construct, or manage their own solar project. The class comes with a take-home DIY manual that can be used with any solar setup, and also includes lists of resources. There will be a tour of existing working systems, installation basics for roofs and racks, and a means for estimating costs of parts and installations on all systems. Class includes a fifty-page DIY PV booklet.

Come join in an old fashioned barn dance with the Driftless Folk School at the La Farge Community Center. We will begin with a potluck at 5:00 and begin dancing at 6:30, wrapping up around 9:00…. Bring a dish and your dancing shoes and join in the fun!

A windmill is both a rural icon and a time-honored method of pumping water - one that is still a viable method today.

This class will introduce you to windmill parts and types, and the basics of constructing a foundation for the tower. The class will have access to Jon's Aeromotor 403 B windmill, which operates as his main water pump.

In this in-depth exploration of wild edibles of the Driftless area we will learn a wide range of plants that offer us food during this season. Many roots and tubers from the previous season are available still, a plethora of greens and blossoms have burst out, and even some early stalk vegetables are showing. We will thoroughly learn the plants that offer these foods with emphasis on safety, respect, and reciprocity. This class will set you up to begin foraging in earnest, or add plants to your list if you know something about foraging but are still rather new to the game. Discussion, sampling, a wild food lunch, and exploring of various Driftless aspects and environments will fill out our day of learning and experiencing this enriching, connecting and grounding activity…

Immerse yourself in a full day of wooly goodness and the wonderful world of farm and fiber! Spend the morning at a local sheep farm meeting new lambs! Then in the afternoon, learn how to spin your own handmade yarn!

These majestic and powerful animals are rarely seen at work 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….

These majestic and powerful animals are rarely seen at work 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….

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.

Want to learn to sharpen your tools? No experience needed. Taught by Jon Anderson of Star Hill Timberworks, this workshop is designed for beginners. In this hands-on workshop, we teach you to sharpen your knives, axes, chisels, and auger bits. The techniques work just as well on mower blades, scissors, shovels, hoes, etc. You will use traditional and modern sharpening methods to hone and polish the edge. All sharpening equipment and materials are provided.

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

Every 4th Wednesday of the month from 6-7PM. Join us for a potluck dinner and a chance to build connections, meet other members of the DFS Community, and chat about Folk School topics like land stewardship, natural building woodworking, arts & crafts, organic agriculture, herbalism, wilderness skills, home cooking, and more!

Open to everyone. Feel free to bring an instrument to play or a craft to work on. Come with an open mind, an attitude of curiosity, and a food item to share!

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. The second part of the day will be spent learning to grow mushrooms and everyone will take home their own inoculated log…

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….

The scythe is a wonderfully efficient tool for the farmer, homesteader, and homeowner alike. In this advanced level class, we will spend the morning focused on sharpening, peening, and tuning up students' scythes; and then the afternoon focused on mowing technique. This class is geared towards students who have used a scythe for at least a season and have their own scythe and sharpening equipment. Note: this class will not cover "American-style" scythes.

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. This half-day class is geared towards beginners and those who wish to try before buying. All tools and equipment will be provided. Note: this class will not cover "American-style" scythes.

Every 4th Wednesday of the month from 6-7PM. Join us for a potluck dinner and a chance to build connections, meet other members of the DFS Community, and chat about Folk School topics like land stewardship, natural building woodworking, arts & crafts, organic agriculture, herbalism, wilderness skills, home cooking, and more!

Open to everyone. Feel free to bring an instrument to play or a craft to work on. Come with an open mind, an attitude of curiosity, and a food item to share!

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.

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.

Save the date! Our 3rd Annual Community Celebration will be held on Saturday, July 5th, 2025… FREE micro classes with folk school instructors, live music, ice cream social, local community connections, and more! We hope you can join us.

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.

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.

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.

Every 4th Wednesday of the month from 6-7PM. Join us for a potluck dinner and a chance to build connections, meet other members of the DFS Community, and chat about Folk School topics like land stewardship, natural building woodworking, arts & crafts, organic agriculture, herbalism, wilderness skills, home cooking, and more!

Open to everyone. Feel free to bring an instrument to play or a craft to work on. Come with an open mind, an attitude of curiosity, and a food item to share!

In this beginner-friendly mushroom foraging class, we'll discuss mushroom identification techniques, and practical foraging tips. We'll explore the woods together in search of edible and medicinal mushrooms like lion's mane, lobster mushrooms, chicken of the woods, chanterelles, hedgehog mushrooms, puffball mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and more! Come prepared for off-trail hiking and uneven terrain. As with any foraging class, the abundance and variety of mushrooms we find in the woods is entirely up to mother nature! Being prepared for uncertainty (and for surprises!) is all part and parcel of wild foraging.

In this beginner-friendly mushroom foraging class, we'll discuss mushroom identification techniques, and practical foraging tips. We'll explore the woods together in search of edible and medicinal mushrooms like lion's mane, lobster mushrooms, chicken of the woods, chanterelles, hedgehog mushrooms, puffball mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and more! Come prepared for off-trail hiking and uneven terrain. As with any foraging class, the abundance and variety of mushrooms we find in the woods is entirely up to mother nature! Being prepared for uncertainty (and for surprises!) is all part and parcel of wild foraging.

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.

Using hand tools and a woodcarving knife (no power tools), we will rough out the shape, carve, and finish a cute and comforting bird you can hold in your hand. The smooth, unpainted surface allows the natural wood grain to shine through, giving each bird a unique, warm character! Like a worry stone, comfort birds are meant to fit in your hand, to rub and look at, or place in a nice place in your home, reminding you of the beauty of nature all around us. We will use techniques similar to greenwood spoon carving techniques, and using "found wood," means that you don't have to spend money at a retailer to make beautiful wooden objects.

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.

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 the practice of yoga, sung mantra is one of the earliest & central components of the practice. For this workshop, you can expect to learn voice science strategies to support four foundational mantras: So Hum, Om, AUM, & Om shanti, shanti, shanti. Once empowered with this knowledge, the combined voice strategies & mantras will be incorporated into a guided practice including kriyas, pranayama, asana, mudra, & meditation that supports the voice while quieting the mind. Finally, the workshop will close with singing mantra in community and voluntarily as soloists to culminate the workshop learning. Knowing how to sing and use your voice can be one of the most rewarding skills to learn that will support you in your communities, companies, and beyond!

Learn the history and basics of electricity, and electrical theory, including Ohm's Law, amps, volts, and watts, and how they are calculated in simple home wiring jobs.

The class will also learn about wire, wire sizes, and some basic home wiring, including how to properly wire a switch, an outlet, a light, and a circuit breaker. The class will also get to safely explore a circuit breaker box, including the use and wiring of circuit breakers, and proper grounding, including placement of the ground wire and the ground rod.

This class is for anyone, including absolute beginners.

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 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

Participants in Level 2 SAWW training will refine and build upon chainsaw proficiency skills learned in Level 1. Participants in Level 2 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 basic chainsaw maintenance, review of the cutter tooth and hands-on sharpening, introduction to wedges, planning and executing tree felling, planning and executing limbing and bucking. Level 2 participants will sharpen their own saws, may fell trees against lean, and learn advanced bucking techniques. Hands-on training gives participants the opportunity to fell or limb at least one tree….