2008 Herbal Hands Workshops

Homestead Herbalism

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Herbal Hands Workshops

*Most workshops will be held on the first Saturday of every month from 10-3pm and cost $40, unless otherwise specified. Wild plant and garden walks will always be incorporated into the workshop when the season permits. Students must bring a bagged lunch. Herbal beverages will be provided. 

To register for any of these events, please go to the Farm Shop.

Saturday, March 1 and JUST ADDED A 2nd DATE: MARCH 8!!: Dreaming the Herbal Garden-Part One
Use the winter months wisely by creating a thorough spring and summer garden plan now! We will discuss: defining your vision, basics of garden design, overview of annual and perennial herbs, resources for research, planning, seeds and herb plants. Part of this class will be structured for sharing and inspiration so please come with your specific questions and ideas, seed catalogs, gardening magazines, sketches & photos, if you have them. You’ll go home with abundant handouts, a checklist for garden planning to work on at home and a small herb garden journal to organize all of your ideas. A follow-up evening class for Dreaming the Herbal Garden -Part Two in April will be discussed and planned with students who wish to: share their finished plans, have more individualized and detailed Q&A, plan an herb shopping field trip in May, and more.

Saturday, April  5th:  Spring House Cleaning- Natural Ways to Clean your Home on Every Level!
By simple blending of inexpensive household ingredients, essential oils and herbs we can easily create a wide variety of non- toxic cleaning products that are healthy for humans, pets and the environment. We will also discuss various ways to cleanse your body and space of psychic ‘dirt’, how to create sacred space, clearing ideas for moving into or out of a home, and ‘clearing the air’ after a disagreement.  Vow to give your home a thorough cleaning this spring! Resource materials, supplies list and recipes will be provided. We will also make a ‘room purifier’ to take home.

Saturday June 7th: The Subtle Power of Rose-Therapeutic Uses of the Mythic Flower of Love. 
The damask roses will be in high bloom for this class! Learn about the myth and mystery surrounding the beloved rose. We will immerse ourselves with the fragrance, tastes and therapeutic uses of roses and create wonderful take home gifts utilizing fresh rose petals. Come prepared to experience the rose on a deep level. Handouts will include resource materials for growing roses organically, where to purchase your own fragrant heritage rose bushes and abundant recipes. Wear something pink or red if you can!!

Wednesday, June 25 6-8 pm: “Let’s Make Fresh Cheese!” It's so easy to make fresh soft cheese with cow or goat milk and culture. We will go through the simple processes of making a fresh cheese like Chevre’ or Fromage Blanc. Unlike cheese that needs to be aged and carefully tended for months, fresh cheeses are ready to eat within a day and can be easily incorporated into any kitchen routine using basic kitchen equipment. After the basics are discussed and demonstrated, we will get our hands pleasantly 'dirty' by rolling freshly made cheese into fresh chopped herbs. At the end of the class we will taste a variety of herbed cheeses!! Informational handouts and resource list included. Packets of culture and prepared cheeses will be available for purchase from the instructor. This class will repeat on Wednesday August 6 from 6-8 pm. The cost is $30.

Saturday, July 5: ‘ Blanzeschwetze’-Speaking with Plants: Ceremonial Harvest and  Ritual uses of Herbs.
This workshop will focus on the reality that plants are vital beings that wish to be in relationship with human beings. They are available for us and our healing work just for the asking. We will learn the basics of ‘speaking with plants’ and receiving their subtle healing messages. Experiential demonstrations with plants in the garden will then be shared by all. We will then take some time to journal our experiences followed by a discussion of various ways that plants have been used in ritual and ceremony by many cultures through the ages.  Please bring a small sketch book or journal to record your own experiences.

Saturday, July 26 5-7 pm: “The Ancient Craft of Mead Making”   What is mead? Put simply, it’s an alcoholic beverage made from fermented honey. It is considered by many to be the earliest alcoholic beverage consumed by mankind. Mead is as diverse as wine. It can be sweet or dry, still or sparkling, and made from light honey or dark. Mead can be made with additions such as herbs, spices, flowers, fruits, vegetables. Greg Fink, sometimes known simply as “The Mead Guy”, will be sharing his mead making expertise with us in a two hour workshop beginning at 5 pm. He will demonstrate the crafting of  an herbal mead (lavender or perhaps elderflower?) and will share tastings of a variety of meads and also pair them with complimentary foods (Greg, did you say strawberry mead and dark chocolate?? )When the workshop concludes at 7 pm, there will be an optional potluck meal, garden walk and evening bonfire. This should be a wonderful event and summer evening on the farm. The cost is $40

Saturday, August 2: Haul in the Herbal Harvest! 
A lively discussion and hands-on demonstration of the many techniques for preserving the herbal harvest. Topics will include: harvesting herbs, proper drying and storage methods, and basics of making: pesto, vinegars, syrups, infused oils, etc. Know what supplies to have on hand before you are blessed with baskets of basil and buckets of berries! Abundant handouts and recipes will be provided.

Wednesday August 6 from 6-8 pm. Repeat of “Let’s Make Cheese!” The cost is $30.

*NEW! WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20: Building a Natural Apothecary 6-8 pm A lively discussion on gathering the proper supplies for your medicine cabinet, to keep your family healthy and comfortable, the natural way.Topics will include basic antiviral and antibacterial herbs, quick home remedies for stings, bumps and bruises, bellyaches, etc.As always, abundant handouts will be provided.

Saturday, September 6:  The Art and Craft of Topical Remedies   
Understanding that the skin is the largest organ system in the body helps us to utilize our herb allies in ways that don’t always require ingesting them! This class will specifically focus on the craft of topical applications: From green plant poultices, warm compresses and plasters to liniments, salves and more. Please dress appropriately for creating a variety of wonderfully sloppy, but therapeutic topical herb preparations.

** Special Sunday September 14th! Herb Walk and Lecture with David Winston, Treating Lyme Disease with Orthodox and Complementary Therapies. David Winston, AHG, Dean of the prestigious Center for Herbal Studies  www.herbalstudies.org  in Washington, NJ is scheduled for a rare , but much anticipated return to the Farm! As one of our nations’ most respected herbalists, this is a day not to be missed. Will begin promptly at 10 am. Cost $100 A local, certified organic lunch will be provided for an additional $15 Register early!