SAVE THE DATE : Sept. 24-26, 2021
The seed has been planted by New Story Farm and various teachers to hold an empowering and sacred event that honours the old traditions and strengthens community. Will you help us tend this seed?
Teachers
Chica + Eric Notch
Hemp growers and weavers Eric and Chica have been studying hemp for over a decade! Their teachers have been dotted around the countryside of Japan where they have learned the ancient ways of processing and utilizing hemp. From rope and paper to textiles and art, they have truly mastered the craft of hemp.
Feral Fields
Weaving Teachers
Michele + Erik Vevang
Wood carvers Michele and Erik have been creating handmade items since 2013 using traditional Scandinavian carving techniques. Starting with locally sourced wood and using only hand tools, they have chopped and carved spoons, bowls, butter spreaders, wall hooks and anything else needed for the home and kitchen. Over the past three years they have worked together as VevangMpls to bring their love of carving to the public by offering carving classes and demonstrations. Both Michele and Erik are self employed, Erik as a carpenter and Michele as an artist and hair colorist. They live in NE Minneapolis with two kids and a dog near their studio, where they carve and work on all kinds of projects.
Vevang MPLS
Wood Working Teachers
Winston Pennington-Flax
Winston Pennington-Flax is an Artist, Gardener, and Teacher currently residing in South Minneapolis. Relief printmaking became his primary medium while studying art at Beloit College, and he has continued this work through study at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts and Minneapolis College of Art and Design, where he has recently self-published a calendar titled "Plenty: Upper Midwest Lunar Phase & Wild Food Calendar" and continues to learn and work in linoleum, letterpress, and wood.
PFlaxart
Wood Working Teachers
Connie Karstens,MS
Connie is a Traditional Western Herbalist and Holistic Health Educator who uses local plants for medicinal remedies. Connie is a 3rd generation natural health expert and holds a BA in Biology and an MS in Health and Nutrition Education. She taught college nutrition for 14 years. For over 30 years, she and her husband have worked on their 180-acre sustainable livestock farm where sheep and other livestock are grazed with bio-dynamic farming practices. She also is the owner of a health Shoppe and wellness center located on the farm. Connie offers private wellness consultations incorporating whole foods nutrition, herbs, stress management techniques, and other natural remedies to support and build overall health and re-balance the body. She teaches many classes and workshops to empower health and wellness. Her passion is to educate other to attain self-sufficiency and build vibrant health by sharing her knowledge.
The Lamb Shoppe
Wild Herbalism Teacher
Katharine Ostrowski
Katharine is an herb wrangler, mother and lover of nature. Owner of her herbal business Urban Nettle Katharine provides herbal consults to clients, sells locally made herbal goods and teaches various classes on all things herbal-related. Katharine has received her primary education from some incredible instructors including southern folk medicine legend Phyllis Light and nationally renowned Georgia herbalist Patricia Kyristi Howell. She is currently in the process of applying for her American Herbalist Guild credentials as a Registered Herbalist, the only certification process available to herbalists in the United States.
Urban Nettle
Wild Herbalism Teacher
Jen Goepfert + Travis Pedersen
Wife and Husband, Jen and Travis, are passionate wilderness enthusiasts and adventurers. Jen has been an educator for nearly 20 years. With a passion and focus on experiential outdoor education, she has taught workshops to both youth and adults to help build efficacy and confidence in the outdoors. Travis is an architect by trade. His interest in creating space and place in natural settings led him to his interest, knowledge, and talent in the art of bushcraft. They have 3-year-old twins, Aela and Eva, who are budding naturalists and explorers.
Jen + Travis
Primitive Skills Teachers
Cindy Rusch
Cindy has kept bees for over 30 years. She kept bees with her father and now keeps bees with her husband Wayne Rusch. Cindy sells honey and beeswax candles at farmers markets and craft shows. Wayne and Cindy Rusch raise their own queen bees and produce bees for hobby beekeepers.
Rusch Farms
Folk Crafts Teacher
Wayne Rusch
Wayne has kept bees for about 10 years. He went from hobby beekeeping to producing bees for hobbyist to buy. Wayne has been teaching about bees for several years. He gives demonstrations on bees and extracting throughout the year. Wayne raises his own queens for producing nucs for sale. Wayne has lived in Hutchinson all his life.
Rusch Farms
Primitive Skills Teacher
Jessie Merriam
Jessie is a printmaker and gardener in Minneapolis. She is interested in making all sorts of art practices more accessible, and in the community of knowledge-sharing that craft traditions encourage. She now creates prints and books and monitors the letterpress studio at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, and she teaches woodblock printing at the Women's Woodshop in South Minneapolis. Jessie has worked on farms and fish camps and loves growing food, cooking with people, and camping, so this weekend is going to be awesome.
Women's Wood Shop
Folk Crafts Teacher
Workshops
Intro to Bush Craft
Cost: $10
Class Size Limit: 10
Time: Sunday Session II
Instructor: Jen Goepfert + Travis Pedersen
“The more you know, the less you carry.” -Mors Kochanski, Canadian wilderness survival instructor, naturalist and author
Join us for an intro to the art of carrying less: Bushcraft! This popular term for wilderness survival skills refers to the practice of using basic tools, along with resources provided by our natural environment to survive and thrive in the great outdoors. This hands-on workshop will introduce the “5 Cs of Bushcraft”: cordage, cover, container, cutting tool and combustion. Participants will have a chance to try their hand at several bushcraft skills. Basics covered in this workshop:
1. Cordage: learn to tie three basic commonly used knots: prussic, bowline, and trucker’s hitch
2. Cover: learn how to create three different types of rudimentary shelter with a ridgeline and a tarp: plow hitch, lean-to and A-Frame
3. Combustion: Try your hand at making fire without matches or a lighter two different ways: the fireroll technique, and a ferro rod with a striker
In addition to hands-on, practical experience, participants will also get a jump start on their bushcraft kit by taking home:
● A pocket guide to the 5Cs
● Paracord (cordage)
● A ferro rod and striker (combustion)
*This workshop is tailored for beginners who are new to bushcraft/basic wilderness survival. No previous bushcraft experience necessary.
Primitive Skills
Hemp Processing + Weaving
Cost: $80 includes materials
Class Size Limit: 10
Time: Saturday Session I + Saturday Session II-this class spans 2 workshops sessions
Instructor: Chica + Eric Notch
In this two-part session, you will get hands-on experience on how to process hemp stalks, spin the fiber and weave it into rope and textile. Participants will go home with their own hemp creations. You will also learn a bit about the history of hemp and the many ways it can be utilized.
Weaving
Beekeeping on the Homestead
Cost: $30 includes materials
Class Size Limit: 10
Time: Saturday Session I
Instructor: Wayne Rusch
Topics covered will be all equipment needed to be successful in your first year of beekeeping. Wayne will cover what you need to get started, how to order bees and how to get your bees in the hive. He will go through month by month everything needed to get your bees through the first year. This will include bee health, disease and pests, extracting honey, and how to store the honey. He will explain how to get your bees ready for winter and what to do the second spring
Primitive Skills
Herbal Therapies for Stressful Times
Cost: $TBD
Class Size Limit: 10 includes materials
Time: Sunday Workshop Session I
Instructor: Katharine Ostrowski
Never has there been a more urgent need to address our emotional wellbeing. Living in a globally connected world that is a click away from an infinite amount of trauma-inducing news it is without wonder we are dealing with an overwhelming amount of anxiety, depression and a mired of other mental health concerns. Join herbalist Katharine Ostrowski of Urban Nettle and learn how to build a tool kit of herbal therapies to help both emotional and physical well-being. From sleep disturbance to chronic pain we will address how to create both acute and tonic formulas to help reduce stress, pain and restore balance. By the end of the class you will have learned over 50 specific herbs to ease the stress affecting our emotional and physical well-being along with how-tos in crafting home-made affordable herbal tinctures, salves, infusions and flower essences.
Wild Herbalism
Beginner Sausage and meat preservation class
Cost: $15
Class Size Limit: 10
Time: Sunday Session I
Instructor: Wayne Rusch
Learn how to season and cure meat for sausage and jerky. How to smoke and cure meat will also be discussed. Different types of preserving whole cuts of meat will be explained.
Primitive Skills
Intro to Spoon Carving
Cost: $70
Class Size Limit: 10 includes materials
Time: Sunday Workshop Session I
Instructor: Michele + Erik Vevang
This is an introductory spoon carving class. We will start with an overview of traditional knife grips and carving techniques. After applying those skills on practice sticks, students will begin carving a medium-sized serving or cooking spoon. With Michele and Erik providing support and expert guidance, the goal of the class is for each student to complete hand carving a spoon!
Class is appropriate for adults and ‘young adults’ aged 15 or above. Each ‘young adult’ must be accompanied by an adult.
Wood Working
Building Your Personal
Wellness Kit
Cost: $40
Class Size Limit: 10 includes materials
Time: Saturday Workshop Session I + II- this workshop spans 2 workshop sessions
Instructor: Connie Karstens
In this workshop, you will learn about traditional herbal remedies that our ancestors have used for centuries to stay healthy. You will discover some of the best botanical medicines for basic natural home health care. This class will help you gain an understanding of simple herbal aids for many common ailments including sore throats, coughs, fevers ad other aches and pains. Learn how to create your own person wellness kit for you and your family. You will go home hands-on experience, herbal preparations and information that will last a lifetime!
Wild Herbalism
Relief Printmaking: Woodcut & Linocut
Cost: $55 includes materials
Class Size Limit: 10
Time: Saturday Session II + Sunday Session II-this class spans 2 workshops sessions
Instructor: Winston Pennington-Flax
In this two-part session, you will get to explore the materials and techniques used by printmakers for centuries to create reproducible images from natural, readily available materials. You will leave this class with an edition of handmade prints, as well the know-how [and several different tools] to continue your practice at home. As carving and printing can be time-consuming, please come to this class prepared with sketches or ideas.
Folk Art + Crafts
Wild Foraging + Shamanic Plant Spirit Connection
Cost: $7
Class Size Limit: 10
Time: Sunday Workshop Session II
Instructor: Stephanie Zetah
We are very blessed with the extraordinary abundance this Land graciously provides. You will be guided through 76 acres of Native Prairie and Forest to learn how to identify wild edibles and how to connect with your innate plant intuition. This practice allows you to learn more directly from the plant and to deepen your relationship with the plant and tree world around you.
Wild Herbalism
Beeswax Candlemaking
Cost: $20 includes materials
Class Size Limit: 10
Time: Saturday Session II
Instructor: Cindy Rusch
Cindy will demonstrate how to get your wax from cappings to a candle. We will learn how render or clean the wax and how to pour candles. We will cover equipment needed and how to work with wax safely. We will cover where to get candle molds and where to get equipment. We will learn about the benefits of burning beeswax candles.
Folk Art + Crafts
Simple Bookmaking
Cost: $35 includes materials
Class Size Limit: 10
Time: Saturday Session I
Instructor: Jessie Merriam
Create small, quick handmade books, both with folds and thread. These forms can be used for small journals, short comic strips, zines, flower pressings, or even preservable games of exquisite corpse or telephone pictionary. They are also the foundation for more complex bookmaking techniques. No experience necessary.
Folk Art + Crafts
Saturday Schedule
Morning Offerings for Early Arrival Registration Holders ONLY
6:45am - Bell
7am - Morning activity offering
7:45am - BreakfastWake up to the smell of wild herbal tea paired with local organic buckwheat porridge offered with local milk and organic butter. Eggs, bread and seasonal fruit on offer too.
Morning Workshop Session for All Registration Holders
8:30am-12pm break and snack included
Lunch 12pm-1pm
Enjoy a nourishing farm meal made with love and with organic ingredients. Look forward to lots of veggies, pastured meat and healthy tid bits.
Afternoon Workshop 3pm-6:30pm
break and snack included
Siesta or Nature Activity 1pm-3pm
Wind down with a rest or join-in a special nature activity offered on the 76 acre native prairie and forest. A different activity will be available each day.
Evening Meal 6:30pm-7:30pm
Enjoy a nourishing farm meal made with love and with organic ingredients. Look forward to lots of veggies, pastured meat and healthy tid bits. Hot herbal tea and a light sweet treat to finish off the day.
Evening Offerings 7:30pm
Depending on your mood there will be a bonfire to gather 'round, a sacred place to ponder and music for the lively folk. There will be Full Moon light to illuminate the evening offerings.
Sunday Schedule
Morning
6:45am - Bell
7am - Morning activity offering
7:45am - Breakfast
Wake up to the smell of wild herbal tea paired with local organic buckwheat porridge offered with local milk and organic butter. Eggs, bread and seasonal fruit on offer too.
Morning Workshop 3pm-6:30pm break and snack included
Lunch 12pm-1pm
Enjoy our last nourishing farm meal together unless you purchased a separate Stay Late Ticket. Look forward to lots of veggies, pastured meat and healthy tid bits.
Afternoon Workshop 1pm-3:30 pm break and snack included
Closing Circle 3:30 pm
We shall gather in a closing circle to give thanks to the teachers, organizers, attendees and the land for holding space so that this gathering could happen successfully.
Accommodation Options
1. Bring your own tent or camper: we have indoor and outdoor bathrooms for you to use. Handicap accessible is available too. You can purchase an early arrival ticket and stay Friday night, regular registration is for arriving Saturday morning at 8am.
2. Stay at a nearby hotel: there are a few options located 6 miles from the event.
3. Commute from home: the first workshop session begins Saturday Morning at 8:30am.
Other Information
Meals, snacks and herbal teas are included with your registration. Meals begin with Saturday Lunch and end with Sunday Lunch.
The event begins Saturday morning and ends Sunday afternoon. EXTRAS: Friday Early Arrival and Sunday Night Stay are available for an additional cost. You must purchase additional tickets with your registration for these options.
All attendees must be registered to attend.
Drugs and alcohol are not permitted.
Smoking in designated areas only.
Attendees are not permitted to light fires or use camp stoves anywhere on the property.