Bee Green(er) — Workshops

ReWilding Locally: Plant Based Medicines – Carol Jacobs

Ecological restoration begins with reclaiming lost parts of ourselves. Let's discuss options:what can we do to awaken the human spirit locally, deepen our relationships and sense of community? How can ReWilding apply in the here and now, to our everyday lives?

Carol Jacobs is a life-long student of the plants & an 'Herbalus Educatorus' in the Driftless Region, organizing educational activities for adults & children for various groups & events in Wisconsin, Minnesota & Iowa.She loves to play in the kitchen & have those Wild Tea Parties, after many years of working the Woodlands & Prairies of the Upper Midwest.

Grafting and Budding Fruit Trees – DFS, Rikardo Jahnke

Apple tree grafting is the art and science of joining a size controlling rootstock with a stick from a live tree of a desired variety. Over the centuries many different methods of grafting have been devised, extending the seasonal possibilities, making it an even more useful horticultural tool. Rikardo will explain the basics of grafting, introduce a few of the most accessible methods, talk about the tools and materials used, and demonstrate a few of the cuts. Come and learn about one of the more creative tools the grower can use to save costs and access lesser known varieties.

Rikardo Jahnke has been orcharding since 1996, and grafting longer than that. He has been selling apples, cider, jams and other value added products at Viroqua Farmer's Market for 10 years. He grows 53 varieties of apples. Rikardo lives in Crawford County, WI.

Construction of the Coop – Robert Schulz

Along with harvesting your own eggs and meat, raising chickens is a great learning experience for children and adults alike. This introductory workshop will cover how to build and maintain a clean, functioning chicken coop- whether for an urban lot or your small farm. We’ll cover the aspects of optimum square footage for your size flock, nest boxes and roosts, achieving proper heat, sunlight, and ventilation, creating an outdoor “run” and predator control, and feeding and composting the manure. We will show examples of different coop designs, including portable chicken “tractors”. A variety of building materials will be discussed-from salvaged lumber and roofing, to straw infill and natural plasters.

Robert Schulz, and his family, are homesteading their 40 property in rural Hillsboro, WI. Features of their farm include natural building, alternative energy and water systems, organic market produce and gardening, draft horse power, animal husbandry, and a working blacksmith shop. Robert has been blacksmithing for over 15 years, doing custom commissions and teaching courses. They host interns and hold many workshops annually, sharing their skills and experiences with others.

Bee Keeping 101 – Jordan Bendel

This workshop will cover the basics of sustainable beekeeping, the inner-workings of the hive and basic beekeeping techniques. A variety of hive designs including the Warre hive, Long hive, Top Bar hive, and the standard Langstroth hive will be discussed.

Jordan was born in Viroqua, WI, and learned the sacred art of beekeeping at age 12 from his grandfather and father. Jordan has been keeping honey bees ever since and even found a way to combine his interest in bees with his undergraduate research at UW-La Crosse. Jordan graduated with a B.S. in Microbiology and Chemistry and currently works for a medical instrument company in Wisconsin. He operates Wild Comb Apiary which is focused on natural beekeeping techniques, queen rearing and comb honey production with his wife Jody and their 4 children.

Exploring the Stages of Community – DFS, Dene Muller and Patricia Roth

What creates and strengthens community and the group process? How can paying attention to the actual stages of community enhance the assumed outcomes? In a series of six class times through The Driftless Folk School, Dene and Patricia set out to examine Stages of Community, Learning and Forgetting, things we’ve learned with our heads vs. things our hearts tell us, and ways that we are stronger when we stand together. Throughout, students are called on to teach; and all ways of knowing are equally honored. Let some of our class- a micro community- tell and show you what we know about coming together to create outcomes with a synergistic twist.

Dene Muller and Patricia Roth are local community members from LaFarge who are committed to personal growth for all people and who strive for inclusive environments that enhance learning and growth opportunities. Dene Muller has extensive experience in the teaching/education field. Her passion for learning and dedication to community building as it serves to educate, make her an exciting and fun teacher! You will enjoy meeting her, and experiencing a fresh take on “being in class”. Dene and Patricia will ask every participant to teach, and to lead, so learning is created by the group process.