2011 Free Workshops
Click on a workshop title or scroll down for full description.
See also free Ongoing Activities, throughout the day on Saturday.
Special Guest Presentation
Bryan Welch presents: Beautiful and Abundant: Building the World We Want
Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., West Lawn Lecture Space
The publisher of well-known sustainability and green politics publications like Mother Earth News and Utne Reader, Bryan Welch brings his vision into clear focus for readers with his new book. Join Bryan for a session that cuts through the pessimism and denial that pervade today’s discussions of sustainability, inviting readers to envision a verdant and prosperous future. He offers a practical guide with a process for making our current lifestyles more sustainable and inspires us to look beyond immediate obstacles. In the lives and accomplishments of farmers, gardeners, inventors, and entrepreneurs, Bryan shares a “Beautiful and Abundant ” path toward a world vision we can proudly pass on to future generations.
Edamame Tastings & Tales with Patricia Stansbury
Saturday, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m., Tasting Tent
Fresh edamame, Virginia bred and grown. Taste this delicious, healthy snack and learn about growing and eating edamame. Seed available from Epic Gardens and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.
CANCELLED – Planting for the Entire Life Cycle of Butterflies with Barbara Wiederkehr
Saturday, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m., West Lawn Lecture Space
Increase the number of these wondrous and useful creatures in your garden by growing both host and nectar plants to support the entire life cycle of the wide variety of Virginia butterflies.
Easy Cheesy: Making Simple Dairy Products at Home with Tabitha Alterman
Saturday, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m., Chef Demonstration Tent
At this live demonstration and audience tasting, you’ll learn how easy it can be to make a wide range of dairy products at home. The flavors of fresh, homemade butter, yogurt and cheese will knock your socks off. You’ll go home with all the recipes and resources you need to start exploring these time-honored traditions in your own kitchen, plus the confidence to give it a try. In addition, we’ll discuss how you can find the best milk, and the many health and sustainability issues surrounding one of the world’s most complex and wonderful foods.
Common Nutritive Herbs For Promoting Family Health with Krista Rahm
Saturday, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m., Vendor Demonstration
Nutritive herbs are plants that provide the proteins, carbohydrates and fats, along with the vitamins and minerals necessary for good nutrition and health. These nutritive herbs provide us with a source of easily assimilated nutrients for our body and often have a tonifying effect on the body helping us feel stronger, more energetic, and help prevent diseases. The good thing about nutritive herbs is that they can easily be added into our daily diet. This nourishment can be enjoyed in our food and drinks rather than the taking of pills as we do with most modern medicines and supplements. In this workshop, we learn about some common nutrient dense herbs, recipes, and how we can incorporate them into our daily diets.
The Cashmere Trade, From East to West! with Jane McKinney of Spring Gate Farm
Saturday, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m., Vendor Demonstration
Come and hear the story of how Cashmere made its way from East to the West. Beginning in the 13th century, Marco Polo brought cashmere to Italy where it became an overnight sensation among the wealthy. In France, Josephine Bonaparte was said to have been given over 60 cashmere shawls by Napoleon starting a fashion trend that continues today. No doubt Thomas Jefferson probably encountered this luxury fiber in the salons of Europe. And … Did you know that this most luxurious of fibers comes from a goat? Learn how this fine wool is harvested and spun into skeins of wool. See goats from one of the finest herds in the East Coast and feel the soft down of a Cashmere goat kid.
Seed Swap with Rodger Winn
Saturday, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m., South Terrace
Come share your seeds, knowledge, and enthusiasm for different plant varieties with other gardeners and farmers. Come early and grab a cup of freshly brewed coffee, a breakfast wrap or an organic doughnut from one of our wonderful food vendors on your way over to the swap!
Growing as a Group: Highlights from the Local Food Hub with Lisa Reeder
Saturday, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m., Vegetable Garden
Using examples of specific crops and programs (like our Free Plant Start and variety trial program for heirloom tomatoes) we will take a mid-season look back at the yearly planning process, beginning with recapping 2010, forecasting 2011, securing production numbers/scheduling/staffing, sales efforts, and of course some missteps along the way. This presentation will also include an overview of Local Food Hub (for those folks who don’t know of our work), specifics on the how and the why of our services (to clarify general knowledge about our programs) and will also offer a glimpse into the near future of Local Food Hub, our 47 Partner Producers, our Partner Buyers, and the volunteers and allies in our community that contribute to the work.
Heirloom Garlic & Onions- Tasting and Growing these Culinary Essentials with Ira Wallace & Rob Danford
Saturday, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m., Tasting Tent
Stop in to savor the caramel goodness of roasted onions and garlic. Then learn how to add these hardy, productive perennials to your farm or garden plans. In addition, learn about different heirloom garlic varieties and their planting, cultivation and harvest.
Plan a Sustainable Vegetable Garden with Cindy Conner
Saturday, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m., West Lawn Lecture Space
Learn how to get the most out of your vegetable garden and make it more sustainable. Start with a map, choose your crops, consider your seeds, and learn about timing. Feed the soil and build the ecosystem with cover crops and companion plants. Ya Gotta Have a Plan! www.HomeplaceEarth.com
Chef Demonstration with Chef Brian Jones of Petit Pois and Brian Helleberg of Fleurie
Saturday, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m., Chef Demonstration Tent
A refreshing salad of Chesapeake Bay crab with Crozet Peaches, garden herbs and locally grown watermelon broth. A vegetarian lunch straight from the garden, this salad is lightly dressed with sherry vinegar, olive oil, and a brunoise of red onion. The crouton and aioli anchor the salad enough to make a meal of it.
Backyard Fruit Growing with Alexis Zeigler
Saturday, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m., Vendor Demonstration
We will review the grafting and rooting techniques necessary to propagate Apples, Peaches, Pears, Cherries, Grapes, Plums, Mulberry, Illeagnus (Autumn Olive, Goumis, etc), Jujube, Kiwi, Pomegranates, Persimmons, Figs, Blueberries, PawPaws, Juneberries, Pecans, Raspberries, Strawberries, Passionfruit, Blackberries and other fruits. We will review which technique works best for which plant. The session will close with a demonstration of 2 grafting techniques. Owing to time limitations, their will not be audience participation in the grafting demonstration. A handout will be provided to participants.
Fall Planting & Winterizing the Garden with Brian Hartsock
Saturday, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m., Vendor Demonstration
Join Brian Hartsock, Assistant Nursery Manager of The Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, for a fall planting and pruning workshop for your ornamental trees, shrubs, and perennials. Brian will share his insights and discuss plant nutrition and cultural needs to prepare your garden for winter and ensure beautiful plants next season.
Beautiful Blooms Starting from Seed with Lisa Zeigler
Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Vegetable Garden
There is so much more to fall planting than bulbs and pansies! Your will learn about a family of flowers that are seldom talked about; they are known as “hardy annuals.” Planted in fall, they thrive through winter and start their show come spring. The best part is that they need the least amount of care of any garden plants. This includes poppies, larkspur, sweet peas, snapdragons, nigella, delphiniums and oh, so many more!
Herbs, Plain and Fancy (Herb Teas and Tasting) with Ira Wallace
Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Tasting Tent
Rosemary, thyme, lemon grass, garlic chives and more. Enjoy an assortment of sweet and savory herbal delights, then learn how to grow them in your own herb garden.
Makin’ Bacon…Cookin’ with Heritage Breeds with Chef Sebastian Carosi of Flora Danica with special guest (best-selling author and hog farmer) John Kiser of Meadow Green Farm
Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Chef Demonstration Tent
Talkin’ Heritage Breeds….. -selecting a solid farmer and source -why heritage breeds -the ins and outs of purchasing a whole hog or lamb -the abattoir….. finding a local butcher….. the old school kind -certified humane -the cuts and your freezer (hog breakdown included) –bacon. Cookin’ Heritage Breeds….. experience Chef Carosi’s homemade clun forest lamb bacon and hickory smoked berkshire bacon -coca cola barbequed berkshire pork belly with farmstead VA cheddar mac-n-cheese and Farmstead Ferments naturally fermented garlicky greens….. -a salad of adolescent local greens tossed in a sweet tea vinaigrette with shaved antique orchard apple, crispy lamb bacon bits, smoked sunflower seeds and VA sheep’s milk cheese…..
Figs and Other Fabulous Fruit with Michael McConkey
Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Vendor Demonstration
Yum! Taste fresh, local figs and other uncommon edibles. Then find out how to add them to your landscape and your menus.
Apple Tasting at Vintage Virginia Apples with Tom Burford and Vintage Virginia Apples
Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Vendor Demonstration
Taste a variety of apples with Tom Burford, the illustrious “Professor Apple” and international authority on apples.
Easy Seed Saving with Rodger Winn
Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., South Terrace
You can easily save seeds from your (non-hybrid) beans and they offer the beginning seed saver a good chance for successful seed saving. This workshop includes tips for successful bean seed saving at home and an opportunity to see some of the many heirloom beans a gardener might grow and save.
Fall and Winter Veggies: Zero-Degree Gardening with Ken Bezilla
Saturday, 12:45 – 1:45 p.m., Vegetable Garden
Gardens don’t have to end when frosts come in October. Expand your garden’s production, and feel happier about your winter trips to the grocery store! September’s the month for planting fall and winter greens, and there’s still time to get some root crops in too. Come and get info on how to grow a bountiful winter garden, how to keep your veggies alive through zero-degree nights, and how to enjoy good harvests all the way until April! Emphasis will be on low-tech production – floating row cover, mulch, a good thermometer, and an eye on the weather are all you need.
Pursuing the Small Farm Dream with Pablo Elliott
Saturday, 12:45 – 1:45 p.m., West Lawn Lecture Space
If you’ve ever considered launching a small farm enterprise, but were not sure where to start, this workshop can help with moving from idea to action. Pablo will share from his experience using facilitated independent study to help potential new farmers/enterprise owners have the opportunity to explore their farm business ideas and clarify next steps.
Natural Fabric Dyes with Alesandra, Sarah and Kate Bellos
Saturday, 12:45 – 1:45 p.m., Vendor Demonstration
We’ll explore the incredible world of indigo blue. Participants will take a worldwide tour of the various plant sources of indigo, explore the chemical magic of an indigo vat, and even get to do some hands-on dyeing themselves. Time permitting, other natural dyes will also be showcased.
Sustainable Landscaping: save time and money by working with nature to create stunning works of art that are healthy and delightful to use, beautiful and enduring, with Karl Shank
Saturday, 12:45 – 1:45 p.m., Vendor Demonstration
Come learn about how Karl Shank, founder of the ecological landscape & habitat restoration company, The Natural Garden, creates elegant and low-maintenance outdoor homes for people to live, work, and play within, by applying nature’s elegant design principles along each step of the design and build process.
The Art of Torching a Scrumptious Dessert with Xavier Baudinet of Boar’s Head Inn
Saturday, 12:45 – 1:45 p.m., Chef Demonstration Tent
Learn to make a Boar’s Head Baked Apple Calvados Crème Brûlée. The flavors of butter, heavy cream, egg yolks and Crown Orchard apples will make your mouth water. Take home a recipe and tips to make the perfect Crème Brûlée. Ask Chef Baudinet about working in his father’s pastry shops in France.
Pickle Tasting with VICFA – Virginia Independent Consumer and Farmers Association
Saturday, 12:45 – 1:45 p.m., Tasting Tent
Come taste the goodness of homemade pickles! Our fore-parents used pickling as a way to perserve their harvest. Due to over-regulation, pickling is becoming a lost art. Sadly, there are many people who have never tasted a homemade pickle. You will be amazed at how many things you can pickle!
GMO Panel with Kevin Fletcher, Don Patterson and Ira Wallace
Saturday, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., Vegetable Garden
Did you know that 75 percent of processed food consumed in the U.S. contains genetically modified organisms? This include food made from soy, corn, canola, cottonseed oil and sugar beets.
Learn more about the issues surrounding genetically modified food and why the Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) has filed a lawsuit challenging Monsanto’s patents on genetically modified seed on behalf of 83 family farmers, seed businesses, and organic agricultural organizations.
Cornbread Tasting with Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
Saturday, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., Tasting Tent
Fresh ground cornmeal is a part of our southern cooking heritage. Stop by the Tasting Tent to learn about heritage varieties such as Damon Morgan’s Kentucky Butcher, Floriani Red Flint, and Cherokee White Eagle. Then stay to taste the difference.
Oysters Three Ways with Ted Anderson of Anderson Seafood
Saturday, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., Chef Demonstration Tent
Ted Anderson of Anderson Carriage Food House will discuss the different types of oysters available and three of his favorite ways to prepare them: steamed, stewed and baked.
Trash to Treasure: Bioconversion of Organic “Wastes” to Resources with Hary Ussery
Saturday, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., West Lawn Lecture Space
Wendell Berry observed that we have a habit of taking a beautiful solution and splitting it neatly into two hideous, insoluble problems. In no area is this careless habit more in evidence than in our failure to utilize the resource potential in organic residues such as manures, lawn and yard debris, and food residuals. Instead of choking our landfills with these potential treasures, we can convert them to priceless soil amendments and even feeds for livestock using the same biological conversion pathways employed by nature herself.
In this presentation, Harvey Ussery, author of The Small-Scale Poultry Flock: An All-Natural Approach to Raising Chickens and Other Fowl for Home and Market Growers, to be published soon by Chelsea Green, tells how to reclaim “wastes” using vermicomposting and cultivation of soldier grubs. He describes a large-scale operation producing hundreds of tons of compost a year using chicken power, and presents a model for working the same magic using the home flock.
The Joy of Hobby Farming with Michael & Audrey Levatino
Saturday, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., Vendor Demonstration
Grow food, raise animals and live a more sustainable lifestyle while still holding an off-farm job – that’s hobby farming. Learn how to incorporate farming into your life without ovewhelming your economic or physical resources, and discuss the importance of hobby farms to local communities and economies.
Tools of the Trade with Charles House of Way Cool Tools
Saturday, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., Vendor Demonstration
Garden tools come in a dizzying array of shapes, sizes and uses. Charles helps you find the right tool for the job in your garden!
Three Sisters Garden Polyculture with Hub Knott of the Living Earth School
Saturday, 3:15 – 4:15 p.m., Vegetable Garden
This class will discuss how to grow a three sisters garden, its benefits, and a brief history. The three sisters (corn, beans and squash) was the traditional garden of native peoples in North America. Historically, this garden provided a lot more than the 3 sisters often talked about, but often included up to 20 different plant varieties to provide the sustenance a family needs. This garden has the potential to be the basis for providing for all of your family vegetable needs. We will discuss plant varieties, fertilization, maintenance, etc. We will also discuss how to take this three sister polyculture concept and use it to build other plant guilds around your homestead.
Brewing Your Own Kombucha with Ethan Zuckerman
Saturday, 3:15 – 4:15 p.m., Tasting Tent
Learn how simple it can be to make your own kombucha at home. Ethan will share his tried and true home brewing method, a process that is easy for participants to replicate at home. He will also share recipes and samples of different kombucha flavors and will answer any questions about the process. This session is appropriate for both brand-new brewers who would like to learn how to make kombucha and experienced brewers who would like to refine their skills.
Film – “The Greenhorns” with The Greenhorns
Saturday, 3:15 – 4:15 p.m., West Lawn Lecture Space
“The Greenhorns,” directed by Severine von Tscharner Fleming, documents America’s new wave of young farmers reinventing and reinstituting our country’s broken food system. One by one, these diverse and purposeful protagonists are taking to the fields. Their individual stories of living and working on the land reveal a patchwork social movement of fierce, fresh and savvy farmers all over the country. These young heroes lead lives that join courageous acts of reclamation with radical delight. A celebration of entrepreneurial spirit, agrarian culture and soil-based political engagement—as well as a grounded and expertly informed look at the infrastructural challenges of national agricultural reform—”The Greenhorns” envisions a healthy, hard-working and prosperous America.
Fall Gardening with Organic Herbs with Nicole Schermerhorn – Lavender Fields Herb Farm
Saturday, 3:15 – 4:15 p.m., Vendor Demonstration
Fall is a great time to plant your perennial herbs. Learn why fall is an ideal time to plant and how to plant for successful growing. Discover which herbs can be grown as perennials in Virginia. We will share some great tips on preserving your herbs for the coming winter.
Entering into a Successful Relationship with Your Farmer: What You Need to Know with Kevin Fletcher of Countryside Organics
Saturday, 3:15 – 4:15 p.m., Vendor Demonstration
What does it mean to, Know Your Farmer? Kevin Fletcher of Countryside Organics prepares you with the questions and answers you need to find your own special farm and farmer. Learn what is possible, realistic and cutting edge in the farm-to-fork relationship.
The Secrets of Seasoning Vegetables: Maximum Flavor, Minimum Effort with Martha Stafford
Saturday, 3:15 – 4:15 p.m., Chef Demonstration
Martha Stafford, owner of the Charlottesville Cooking School, will show you how the proper tools and techniques can make vegetables so delicious that you, your family and friends will be fighting over them.