Workshops
Get on our workshop info list and we’ll contact you with new 2011 Dates and information when confirmed.
Build an Outdoor Adobe Earth Oven with Kathryn McHolm
When: Saturday June 18th, 2011
Time: 10:00am to 4:00pmish
Our oven workshop was a great day…we’ll post photos shortly so you can see the dome we created!
There’s nothing like the taste of wood-fired pizza and bread baked outside…join us and learn how to make your own in an adobe earth oven.
Fee: $85. per person includes garden fresh, seasonal lunch from our farm and morning and afternoon refreshments ($60. plus $25.)
A limit of six spaces ensures each participant will be fully involved in the oven construction. Register by email to reserve your place in this limited number workshop.
Straw Bale with Jen Feigin & Chris Magwood
When: TBA 2012 program
Straw bale buildings are among the most efficient, affordable and ecological choices available to new home owners, and well suited to our four-season climate. But in order to live up to their full potential, the bale walls must be properly designed, well built and thoroughly detailed. 
Learn with enthusiastic pros Jen Feigin & Chris Magwood (read mini-bios below on these two capable, creative instructors) as we build an artful small straw bale “writers cabin” in the back forty at Wholearth Farmstudio—you’ll get lots of theory and practical experience. Includes superb organic farm fresh meals, snacks, camping for the weekend workshops, swimming in our spring fed pond and evening bonfire (and maybe even play with the spring lambs).
*Other Events & Workshops *
P A Y D I R T • D I S C O U N T S
Fees listed are per person and include superb meals and camping as listed.
Couples
A 10% discount is offered to couples taking the workshops at the same time, because we gather you may move on to build your own straw house. It’s our housewarming gift to you.
Slip Straw (Light clay straw) & Hempcrete Workshop—TBA 2012
Fee: TBA
Includes breakfasts, wholesome snacks, homemade hearty farm lunches, and delicious dinner on Saturday, on-site camping—and feel free to jump in the spring-fed pond after the workshop and tour the farm, fields and woodlands.
When: TBA
You are welcome to come Friday evening to set up your tents for camping over the weekend, or ask about B&B options in the area if you’d prefer.
Many natural building materials are not easily incorporated into new or existing frame wall homes, but slip straw and hempcrete are both practical, cost effective, natural and insulative alternatives to commercial insulation like fibreglass. During this one day hands-on workshop we’ll mix and install both slip straw and hempcrete into existing stud wall cavities. We’ll look at sourcing materials, mixing methods, creating and using forms and installing the materials to create solid, well-insulated and air-tight walls.
Register by email to reserve your place in this limited number workshop.
Straw Bale Workshop
Includes breakfasts, wholesome snacks, garden fresh farm lunches, delicious dinners on Friday and Saturday, on-site camping—and feel free to jump in the spring-fed pond after the workshop and tour the farm, fields and woodlands.
When: TBA 2012 program
Arrive Friday with plenty of time to set up your tent before the Friday evening presentation begins at 7:00 pm, where dinner will be served. Ask about B&B options in the area if you’d prefer.
Straw bale buildings are among the most efficient, affordable and ecological choices available to new home owners. But in order to live up to their full potential, the bale walls must be properly designed, well built and thoroughly detailed. During this two and a half day, hands-on workshop we’ll assess and install the straw bales into a wall system and detail and prepare the bale walls for the plastering stage. On Friday evening, we’ll cover structural issues, design of bale wall systems and answer common questions associated with choosing straw bale homes, and see a slide show of bale homes. Over the weekend, we’ll put that theory into practice by assessing, cutting and retying, stacking, and stuffing straw bales for a small writing cabin. We’ll look at creative ways to shape bale walls to achieve curved window wells and niches, and we’ll cover all the important detailing issues to ensure that the building is air-tight and ready for plastering. We will also install a moisture meter into the wall that can be monitored. On Sunday, we will work with mixing and applying base coats of earthen and lime plasters.
Register by email to reserve your place in this limited number workshop.
Our natural building instructors…
Jen Feigin is a designer, carpenter and natural builder based in Peterborough, Ontario. She specializes in sustainable design with a strong focus on straw bale wall systems and many other natural building techniques. An artist at heart, she endeavours to build healthy, efficient, beautiful buildings that will inspire people through their thoughtful design and artfulness. Jen teaches workshops on natural building techniques across Ontario. Her well-organized workshops are fun, productive, full of technical knowledge and the joy of good work well done. As a teacher, designer and builder she combines practicality and artfulness in equal measures, with a healthy dose of humour and spirit too.
Chris Magwood is obsessed with making the best, most energy efficient, beautiful and inspiring buildings without wrecking the whole darn planet in the attempt. He has co-authored three books on straw bale construction: Straw Bale Building, More Straw Bale Building and Straw Bale Details. He was also the editor of The Last Straw Journal, an international quarterly of straw bale and natural building. He has contributed articles to
numerous publications on topics related to sustainable building. Chris is an active speaker and workshop instructor in Canada and internationally.
Plans are underway to open a sustainable learning centre in Peterborough, Ontario that offers in-depth, hands-on programs in Sustainable New Construction, Sustainable Renovations and Sustainable Design as well as shorter workshops on a wide variety of sustainable building topics. Find out more about their new Endeavour Centre for Innovative Learning, Building & Living .
Come to the farm for these fun, informative and interesting weekends & workshops covering great food, sustainable building techniques, gardening, livestock, photography and more. Don’t forget your swim gear and towel for a dip in the spring-fed pond.
In the Works Workshops & Events
- Build an Adobe Earth Oven
- Build a Solar Heated Outdoor Shower
- Build a Dry Composting Toilet
- Gardening, Food and Small-Scale Farming
- Wood Fuel – A Primer on Firewood
- Build a Purple Martin House
- Seed Saving
- Sheep Shearing
- Raising Free-Range Chickens
- Native Plant Walk
For weekend workshops here is a list of what to bring:
- Tent
- Ground tarp
- Sleeping bag
- Flashlight
- Personal stuff like toothbrush, towel etc…
- Eating & drinking utensils (Travel mug, refillable bottle for water, plate, bowl, knife, fork, spoon)
- Sun hat
- Sunscreen
- Pen and notebook
- Camera
- Weather-appropriate clothing & footwear
- Swimming apparel
- no glass please