Summary of 2009 Workshops
(2010 Workshops Coming Soon!)

Warren Wilson College Garden and Farm: A Sustainability Model
Experience and observe a sustainable farm and garden in action. Warren Wilson students and staff operate a 300-acre sustainable farm which includes beef and dairy cows, pigs, chickens, and feed crops. In addition, they tend a five-acre organic vegetable and herb garden, greenhouses, fruit orchards, and a large composting operation. We will be touring the site and getting our hands dirty with some fun activities and projects.

Hunting and Gathering: Finding Edible Foods in your Own Backyard
Learn to identify and prepare the wild edible and medicinal plants that grow right in your own backyard!  After a brief introduction to the history and science of wild edibles, we will take to the nearby woods, bags and baskets in hand, to gather food.  During this workshop, you will learn the basics of how to:  identify plants; distinguish between edible, medicinal, and poisonous plants; harvest wild edible plants in ways that are healthy for you and beneficial for the environment; process, prepare, or cook plants to make them more nutritious and tasty; and find additional resources to further your skills.

Soil Chemistry: The Art and Science of Gardening
We're going to head into our own backyard here at the Outdoor Academy and get dirty!  First we’ll learn all we need to know about dirt (well, soil) to get started on our own gardens, including soil chemistry and how to mix ingredients to get just the right type of soil.  Then we will apply our newfound knowledge directly into our garden here, as well as talk about how to use our skills to start a garden at home and in our communities. This workshop will include some take home plants to plant in your new home garden! Join us to get a little messy, have a lot of fun, and take an active role in the growing of our food!

Goats Galore and More
This workshop will give summit participants a glimpse of a local farm and goat cheese production.  Pyrwood Farm is a goat, horse, cattle and poultry farm located on the edge of Pisgah Forest and Brevard. The visit will include a tour of the farm, information and viewing of goat cheese production, discussions on maintaining a local farm, becoming involved in local produce along with current farming challenges and solutions. 

Cooking Whole Foods from Scratch
Don your apron and turn up the flames!  This workshop will take participants through the process of making common foods from scratch.  Whole-foods ingredients will be transformed into delicious dishes in a day of cooking and taste-testing.  Be ready to knead, chop, stir, and rattle some pots and pans.  During this workshop participants will: learn about reading recipes, whole-foods ingredients, and finding whole-foods sources; bake bread after grinding whole grains into flour; and cook several dishes that can easily be recreated at home.