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Each Sustainability Series Workshop will start at 2:00pm at the Dickinson College Farm, located at 553 Park Drive, Boiling Springs, PA 17007. The two-hour workshops offer homesteaders of all skill levels tips and strategies to maximize production and enjoyment from home and community food production.

Please be sure to dress for the weather! Workshops will be held outdoors and in rustic indoor facilities.

Sustainability Schools
Dickinson College Media

The Dickinson College Farm is one of several Pennsylvania locations hosting the workshops through PASA’s Sustainability Schools program, which centers on homesteading, homemaking and backyard conservation workshops for consumers interested in living more sustainably. Other locations include Greener Partners (Collegeville, PA), the Spring Creek Homesteading Fund (State College, PA), and The Home Grown Institute (Philadelphia, PA).

“We are excited for this partnership and look forward to empowering and inspiring others to grow food and help build a foundation for community-based education,” says Jenn Halpin, Dickinson College Farm director. “Farm-based educational programs provide hands-on learning and a means to exchange information that will benefit gardeners and food lovers alike,” she says.

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2013 Sustainability Schools
A link to register for sustainability schools will be posted approximately 1 month ahead of each workshop’s date! Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to receive alerts when registration opens for each workshop.

February 23^rd, 2:00-4:00pm
Soap from Scratch
Register

Join Kevin Harper-McCombs, Dickinson College Farm’s “Jack of all Trades” for a hands-on workshop on how to transform all-natural ingredients into soap!  Years’ worth of dabbling and experimentation will be distilled into a fun and informative session for aspiring soap makers.

Students attend for free, with transportation provided. If you are a student, please email  garden at dickinson.edu to register.

Fee: $6 PASA or DC Farm CSA member/$8 non-member

March 30^th, 2:00-4:00pm
Pasta 100+1
Register

This workshop is an overview on fresh pasta making. From different flours to different shapes, we will explore a wide range of possibilities and combinations easily doable at home. We will address ingredients and dough-kneading techniques. We will see the difference between tagliatelle, pappardelle, ravioli, tortelli, and many more. Don’t have a pasta attachment for your mixer? Grandma didn’t either! All you need is some arm strength and a good rolling pin. Learn how to make, shape, cut, close, fold, and dress pasta in your kitchen with your own hands.

About the workshop leader: Luca Trazzi, Visiting International Scholar in Italian at Dickinson College, earned his BA and MA from Bologna University, Italy. He specialized in English and French linguistics and Italian language pedagogy. While pursuing his degrees, he lived and studied in Italy, United States, and France. At Dickinson he teaches elementary Italian courses, works at the Multilingual Writing Center, and participates in the organization of Italian events on campus sharing with the community his passion for Italian language, culture, and food.

Students attend for free, with transportation provided. If you are a student, please email  garden at dickinson.edu to register.

Fee: $6 PASA or DC Farm CSA member/$8 non-member

April 13^th, 2:00-4:00pm
Better Than Sliced Bread: Gluten-Free Sourdough Baking
Register

More people are discovering that they feel better when they avoid foods that contain gluten, a protein commonly found in wheat and other grains. In this workshop, participants will learn how to use time-tested sourdough bread baking techniques and a variety of flours, such as teff, buckwheat, and rice flour, to create naturally-leavened breads that have complex taste, natural sponginess and excellent crust. Attendees will take home multiple recipes sure to please gluten-sensitive palates.

Students attend for free, with transportation provided. If you are a student, please email  garden at dickinson.edu to register.

Fee: $6 PASA or DC Farm CSA member/$8 non-member

May 18^th, 2:00-4:00pm
Stalking Wild Edibles!
Register

Back by popular demand, local forager Dawn Toutkaldjian joins Dickinson College Farm to impart her wisdom and enthusiasm for foraging wild edibles. This meandering workshop will take place in and amongst the fields at the College Farm. Participants will learn how to identify medicinal and nourishing edibles otherwise mistaken as weeds!

Students attend for free, with transportation provided. If you are a student, please email  garden at dickinson.edu to register.

Fee: $6 PASA or DC Farm CSA member/$8 non-member

June 15th, 2:00-4:00pm
Backyard Beekeeping with Rodney Morgan
Register (registration will open by 7pm on 5/15)

What is all the buzz about beekeeping?! Come and find out! Rodney Morgan will share his experiences as a local beekeeper and what it takes to raise a hive of your own.  This workshop will cover the basics of hive management, “bee”havior, making a nucleus colony and the seasonal needs of honey bees.

Fee: $8 PASA or DC Farm CSA member/$10 non-member

July 27^th, 2:00-4:00pm
Harness the Sun!

There are many ways to utilize the sun’s energy.  This workshop will focus on low-input technologies for renewable energy enthusiasts.  Participants will learn how to construct solar showers and solar cookers for home or farm use.  A solar tour of Dickinson College Farm, led by Farmer Matt will be offered at the conclusion of the main workshop.

Fee: $6 PASA or DC Farm CSA member/$8 non-member

August 24^th, 2:00-4:00pm
Season in a Jar

What better way to celebrate a bountiful growing season than through food preservation?!  Farmer Jenn will share the DC Farm’s favorite salsa recipe that is both easy and delicious!  This hands-on workshop promises to send participants home with a jar in addition to helpful information on the basics of canning.  Space is limited, please register soon!

Fee $8 PASA or DC Farm CSA member/$10 non-member

September 21^st, 2:00-4:00pm
Grains to Wreaths

Local flower grower and floral artist extraordinaire Michelle Elston will lead workshop participants through the process of wreath making using local grains like rye, sorghum and wheat.  This hands-on opportunity will allow each participant to make a dried wreath that captures the natural attributes of autumn.

Fee: $16 PASA or DC Farm CSA member/$18 non-member (includes wreath making supplies)

October 12^th, 2:00-4:00pm
Backyard Chickens: Peeps to Processing

Farmer Jenn will lead workshop participants on how to raise healthy laying hens and broilers.  The Dickinson College Farm practices rotational grazing with their chickens, warranting healthy birds, eggs and meat.  In addition to covering topics like housing, feed and general care farm staff will demonstrate the steps involved with harvesting chicken for meat in a humane and efficient way.

Fee: $8 PASA or DC Farm CSA member/$10 non-member

November 9th, 2:00-4:00pm
For the Love of Fungi!

Rodney Morgan, local producer of gourmet mushrooms will take us down the road less traveled, cultivating edible fungi!  This workshop will cover the basics of mushroom production, including isolating cultures and expanding to production spawn, grow room and outdoor log management plus demonstrations on starting shiitake and oyster mushrooms.  Come learn, see and taste the possibilities!

Fee: $8 PASA or DC Farm CSA member/$10 non-member

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2012 Sustainability School Workshops

January 28^th: Summer Dreamin’

Despite the cold weather outside, let’s talk summer!  The winter months provide us with time indoors to start planning for the gardening season ahead.  This workshop will discuss how to start a backyard garden, from designing garden beds and soil preparation to starting seeds and planning for continual harvests throughout the growing season!  We will also share strategies for healthy crop rotations, disease prevention and lessons learned from last year!

February 25^th: Starting Seeds & Plants

Starting your own seeds is a lot of fun, saves you money, and allows you to grow many more varieties of vegetables and plants than what most nurseries carry.  Dickinson College Farm staff will take you through the steps for starting seeds and propagating plants to ensure success at planting time!  We will discuss how to make your own potting mix, seedling tray options, and strategies for keeping your seedlings healthy during the cold winter months.

March 31^st: The Dirt on Composting

Composting is as easy as pie!  Come and learn how to turn table scraps and yard waste into nutrient rich fertilizer for your garden.  Participants will learn the fundamentals of building and managing piles in addition to a closer look inside the pile and the biology at work.  Not interested in backyard composting?  How about indoor vermicomposting made easy?!  We will be sure to cover this topic, too!

April 28^th: Inspired Centerpieces from Your Garden
Will be held indoors if it rains. Bring a mason jar or vase.

Guest Presenter Michelle Elston from Roots Cut Flower Farm in Carlisle will demonstrate techniques for assembling seasonally inspired centerpieces for your table.  This hands-on workshop will include a list of good cutting material by season, ideas for unusual containers and tips for inspired designs.

More about Roots Cut Flower Farm:

Roots is a small farm operated by Michelle Elston with lots of help from her family. All flowers are grown naturally with minimal use of pesticides. Roots began in 2007 in response to Michelle’s vision of growing beautiful things while raising her children around family & nature. The move back to PA was a return to her Roots – and since they are GOOD Roots, things are sure to grow well! Roots’ focus is on growing sustainably, being environmentally responsible, balancing farm and family, and being financially viable. Feel free to contact ROOTS to join their mailing list or to identify places to purchase their product.

May 26^th: Landscaping for the Birds and the Bees

Jenn Halpin, Dickinson Farm Manager, and Scott Hoffman, student researcher and 2012 farm apprentice will be leading this in-depth workshop. Jenn and Scott will impart their wisdom on simple ways that gardeners can integrate habitat in their gardens that support native pollinators and other beneficial organisms. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to see and learn about “proven” habitats, as well as experimental landscaping that serve as hubs for beneficial critters like native bees, toads, and predatory insects. The Dickinson College Farm has implemented unique Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies on the farm over the years. In addition to learning about establishing habitat for IPM, participants will also learn how to assess farm and garden insect inventories through scouting techniques.

June 30^th: Foraging for Medicinals in Your Backyard

Many of the plants underfoot have nutritional and medicinal qualities that may surprise you! Take a walk around the Dickinson College Farm with local herb enthusiast Dawn Toutkaldjian and Jenn Halpin and learn how to identify weeds and herbs with unique properties. Participants will learn how best to use medicinal plants, from salves and  tinctures to delicious green drinks and edible treats!

Dawn Toutkaldjian

Dawn is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Herbalist, Yoga Instructor and Body/Energy Work Practitioner. Her love of nature has been blossoming since she was 3 when she began to explore her childhood property and gardened alongside her mother. Dawn has participated in the Master Gardeners Program and studied numerous herbal programs, including Rosemary Gladstar’s. She has facilitated a variety of nature programs for ages 3 through adulthood at schools, parks and in her backyard. Dawn especially enjoys sharing the many wonderful aspects of wild edibles and giving others the opportunity to use all their “senses” to discover, explore and be in balance with all the magic that is so abundant in nature.

July 28^th: Ins and Outs of Renewable Energy Options for Home Owners

Dickinson College Farm’s Renewable Energy Specialist Matt Steiman will lead participants on a solar tour of the farm and hands-on workshop. The tour will cover both solar hot water and solar electric projects, and will include options for remote power (battery systems) as well as utility interactive installations. The hands-on section of the course will involve working with solar electric modules to understand the basics of their function and integration into a larger system.  Matt will also show the farm’s new biogas generator, which makes burnable gas from food waste and animal manures.

About renewable energy at Dickinson College Farm

The farm seeks to use, develop, and demonstrate sustainable energy technologies wherever possible. We consider it our responsibility both to reduce the environmental footprint of the food that we produce and to educate our students and our community on the possibilities for decreased consumption of non-renewable energy.

Learn more about solar at Dickinson College Farm.
Learn more about Dickinson College Biodiesel.
Learn more about Biogas research and production at Dickinson College Farm.

 More about Matt Steiman

Matt has been farming organic vegetables since 1993, working on farms in Colorado, California and Minnesota before settling in the Cumberland Valley. For five seasons, Matt managed Fulton Farm at Wilson College where he learned the ropes of running an educational CSA program, and also developed initial experience with renewable energy systems. Matt and Jenn Halpin then ran their own farm on rented ground for two seasons before signing on as the full-time farmers at Dickinson College in 2007. In addition to regular farm duties at the Dickinson Farm, Matt supervises equipment maintenance, irrigation, sheep and cattle, and also works extensively with solar energy projects,biogas, and biodiesel fuel applications for the college.

August 25^th: What is Happening in My Garden?
Special guest presenter: Steve Bogash, Regional Horticulture Educator, Penn State Cooperative Extension

2:00-4:00pm
$5 suggested donation

Directions to Dickinson College Farm

The farm is thrilled to announce that the popular Penn State Cooperative Extension Educator, Steve Bogash, will be leading our “Pest Walk” through the DC Farm on Saturday, 8/25, from 2pm-4pm! Everyone is welcome, from beginners to advanced pest pioneers.

As undesirable as they may be, pests and diseases are part of our ecosystem, and their presence or absence delivers important messages about our gardens and farms. How do we decode these messages? As holistic gardeners and farmers, what can we add to our toolbox that is both environmentally responsible AND effective when we are faced with a pest problem or disease? What are the latest solutions that are revolutionizing organic vegetable and fruit production?

Don’t miss this chance to take a closer look at some of the issues on the Dickinson Farm and hear an expert’s suggestions for the best holistic materials and techniques to prevent – or get around – each problem.

More about Steve Bogash, Regional Horticulture Educator, Penn State Cooperative Extension

As the Southeast Pennsylvania Regional Horticulture Educator for Penn State Cooperative Extension, Steve wears the many hats of teacher, trial garden manager, presenter, author and media resource. From the Pennsylvania “Punk Rock Gardens” blog and local newspapers to national publications and popular websites like ehow.com, Steve’s expertise is widely sought-after. Among his areas of focus are vegetables, small fruit, cut flowers, greenhouse vegetables, and specialty marketing. Steve’s trial gardens are legendary in the gardening and farming communities. He has produced more than 300 tomato varieties in trials! Evaluating 300 varieties of tomatoes for flavor, appearance, disease resistance and general usability has made Steve very opinionated when it comes to this beloved garden staple.

If your prize veggies or fruits are not thriving and your friends respond with quizzical stares when you ask, “What can I do?!”, Steve Bogash is the one that could come up with an effective, holistic approach that you may have missed. With encyclopedic knowledge of everything from strawberries and muskmelons to bell peppers and shallots, Steve is able to balance complex variables to maximize his students’ success, while constantly working to expand area gardeners’ and farmers’ toolboxes.

September 29^th: Saving Tradition by Saving Seed

We are avid seed savers at the Dickinson College Farm and want to share our love of seeds with you! We will share our strategies for plant selection and fun ways to collect, process and save seed for next year’s garden! Learn easy ways to save your garden traditions through this hands-on workshop!

 

October 27^th: The Skinny on Sauerkraut
Register online. Email  farm at dickinson.edu with any questions.
$5 suggested donation + $8 materials fee*
*Free for students!

One way to preserve your fall harvest is through lacto-fermentation! This hands-on workshop will allow you to make your own batch of fermented vegetables for the coming winter! Carrots, cabbage, radishes, turnips, leafy greens and more!

 

Presenter: Brooks Miller, North Mountain Pastures

North Mountain Pastures is owned and operated by Brooks Miller and Anna Santini. The Millers started managing farms together in 2006, and now own 84 acres outside of Newport, Pennsylvania, where they raise chickens, pigs, turkeys, cows and sheep, all with permanent access to pasture.

Brooks graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering. He worked briefly in the aerospace industry, but soon longed for a return to the outdoors and working with his hands. Unsure of his future as an engineer, he traveled through Europe and then backpacked and WWOOFed in Mexico, confirming a love for farming.

Upon his return to the US, he moved to Hope Springs Farm with Anna, and they soon married. Brooks worked off the farm as a brewer and automation engineer at Troegs Brewing Company (Harrisburg, PA), a small, craft brewery.

Over the years, Brooks and Anna have expanded their knowledge of pasture-raised meats by raising batches of pastured poultry, managing a growing flock of sheep and a small herd of cows through trial and error and with the help of area farmers.  Brooks has also spent time with some of the finest chefs in the country, learning artisan techniques and recipes to make salumi directly on the farm.