Discover the Sassafras Farm experience.
All workshops take place at Sassafras Farm– home of Chickens in the Road–located in the beautiful Appalachian foothills of Roane County, West Virginia, approximately 30 minutes north of Charleston, WV. Workshops start at 9:00 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m. Price includes lunch, all supplies and instruction, and take-homes: $75 per person.
See 2017 workshop schedule and information below, choose your workshop and date, and sign up for your adventure! Directions and other information will be emailed to attendees closer to the time of the workshop. If you have questions or need other information, feel free to email me! Workshops also make great gifts!
TO SIGN UP: Email me at [email protected] to sign up by mail OR sign up online using a credit or debit card or Paypal on Etsy! To register via Etsy, go here: Sign up on Etsy.
2017 workshops currently OPEN FOR REGISTRATION–If a workshop is listed, there are available spots. Workshops that are filled are already removed from the list.
Taste of Sassafras Farm Workshops
All the fun that can be packed into one day! It is a true “taste of Sassafras Farm” touring you through my most popular workshops all in one day. Milk the cow, hands-on, and learn about managing a home dairy, make mozzarella cheese, grind grain and bake rustic-style bread, and whip up a batch of hot process soap. Yes, you’ll really do all of that in one day–and take it home along with some great memories! Take-homes include your soap and bread. 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. One-day workshop. Lunch is included. Price: $75.
Dates:
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Saturday, October 14, 2017
Spaces are limited! Sign up to hold yours! Email [email protected] to sign up by mail, or go here to register online via Etsy.
Soap Making Workshops
Learn to make both cold process and hot process bar soap as well as the liquid soap process used for shampoo, body wash, hand and dish soap! In this full day, you will create your own soaps from scratch using natural ingredients and a variety of bases including milk, water, tea, and beer as you learn the chemistry of soap, how to use additives, what is superfatting, and how to develop safe personalized recipes using a soap calculator. We’ll also explore ideas and resources for packaging, gifting, and even selling your creations. Take-homes include some of everything! 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Lunch is included. One day workshop. $75.
Dates:
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Spaces are limited! Sign up to hold yours! Email [email protected] to sign up by mail, or go here to register online via Etsy.
Hard Cheese Made Easy Workshops
Explore the basic how and why of milk, cultures, rennet, cheese presses (homemade and spring-weighted), as well as resources and education about the basic supplies and equipment to set up a home cheese cave. You will practice hands-on making two hard cheeses–a washed curd cheese and a cheddar–from pot to press along with drying and waxing. Whether you’re thinking of getting your own cow or goat, or just want to experience the whole process from barn to kitchen, this workshop is for you. Every attendee will get hands-on practice milking a cow or goat both by hand and by machine and learn to handle fresh milk from filtering to skimming cream. Learn all about handling dairy livestock, breeding, housing, feeding, and managing babies along with maintaining a family dairy, hands on. Leave with hard cheese demystified and the skills to make your own at home. 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. One-day workshop. Lunch is included. $75.
Dates:
Saturday, October 21, 2017
Spaces are limited! Sign up to hold yours! Email [email protected] to sign up by mail, or go here to register online via Etsy.
Home Artisan Soft Cheese Workshops
Master simple but artisan soft cheeses at home! You will practice hands-on making a number of soft and semi-soft cheeses including sour cream, yogurt, ricotta, feta, along with herbed and aged soft cheeses. Whether you’re thinking of getting your own cow or goat, or just want to experience the whole process from barn to kitchen, this workshop is for you. Every attendee will get hands-on practice milking by hand and by machine and learn to handle fresh milk from filtering to skimming cream. Explore the basic how and why of milk, cultures, rennet, as well as resources and education about the basic supplies and equipment to make cheese at home. Learn all about handling dairy livestock, breeding, housing, feeding, and managing babies along with maintaining a family dairy, hands on. Leave with soft cheeses demystified and the skills to make your own at home. 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. One-day workshop. Lunch is included. $75.
Dates:
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Spaces are limited! Sign up to hold yours! Email [email protected] to sign up by mail, or go here to register online via Etsy.
The Sassafras Farm Experience
Learn! Find old-time skills and fresh, new methods with in-person mentorship, in-depth and hands-on, at a real working family farm. Take home fun and functional know-how for self-sufficient living and old-fashioned crafting–and take home what you make, too. Workshop days include lunch from a health department-approved kitchen plus all your instruction, supplies, and take-homes along with an opportunity to milk the cows or goats, visit the chickens, give treats to the animals, and rock on the porch while you watch the calves frolic. All you need to bring is an apron (optional), muck boots (recommended for forays to the barn), and your enthusiasm to learn! Every workshop is HANDS-ON with teacher and milk maid Suzanne McMinn, writer and creator of Chickens in the Road.
Accommodations are not included. See the Suggested Accommodations page.
Kids are welcome. Sassafras Farm workshops are family-friendly events. School-age children and teens may sign up to attend accompanied by a parent/guardian. (Both children/teens and parents must be paid attendees. Please be a good judge of your child’s maturity, behavior, and interest in the subject matter.)
Location: All workshops take place in the Studio at Sassafras Farm in Roane County, WV, about 30 minutes north of Charleston, WV near I-79. Directions to the farm and other information will be provided to attendees in advance of the workshop.
Cost: Cost includes ALL instruction, supplies, lunch and snacks, and take-homes. The price per person per workshop is $75 and must be paid in full in advance, at the time of reservation. If you sign up, please plan to attend. Workshop reservations are nonrefundable. If you can’t attend for some reason, your reservation payment can be applied to another workshop of your choice where there are openings available. (Workshops also make great gifts to friends and family!) And yes, many men attend workshops here!
Sign up! Email me at [email protected] to sign up by mail OR sign up online using a credit or debit card or Paypal on Etsy! To register via Etsy, go here: Sign up on Etsy.
See the “Traveling WV” video of Sassafras Farm at WCHS-TV here!
