Crosshatch Field Schools are hands-on, on-farm learning days. Field Schools offer experienced instructors and small group sizes with both classroom time and field work for an in-depth education. Included is a local food lunch and a post-workshop social networking hour.

Field School Spring Line-up

9:30 to 10:00 am: Coffee, pastries and greeting

10 am to 12:30 pm: Morning Sessions

12:30 to 1:30 pm: Local lunch

1:30 to 4:00 pm: Afternoon Sessions

4:00 to 5:00 pm: Social hour with drinks and snacks 

Choose from one of four tracks:

TRACK OPTIONS:

Mushroom Production with Bernie Ware

Learn all about home mushroom production including oyster totems, shiitake logs and wine cap propagation from Bernie Ware. Attendees also will head home with their own set of inoculated logs to get their mushroom yard started. 

Herbs with Sierra Bigham

Sierra Bigham of Bear Earth Herbals will lead attendees in a day-long exploration into herbs—harvesting, caring for and using them in our daily lives. Learn about the medicinal plants that are growing right outside our doors and how to identify and utilize edible and medicinal wild plants and trees common in Northern Michigan.

Soil and Carbon Sequestration with Paul May and Tim Overdier

Tim Overdier, a soil scientist with TGoodsoil Associates and Paul May of May Farm will discuss the importance of carbon sequestration as the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide. The speakers will also lead attendees in a hands-on demonstration of making biochar for soil by burning organic material at high temperatures with little to no oxygen availability.

Holistic Grazing for Regenerative Farms with Jason Rowntree and Matt Raven

Jason Rowntree and Matt Raven of Michigan State University will instruct attendees on diversified livestock on the small scale. Enjoy an introduction on regenerative farm practices for the climate using holistic management. This course will discuss the land’s ecosystem processes and how to plan for animals to be at the right place, at the right time, and for the right reasons. Further, attendees will leave understanding the use of tools on the land and how to make decisions looking at economic, ecological, and social needs while taking into careful consideration profit, paying for infrastructure, and growth.

(This session takes place at a different location, TBD, but will not be further than 10-15 drive from Ware Farm.)

PRICING:

We are committed to making Field School as financially accessible to all who wish to participate. To that end, we offer a sliding scale.

$175.00

This is the unsubsidized cost per person. Please select this amount if you have the means. This helps us keep costs low for folks on a limited budget.

$87.00

Not too high, not too low! This is a great value.

$48.00

If you have a limited budget, this option is for you!