Art Exhibit and Hands-On Wild-Crafted Paints and Paintbrushes with Nick Neddo of ‘The Organic Artist’- May 30

“Hummingbird talks to Bear” by Nick Neddo- with wildcrafted walnut ink and bear fur paintbrush.

We’re very excited to announce that we’ll be offering an opportunity to study and practice the creation of wild-crafted art materials hands-on with Nick Neddo– author of recently published book “The Organic Artist”!

Art Exhibit and Free Public Talk  

Saturday, May 30     7:30 pm 

Wild-Crafted Paints and Paintbrushes

Saturday, May 30     10 am – 4 pm

at Willow Crossing Farm in Johnson, VT

REGISTER HERE

Learn to make paint from stones! We will hunt and gather rocks from the landscape and grind them into powder. From there we process and refine the rock powder into a fine pigment and transform it into paint!

We will also approach the art of making paintbrushes from a variety of angles, using a wide variety of natural materials found on the living landscape.

Some of Nick’s ground stone paints.

Some of Nick’s wildcrafted paintbrushes.

You will also be able to purchase “The Organic Artist” directly from the author, and have him sign your book (with a wildcrafted pen and ink 😉

The workshop is sliding scale- suggested donation $80 with materials provided.  No one will be refused due to lack of funds!  However- space is limited and registration is required regardless.

Wild-Crafted pens made from feathers, reeds, sticks, bamboo, antler, random found twigs made by Nick Neddo. Photo courtesy Quarry Books.

About the Instructor: 

Self-Portrait- Nick Neddo. Wild-Crafted Pens and Berry Inks.

Nick Neddo is a sixth generation Vermonter who has been making art since he could first pick up a crayon. He grew up exploring the wetlands, forests and fields of his bioregion and developed a profound curiosity, respect and love for the community of life around him.

He makes his art supplies from materials that he gathers from the landscape, which is the topic of his new book: The Organic Artist. Nick enjoys clean air, water, food and dirty hands.

As a young teenager Nick identified primary focuses that would become life-long pursuits: study of the natural world, Stone Age technology (popularly known as primitive skills) and creating art. Trusting the inherent value of these skills, he continues to embrace their pursuit with a ravenous appetite fueled by a genuine love of the living world and the creative process. He has traveled the country extensively, visiting the last great wildernesses, seeking traditional skills and experiencing the landscape’s majesty, which are common themes in his artwork.

Nick has been teaching wilderness survival and living skills, tracking, drawing and nature awareness professionally since 2000, although he considers himself a perpetual student. He currently instructs at Roots School in Vermont, as well as other venues. You can find his latest artwork, other creations, and purchase a copy of ‘The Organic Artist” at www.nickneddo.com.

About Willow Crossing Farm:

Willow Crossing Farm is Vermont’s longest running permaculture research and education center.  We are committed to fostering ecologically regenerative culture, and sharing our efforts to meet human needs while increasing ecological health.  We are an entirely community supported, debt-free farm, incredibly diverse tree and medicinal herb nursery, wildlife refuge, and pollinator sanctuary.

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June 6-7 is our COMPOST TOILET DESIGN BUILD WORKSHOP- email to reserve your space stay tuned for more details.

There is still space in our farm-based Summer Permaculture Design Certification Courses!      Click HERE for more information.

Details for our annual Nursery Plant Sale can be found HERE.

The full calendar of events can be found HERE.

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We are still accepting applications for Internships, Apprenticeships, and looking for a Vegetable Production Partner and Chef.  Opportunities can be found HERE.

‘Swamp Dancers’ by Nick Neddo. Wild-Crafted Cattail Pen, Pine Soot Ink, Cattail Paper

Fruit and Nut Tree Pruning Workshop- March 15

Hands on- Fruit and Nut Tree Pruning

A day long exploration of the science and practice of ecological tree crop management for diverse yields.

Willow Crossing Farm

Johnson, VT

Sunday, MARCH 15

(Please note- new date!)

10 am – 4 pm

Join VT’s Master Horticulturalist Zach Leonard and Tree Farmer Keith Morris for a day of hands-on practice with fruit and nut tree pruning, in a diverse permaculture forest garden setting.  Spend the morning in the large yurt learning the science and ecology of how trees lose limbs and ‘heal’, and explore the deep traditions of how humans beings observe and interact with this phenomenon.

We’ll synthesize a variety of pruning ideas, strategies, and techniques to help you develop your own philosophy, understanding, and confidence to go out and work with trees in your landscape in a regenerative and yielding way. After lunch and some hot cider we’ll go outside to explore one of VT’s oldest permaculture designed food forests- a reforestation of old pasture and hayfield in the floodplain of the Lamoille River.  We’ll briefly tour ‘Productive Buffers’, wildlife corridors, and stop to work in zones of Plums, Apples, Peaches, Pears, Berries, Vines, Hazelnuts, Walnuts, and more- driven by the group’s interest, and discussing pruning techniques for trees both young and old.

We’ll look at and evaluate previous years of pruning decisions and ensuing consequences, and explore some natural tree injuries and healing responses, helping participants to better understand the implications of our pruning decisions over varying periods of time.

We’ll finish the day practicing with different tools to cut wood cleanly- with an eye towards maximizing production, fruit quality, ease of future maintenance, and minimizing pest and disease pressure.  We’ll also set the stage for top-working, multi-variety grafting, species changes (i.e.. Peaches on Plum roots), and other forms of propagation, in preparation for our March 21 Grafting Workshop and Scionwood Exchange.

We’ll also prune mature, bearing Hazelnuts and manage black locust, walnut, butternut/ buartnut, pecans, and more for nuts, firewood, high-value lumber, succession, aesthetics, and other long-term aims.

We’ll pass around, demonstrate, and allow you to trial favorite tools, including pruners, saws, pole saws, etc.; speak to their selection and maintenance, and discuss hygienic practices to promote orchard health and reduce cross-contamination.

This workshop kicks off our series for 2015!  

Please enter your email in the box on the right hand side of the page, or ‘like’ us on Facebook to get the calendar and details for our other offerings such as:  fruit tree grafting (March 21), nursery plant sale, compost toilet design/ build workshop, natural beekeeping workshop, nut production, diverse understory planting, spring development for gravity fed irrigation, natural building, compost heat, season extension, earth oven construction, stone masonry, and more. Our Plum Flower Festival and Nursery Plant Sale is scheduled for May 3.

Our 2015 Permaculture Design Certification Course will be offered June 20- July 2 OR July 19- 31, and they are filling quickly.

We have full scholarships available to income-elligible Vermont State residents, and are presently fundraising for gender and diversity leadership scholarships for out of state residents- please be in touch if you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution.

Applications for our Advanced Permaculture Design / Build /Grow / Teach internship, and APDC guided portfolio development are accepted on a rolling basis.

Event is $60 suggested donation/ sliding scale, including warm or cold cider during lunch and a round of hard cider tasting (21 and over) afterwards.  No one will be refused for lack of funds.

*We are looking for photographers or videographers to help document the event, or create a short educational video.*

Please pre-register, and dress to spend the day outdoors.

REGISTER HERE!

We’ll need your email address if you’re planning on coming because the weather will determine where we’ll have people park.  Feel free to bring your *clean, sterile, and sharp* pruners and saws.

Apple Blossoms at High Hopes Orchard

Zach Leonard is a master horticulturalist and was farm manager of Elmore Roots Nursery for over a decade.  He and his family have created High Hopes Farm, a diverse, off-grid homestead, where they preserve heirloom apples, sheep, and more.  He runs High Hopes Tree Care, Vermont’s most experienced orchard restoration and maintenance service specializing in Organic Management.

Felco’s F 13s- the pruner of choice for large hands, or thick branches

Keith Morris has been collecting and experimenting with rare fruit and nut trees for 14 years, and is professor of ecological design at the University of Vermont.  He has worked to help create resilient, diverse, socially just, and economically viable food systems around the world since 1996. Please spread the word to potentially interested friends and networks. Thank you for your support of our work!

Thanks,

Keith and Crew

Willow Crossing Farm

www.willowcrossing.org

You can view some photos from last years event and share this via social media HERE.

Canning and Food Preservation Workshop September 9

Join us at Willow Crossing Farm to learn the basics of canning and food preservation. We will learn about several ways to preserve garden fresh food including ‘hot water baths’, steam juicing, pressure canning, pickling etc…

This will be a hands on workshop where we will be making/canning tomato sauce and salsas, pickling and other delicious treats.

Please bring a bagged lunch, and other fun recipes you may want to share

$35 includes taking home a canned item

space is limited, please register and pre-pay by september 5th.

Workshop led by Jennifer Stellma of High Hopes Farm and Kori Gelinas of Willow Crossing Farm.

Jennifer Stellma of High Hopes Farm has been homesteading and organic farming for over 15 years. She is an herbalist, medicine maker, vegetable farmer, artist, and mother of two boys.

Kori Gelinas of Willow Crossing Farm runs Willow Crossing Healing Arts & Botanicals, and has been practicing healing arts for 14 years. She is a massage therapist, aromatherapist, herbalist, yoga teacher, organic farmer, and mother of two daugthers.

To register or for more information, please call or email Kori Gelinas:

korigvt(at)yahoo.com  (802) 355-6910