homestead skills (aka PEP certification) course in September - what would work?

We want your input!

We are trying to fill our calendar with funky cool events!   The events we need to figure out first are the events that are just a few weeks away!

First up are more homestead skills (otherwise known as PEP badge bits or BBs) events SOON - in September! - just weeks away.

(Read more about the PEP program here.)

Since it's so soon, folks might only be able to pop out here for a weekend, not as easily for a full week or weeks.

But we don't know for sure, so we're wondering:  what would you want?

Click the thumbs up on the ideas you like best below.

click the thumbs up on this post if:

weekends work best - Friday night to Sunday afternoon so I don't have to take time off work to attend.

click the thumbs up on this post if:

I do not fear week-long workshops on short notice! - Monday through Friday (optional Saturday) would be awesome for me to really get in to the PEP1 projects

click the thumbs up on this post if:

I'm flexible! - if you've got wifi (which we do), and the topics interest me, I could be there a weekend, a week, two weeks or even more!

click the thumbs up on this post if ...

woodsy stuff is your jam!

    carving a wood spoon
    tripping trees and massaging them into useful stuff
    making mallets
    making roundwood stools
    three log benches  

click the thumbs up on this post if you'd like:

fiber arts & other crafts!

sewing, mending
spinning, weaving
dyeing
making wood signs
sharpening knives

click the thumbs up on this post if you'd like:

wild & herby!

herbal medicine
wildcrafting edibles or herbs
preserving herbs
herbal infusions or beverages
growing culinary or medicinal herbs

Reply and tell us what else are you might be interested in coming out here to do and learn.

At wheaton labs, we have 220+ acres and all kinds of equipment that make getting those BBs easier than many other places.

click on the thumbs up for this post if you are keen on:

gardening, soils and hugelkultur

(maybe running the excavator)

Rockety stuff is my Jam!

Cookin', lightin', cleanin', boilin'.

I always wanted to be a Steam Locomotive when I was a kid, and after that, a Rocket Scientist.

Ash Jackson wrote:Rockety stuff is my Jam!

Cookin', lightin', cleanin', boilin'.

I always wanted to be a Steam Locomotive when I was a kid, and after that, a Rocket Scientist.

Fun! Keep on chuggin' Ash!!

Earthworks Sand Badge Bits are my Jam!

My son and I make puddles with his toy excavator. Which is fun, but it's not enough.

Greywater & Willowfeeder Badge "Bits" are my Jam!

Hahaha. Poop is funny.

Also, if this comes to pass, and there's bits on a weekend in September; pretty please, let those weekends be one of:

- Labor Day
- Sept 7-8 (Or even bridging Labor Day to this)
- Sept 21-22

I know I'm not the only factor in this. But if I get even a semblance of a vote, I wanted to cast it.

I kinda feel like rockety stuff should be the first or second week of october.   Still warm enough to tent it, and cold enough to appreciate the warmth of something rockety.

Really, they're all my jam. I'm just trying to figure out which ones basically require me to be at WL to accomplish.

I think the weekend stuff could work for someone in a neighboring state.  In my personal experience, if you're traveling a decent way to attend, the 1-2 week ones would be better.  

I like the idea of having a 4 week PEP event that is made up of:
First weekend:  Orientation and Tool Care (Freecycles on the Friday prior)
    First week: Woodland Care and Round Wood Woodworking
Second weekend: Woodland Care and Round Wood Woodworking
    Second week: Gardening and Earthworks
Third weekend: Metalworking
    Third week: Rocket Stove and Natural Building
Fourth weekend: Natural Building and Wild Harvesting
    Fourth week: Animal Care and Food Prep/Preservation
Last weekend: Natural Medicine

There are many ways to roll from one topic to another, this is just one.  Hopefully the topics are ordered so that the average person who'd be interested in two weeks of PEP is lucky enough that the two weeks adjoin.  Or a weekend warrior can do enough on a weekend to feel good about the journey.  Also, this allows you to arrange instructors/projects that match the topics without too much chaos.

Notice how I put woodland care and round wood woodworking together since you need the wood to do the wood working  And the gardening and earthworks both use the excavator and could all be done at the lab.  And metalworking is a single project that several people could easily knock out in a weekend as a standalone workshop.  And rocket stove and natural building both probably require a mix of Lab and Base camp.  And wild harvesting is done just before food prep.  But there are dozens of ways to meld from topic to topic and allow folks to pick the week(s) and weekends that work for them.

If I were able to go, I would like to do basket weaving and make my own coffin - segway!!!

Nearly all of these sound fascinating.
For me interest is definitely not the limiting factor, it's time and money.

Mandy Launchbury-Rainey wrote:If I were able to go, I would like to do basket weaving and make my own coffin - segway!!!

I've done a hint of basket weaving.
There is a lot more skill involved than I had imagined.
People who are good at it have really accomplished something.

I won't need a coffin.
I want to be composted, then used to grow vegetables.
Feed the vegetables to people who didn't like me.
Don't tell them they will be carrying my molecules for the rest of their lives until after they have eaten me.

Hello,

I would be coming as a single mom with two young kids, two year old and a four year old.  So, of course the amount of labor/ learning I could do would be reduced to their needs.  But I think I could still do a lot, as I do have a background in gardening as a wwoofer, and I've also taken about a year's worth of survival skills including wild foraging.


A question then is, could we come as guests with the opportunity to learn as much as possible, whatever may be taught at the time that we are there.  I'd love to earn some PEP badges.

I'm especially interested in building as I will be taking the carpentry class in 6 months.

What could be my best option for a living arrangement?

I can come for a week or more in September.


Stephanie

Mike Jay wrote:I think the weekend stuff could work for someone in a neighboring state.  In my personal experience, if you're traveling a decent way to attend, the 1-2 week ones would be better.  

I like the idea of having a 4 week PEP event that is made up of:
First weekend:  Orientation and Tool Care (Freecycles on the Friday prior)
    First week: Woodland Care and Round Wood Woodworking
Second weekend: Woodland Care and Round Wood Woodworking
    Second week: Gardening and Earthworks
Third weekend: Metalworking
    Third week: Rocket Stove and Natural Building
Fourth weekend: Natural Building and Wild Harvesting
    Fourth week: Animal Care and Food Prep/Preservation
Last weekend: Natural Medicine

There are many ways to roll from one topic to another, this is just one.  Hopefully the topics are ordered so that the average person who'd be interested in two weeks of PEP is lucky enough that the two weeks adjoin.  Or a weekend warrior can do enough on a weekend to feel good about the journey.  Also, this allows you to arrange instructors/projects that match the topics without too much chaos.

Notice how I put woodland care and round wood woodworking together since you need the wood to do the wood working  And the gardening and earthworks both use the excavator and could all be done at the lab.  And metalworking is a single project that several people could easily knock out in a weekend as a standalone workshop.  And rocket stove and natural building both probably require a mix of Lab and Base camp.  And wild harvesting is done just before food prep.  But there are dozens of ways to meld from topic to topic and allow folks to pick the week(s) and weekends that work for them.

We would LOVE an intensive schedule like this....though maybe in September 2020.

With such short notice, we'll likely keep things a bit simpler, and more straightforward for this year / 2019.

Stephanie Sager wrote:Hello,

I would be coming as a single mom with two young kids, two year old and a four year old.  So, of course the amount of labor/ learning I could do would be reduced to their needs.  But I think I could still do a lot, as I do have a background in gardening as a wwoofer, and I've also taken about a year's worth of survival skills including wild foraging.

Welcome to the forums, Stephanie! Those skills do sound like a fit for a lot of the PEP program.

Stephanie Sager wrote:A question then is, could we come as guests with the opportunity to learn as much as possible, whatever may be taught at the time that we are there.  I'd love to earn some PEP badges.

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking. There is likely to be a $ fee for these workshops (we haven't decided exactly what price yet), which might or might not include food (we need to decide both the fee and the food part ASAP!). Kids are welcome here, though we do not provide childcare at this time, and supervision is needed because many areas are not child safe. Also, for additional campers there could be an additional fee (see reply about living arrangements following).

Stephanie Sager wrote:What could be my best option for a living arrangement?

For all of our workshops, camping is included with the workshop (or bootcamp) fee that is paid for each workshop participant. If family members, or friends wish to come along and not attend the workshop, there is usually a camping fee per additional person, and they would not be able to partake in the workshop meals (if we provide meals).

Alternatively, we have some rentals (cabins, bunk bedroom, tipi, etc.) that are rustic, and a bit of a step up from camping. More info at wheaton labs rentals.

Local lodging options (not that many since we are fairly rural) are shared after registration.

Stephanie Sager wrote:I can come for a week or more in September.

This is what we've been trying to figure out - should we offer weeklong or weekend things -  so this is really helpful, thank you!!

click the thumbs up on this post if:

No food / I'll pack in my own food - keep the cost lower by not providing me with food I don't want to eat any way!

Though in considering this option, note that there are not exactly restaurants or even a corner bodega nearby. It's some miles to go get food.

click the thumbs up on this post if:

please include food - I love the idea of being able to have meals together that we don't have to cook!

Plus, enjoying organic, whole foods, even if simple, would make the event that much better!

Jocelyn Campbell wrote:click the thumbs up on this post if:

please include food  

On my packing list is my cutting board, chef's knife, and some grocery money. (If I felt like I could buy groceries that would reliably pass inspection, I'd do that).

I see. Thank you for responding. I tbought I'd read that the PEP program was somewhat like WWOOFing, with particular skills being taught as needed by the land/people living there.  If it is a pay per workshop deal, and possibly pay for food, and for camping, that wouldn't work for me right now.  Though, I would like to visit, perhaps as a WWOOFer?  Would you accept a WWOOFer with kids, adjusting for the decrease in labor due to the demands of little people?  I know you can't presuppose how much work I'll be able to accomplish, and perhaps adjusting food/housing rations after arrival is far too complicated.  

Let me ask this, perhaps, when you say, "workshop", are we making improvements to the land? Or, just watching a teacher create something?  Is it more hands on?  I suppose in the case of knitting or mallets, we might take home our creations.  I'm most interested in buildings and stoves.  Perhaps you can let me know specifically when that workshop will happen (though, I believe I read October, and I'm starting another class at that time, unfortunately).

I could come as a guest and rent one of your fancy Chambers and pay $20 an hour to be taught by one of the locals may be my only other choice?

Ok.. that was all sort of stream of consciousness garble.. I have two kids, you know. .

If, perhaps, the workshop being taught utilized manual labor to make improvements on the land, such as a work party, would there perhaps be a reduced cost (free exchange of labor for education/housing/food AKA WWOOF).

I suppose a very large difference between what you're proposing and WWOOFing, is that the reciprocity is more in earned badges, and coins, and, eventual land... Just wrapping my head around it.

I've been reading your forum and ideas for the last few days and been generally intrigued, introducing you to several others.

I'm trying to find a way to make this happen, to visit, with the kids, learn a thing or two, consider returning after I've completed my carpentry class, Master's Gardener class, ecopsychology cert, possible master's in education here in California, and sold my house to seek sort of an eco-village community.  Would you say your vision is heading in that direction?

At this point, I'm quite  curious.  The problem is, with flight and car rental, and not being able to bring all my camping gear on a plane, thus needing a bed, it's a bit cost preventative for me.. unless, I'm missing an option?

Any of your ants want to make extra $$$ doing childcare? Do any of them have children?  Clearly you need me there to start your local forest school.  How far are you from the city any how?

Hi Stepanie,

I’m going to try to answer your questions:
 

Stephanie Sager wrote:Though, I would like to visit, perhaps as a WWOOFer?  Would you accept a WWOOFer with kids, adjusting for the decrease in labor due to the demands of little people?  I know you can't presuppose how much work I'll be able to accomplish, and perhaps adjusting food/housing rations after arrival is far too complicated.

I believe this thread will help a lot!  https://permies.com/wiki/bootcamp
From the thread:
Can I bring my kids?

We have had people with kids here and it has worked great.  And we have had people with kids here and it was a mess.  So I guess it thoroughly depends on you and your kids.

The first element to figure out:  With one person, there is 1 unit of work and 1 unit of resources consumed.   With a couple with three kids, there is one unit of work and 5 units of resources consumed.   We did have a lovely family of five here last year, and it worked great.  The deal they worked out was that they would provide all of the food for all five people.  The parents took really good care of the kids and the kids were super respectful.   It worked great.  

And we have had people that thought my house was "unsupervised child storage" and the children would destroy my house and the parents would say "yeah, kids do that - you should child proof your house."

Stephanie Sager wrote:Let me ask this, perhaps, when you say, "workshop", are we making improvements to the land? Or, just watching a teacher create something?  Is it more hands on?  I suppose in the case of knitting or mallets, we might take home our creations.  I'm most interested in buildings and stoves.  Perhaps you can let me know specifically when that workshop will happen (though, I believe I read October, and I'm starting another class at that time, unfortunately).

From the thread:
If I'm there working as a boot, can I hang out for the workshops?

Sorta.   Usually, you'll be working during the workshops.   (Unless you did a bootcamp trade for a workshop - in which case you are a student and not a boot during the workshop)  As you work during the workshop, a lot of the work that needs to be done involves the workshop.   So you kinda get to be hip deep in the event as it happens.  
For the first PEP1 we had the boots there to help work out all the PEP things. It will not be that way for this event. The Boots may help with somethings but will have boot things to do as a Boot.

Stephanie Sager wrote:I could come as a guest and rent one of your fancy Chambers and pay $20 an hour to be taught by one of the locals may be my only other choice?

Here is the thread for the SEPPer program that maybe what you are thing as a choice?
https://permies.com/wiki/54140/permaculture-projects/SEPPers-Program-Excited-Permaculture-Pampering

Stephanie Sager wrote:Ok.. that was all sort of stream of consciousness garble.. I have two kids, you know. :).

If, perhaps, the workshop being taught utilized manual labor to make improvements on the land, such as a work party, would there perhaps be a reduced cost (free exchange of labor for education/housing/food AKA WWOOF).

I suppose a very large difference between what you're proposing and WWOOFing, is that the reciprocity is more in earned badges, and coins, and, eventual land... Just wrapping my head around it.

I've been reading your forum and ideas for the last few days and been generally intrigued, introducing you to several others.

I'm trying to find a way to make this happen, to visit, with the kids, learn a thing or two, consider returning after I've completed my carpentry class, Master's Gardener class, ecopsychology cert, possible master's in education here in California, and sold my house to seek sort of an eco-village community.  Would you say your vision is heading in that direction?

At this point, I'm quite  curious.  The problem is, with flight and car rental, and not being able to bring all my camping gear on a plane, thus needing a bed, it's a bit cost preventative for me.. unless, I'm missing an option?

Here is a thread for what is PEP https://permies.com/t/96687/PEP-PEX
The PEP1 homestead skills (aka PEP certification) course in September and Bootcamp are two different things. Sometimes the Boots will help but not all the time.

Stephanie Sager wrote:Any of your ants want to make extra $$$ doing childcare? Do any of them have children?  Clearly you need me there to start your local forest school.  How far are you from the city any how?

We have Jeremy for our ants for now. I believe he’s working on his house, Don’t think would have time. I could be wrong.
No Kids here.
We are near Missoula, MT (hour).

I hope this helps and I hope I get to all questions.  

Did this one generate enough interest to grow legs and happen?

(I'm sure there's a minimum attendee cutoff to make something like this worth your cost/time/brain damage)

Lee Jenkins wrote:Did this one generate enough interest to grow legs and happen?

(I'm sure there's a minimum attendee cutoff to make something like this worth your cost/time/brain damage)

I'm not sure if I'm up to date, but this might help:

https://permies.com/wiki/118704/permaculture-projects/September-October-Homestead-Skills-Jamboree