Summer Foraging Class
Hey folks, Let’s get together for a wild medicinal and edible plant foraging class here on the farm in West Knox County. There’s going to be an abundance of useful, medicinal and edible plants in late summer and many of them are all around our farm. Come along for a guided walk on how to ID, harvest and use many of these plants. Well supervised children are welcome, but please no dogs. Afterwards, we’ll break for some Q&A, refreshments and a brief farm tour for those interested. Details: Date: Saturday, August 17th Time: 11 am to 2 pm (or so) Cost: $20 / person Rain or shine, as long as there’s no lightning! Address and Directions: 9528 Middlebrook Pike Knoxville, TN 37931 From Middlebrook Pike, look for the first driveway east of Countryside Center Way. At the red gate, press any key then hang an immediate left up the…
East Tennessee Homestead Alliance Festival wrap-up
In 2007, I was reading Joel Salatin’s books about farming and improving the family land while dwelling on our urban homestead. He became an immediate inspiration with his dedication to regenerative, sensible techniques in the realm of agriculture and homesteading. Between 2020 and 2023, I was at some gatherings that had Joel as a keynote speaker and while I’m not one to fanboy out about anyone, I was really impressed with Joel’s down to earth approach and his accessibility to the attendees. I also noted how he remained in the audience during other presentations and took notes on what was being taught. Just this past week, at the first East Tennessee Homestead Alliance festival, Joel was the keynote speaker as well as a panel moderator. I was invited to be on a permaculture focused panel along with Grant Scalf, Billy Bond, Alana Bliss, Judith Horvath and Stacy Carr. (Follow all…
Comfrey Available!
Comfrey has its place on every homestead, regardless of size. It’s a biodynamic accumulator, a ground cover, pollinator food, living mulch, a compost accelerator and a source of fodder for rabbits, ruminants, chickens and more. I’ve partnered with comfreyroots.com to provide my community with access to this plant. Follow this link https://comfreyroots.com/aff/2/ to place your order and use coupon code SRR10 for a discount.
Summertime Open House and Gathering
Hey Friends! Our next open house at Bluebird Hill is set for Sunday, June 2nd from noon until 4:00 pm. Come on out to tour the homestead, ask questions and have the opportunity to network with folks who share your interests. Folks are always welcome to bring items to barter. We will have food and drinks available as well as plenty of seating the shade. General agenda: Noon until 2 pm will be the property walk / tour where we’ll show the no till gardens, our rotational grazing system, the chicken and rabbit set up as well as the solar power system and the food forest and some earthworks. From 2:00 until 4:00 folks can enjoy refreshments and conversation. You may also drop in and head out as you prefer, but a general agenda helps me keep things on schedule. We appreciate a $10 donation or a cool barter item:…
May Foraging Classes
Howdy folks! My spring blew up in a big (and good!) way. How about yours? I’m putting two wild edible / medicinal foraging classes on the schedule for May. One is on Saturday, May 11th from noon until 3pm. Second class is Sunday, May 26th from noon until 3 pm. $20 per person These classes will be held at our property in West Knox County. Address is 9528 Middlebrook Pike Knoxville, TN 37931 On Middlebrook Pike it is the first driveway east of Countryside Center Way. The mailbox is marked 9530 – that’s your turn. At the gate press any key and hang an immediate LEFT up the gravel drive. Park by the wood chip pile and the shop building. Spots are limited so please email me at strongrootsresources@gmail.com to reserve your spot. Feel free to share this and invite your friends and family. See you soon!
Early Spring Foraging Class
Hi Friends! The late winter foraging classes were well attended and well received, but I know we’re all stoked about the signs of spring that are expressing themselves now. Let’s get a class underway at the end of March with so many plants emerging! Details below: Join us for a casual early Spring foraging class on our property in West Knox County on Saturday, March 30th from 12 noon until 3 pm. We’ll walk the pastures and wood line and work on some tree and shrub identification and see what early greens are beginning to emerge. Wear good shoes – it’s hilly but not especially steep and we’ll move about at a reasonable pace. Feel free to take notes and photos as we go along. We’ll also have some discussion and go over a few of my favorite foraging guides afterwards. Spots are limited, so please reach out early if…
Spring and Summer Events
Hey friends! I’ll be representing the homestead and the business at a number of events spring and summer. Here’s a quick low down: I’ll be vending and networking at the Kentucky Sustainable Living event on March 23/24. Home – Kentucky Sustainable Living Homesteading & Preparedness Festival I’ll be at the Self Reliance Festival in Camden, TN Self Reliance Festival – Event in Camden, Tennessee on April 6th and 7th as well as teaching a 4 hour foraging class on Monday the 8th, at the Special Operations Equipment property: The Wild Foods Around You I’ll also be at the Living Free in Tennessee Spring Workshop April 25th-27th. Sold out, but you may be able to get on a waiting list in case someone cancels: Spring Workshop 2024 – Living Free in Tennessee – Podcast Finally, a brand-new event and one I’m really looking forward to: The first annual East Tennessee Homestead…
Foraging Class in April
Let’s do the foraging thing, y’all. I’m leading a class Monday, April 8th following the Self Reliance Festival in Camden, TN. This class will take place at the Special Operations Equipment compound. I’ve already scouted the area to create a route for the walk. This walk will include in depth instruction and an emailed document of everything we found so that you can continue adding to your foraging knowledge. Class spots are limited, so sign up early! https://selfreliancefestival.com/product/wild/?aff=srr
Next Gathering!
Howdy Friends! We’re looking forward to seeing you at the next Social Gathering and Swap Meet! Details: Sunday, March 3rd, 12:00pm until 4:00pm Cost: $10 suggested donation or a groovy barter item Location: Bluebird Hill Homestead, 9528 Middlebrook Pike Knoxville, TN 37931 Directions: East bound on Middlebrook Pike, turn at the first driveway on your right after Countryside Center Way. At the red gate press any key to open the gate and turn LEFT up the gravel drive. There will be signage to catch your eye. We’ll direct to you to parking from there. Please, NO DOGS. Well supervised, well-behaved children are welcome. We suggest bringing seeds, cuttings, plants, homemade goods, ferments or such if you’d like to try your hand at bartering! We also regularly see folks barter for skill swaps, teaching, education and more. Bartering is by no means required; we just offer a location to do so!…
Winter Foraging Class
Hi Friends! January has almost wrapped up and I’m sure I’m not the only one experiencing some pretty intense cabin fever. That snow / ice / Arctic cold blast last week was quite unwelcome and I’m glad to see it move on its way, even if we’re still looking dreary outside today. Since we all need to get out into the fresh air, I’m offering a casual winter foraging class on our property in West Knox County on Saturday February 10 from 12 noon until 3 pm. We’ll walk the pastures and wood line and work on some wintertime tree and shrub identification and see what early greens are beginning to emerge. Feel free to take notes and photos as we go along. We’ll also have some discussion and warm drinks around the campfire after the walk. Spots are limited, so please reach out early if you’d like to join…