Join us for a hands-on workshop where you learn how to harvest and arrange flowers to create the perfect farm-style bouquet! In this class, flower farmer, Jasmine Winkler will provide you with tips for creating show stopping arrangements you can't find in the grocery store. Come dressed in farm-appropriate clothing, bring a hat, sunglasses, clippers and water bottle. We will provide buckets and other bouquet essentials.

Learn to dye fabrics with locally grown fresh indigo leaf that produces an amazing range of turquoise tones!

Learn to dye silk in beautiful turquoise tones with locally grown indigo. Join us for a morning on the farm as we harvest fresh indigo leaves and process them for color! Participants will receive instruction on using indigo to dye silk scarves and any 100% silk garments that need a refresh. Fresh leaf indigo techniques are effective on animal fibers including silk, wool, alpaca, and angora- participants are welcome to bring these materials from home to play with.

Guest dyer, Emily Lacey of Remedy Studios will lead the workshop. Lacey is a natural dyer, adaptive design consultant, and graduate of the Fashion Design program at Parsons School of Design. She apprenticed under New York Textile Lab and Philip Huang, NYC based designer specializing in traditional Thai indigo dyeing techniques. She currently lives in Savannah, Georgia where she works for the Savannah College of Art and Design during the day, and creates textile art in her free time.

Fresh beverages will be provided during class.

This workshop will be held outdoors.

Learn to dye fabrics with fermented Japanese indigo grown on the farm that produces an amazing range of turquoise tones!

Join us for a morning on the farm where we will learn how to create a fermented indigo vat and use that to create deep blue tones.

We will be dyeing silk scarves (provided for you) and any piece of cotton, silk or wool textile you choose to bring from home. Guest Dyer, Emily Morabito will lead the workshop. Morabito is a fashion designer and graduate from the Parsons School of Design in 2020. She has assisted in indigo dye workshops with New York Textile Lab and Phillip Huang who works with traditional Thai indigo and dyeing techniques. You will also get a tour of the flower garden and a walk through of our organic process to growing beautiful blooms!

Fresh beverages and light snacks will be provided during class.

This workshop will be held outdoors. Please be respectful and maintain Covid precautions for those unvaccinated.

Learn to make fresh dyes with a variety of flowers (and pigments) harvested straight from the flower garden!

Join us for a morning on the farm where we will harvest and use the natural extracts, ice, and fresh flowers from our fields to dye a wide range of colors.

We will be dyeing silk scarves (provided for you) and any piece of silk or wool textile you choose to bring from home. Guest Dyer, Emily Morabito will lead the workshop. Morabito is a fashion designer and graduate from the Parsons School of Design in 2020. She has assisted in indigo dye workshops with New York Textile Lab and Phillip Huang who works with traditional Thai indigo and dyeing techniques. You will also get a tour of the flower garden and a walk through of our organic process to growing beautiful blooms!

Fresh beverages and light snacks will be provided during class.

This workshop will be held outdoors. Please be respectful and maintain Covid precautions for those unvaccinated.

Learn to dye fabrics with locally grown fresh indigo leaf that produces an amazing range of turquoise tones!

Join us for a morning on the farm where we will harvest fresh indigo leaf and process it for a dye bath.

We will be dyeing cotton bandanas (provided for you) and any piece of cotton, silk or wool textile you choose to bring from home. Guest Dyer, Emily Morabito will lead the workshop. Morabito is a fashion designer and graduate from the Parsons School of Design in 2020. She has assisted in indigo dye workshops with New York Textile Lab and Phillip Huang who works with traditional Thai indigo and dyeing techniques. You will also get a tour of the flower garden and a walk through of our organic process to growing beautiful blooms!

Fresh beverages and light snacks will be provided during class.

This workshop will be held outdoors. Please be respectful and maintain Covid precautions, wear a mask and maintain 6 ft distance from other participants.

Join us for a hands-on workshop where you learn how to harvest and arrange flowers to create the perfect farm-style bouquet! In this class, flower farmer, Farmer Peanut will provide you with tips for creating show stopping arrangements you can't find in the grocery store. Come dressed in farm-appropriate clothing, bring a hat, sunglasses, clippers and water bottle. We will provide buckets and other bouquet essentials.

At Wild Hope Farm we are farming as stewards of the land, working with natural cycles to create a healthy ecosystem of healthy soils, animals, community and nutritious food. In addition to our production fields we have over 200 acres of woodland trails, open pastures, ponds, and wetlands that serve as a home to over 200 different types of species. Join us for a guided bird walk with Bob Olson* around the farm to get to know some of the many bird species that make their home at Wild Hope Farm.

All levels of birders are welcome - please bring your own binoculars and a camera if interested!

*Bob Olson is a semi-retired engineer that likes to spend more time outdoors than in.  His birdwatching started with a cheap pair of binoculars, a bird book, and a backyard sunflower feeder.  After identifying the frequent backyard birds, he branched out to other areas, attended bird walks, joined clubs, and just started paying closer attention to all of the different types of birds and the habitats where they live.  Bob’s love of bird watching also coincides with his love of backpacking.  Over a 14 year period, he section hiked the entire Appalachian Trail and observed 123 bird species along the way. Check out his book on Amazon, “Hiking the Appalachian Trail – One Section at a Time”.  Over the years, Bob has gone on many bird watching adventures and tallied over 450 bird species in North America. He notes that bird watching is not for everyone, but it sure is a good excuse to get outside and appreciate nature.

Join Shawn and Peanut at the 2019 Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Conference!

Time- and Money-Saving Designs and Techniques for Your Farm—Learn techniques and equipment hacks to make farming easier! Get ideas for automated CSA delivery, greenhouse heating, produce washing and marketing techniques. Drawing on concepts in The Bio-Integrated Farm, we'll explore creative ideas and designs to improve efficiency on your small- to mid-scale farm.

Workshop 1: Constructing Passive and Active Heating and Cooling Systems for High Tunnels and Greenhouses

• Site Selection: Connecting to farm buildings and fields, electricity, vehicle/equipment access, micro-climate, solar access

• Grading/Prep: Drainage, slope angles, weed control, soil prep

• Construction: Material considerations, anchoring, snow loads

• Heating and Cooling: Passive and active systems using internal/external ponds, barrels, hydronic heat, and solar/electric powered ventilation systems

Workshop 2: Compost Heat and Carbon Dioxide Extraction for Greenhouses and High Tunnels

• Location considerations: Food safety, odor, drainage, solar access

• Direct wall connections: Wall material options

• Hydronic system connections: Internal pipe systems, concrete slab systems

• Heat Exchangers: EPDM benchtop, barrel, pond

• Row covers: EPDM and barrel systems

• Carbon dioxide extraction: design and safety

Learn how to forage for and design your own wreath to enjoy this holiday season! All materials are provided. Please wear trail walking shoes appropriate for foraging in the woods.

Enjoy festive beverages and light snacks by the fire following the class!

Enjoy a relaxing date night on the farm with your partner and friends, sipping on a farm-inspired cocktail while the sunsets over our 10-acre pond and we do the cooking for you!

In this intimate gathering, you will walk the vegetable field with Farmer Peanut who will provide an overview of what we're growing and the farming practices we use. One of the keys factors in creating delicious meals is using top quality ingredients at peak freshness. Health Coach, Gretchen DePalma will teach you about cooking in season with produce harvested directly from the farm. You will learn quick tips for creating easy dishes with deliciously fresh flavor so you can enjoy farm-to-table meals every night!

Ticket includes cocktails, free time to walk the boardwalk, cooking talk and seated farm-to-table meal!

Join us Sunday, September 29th for an informative tour of Wild Hope Farm and a workshop focused around No-Till and Cover Cropping Techniques.

Background

We currently have 6.5 acres under diverse organic vegetable & flower production, with an additional 6 acres in cover crop which we plan to add next year. No-till techniques have been critical for us in reducing our field prep time, weed pressure, labor, insect problems, plant diseases and overall expenses. We plant a significant percent of our crops into no-till including winter squash, summer squash, cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes, scallions, lettuce, watermelons and cantaloupe.   

9 - 10 AM Tour 

During the walking tour you will get to see our produce wash and pack area, propagation greenhouse, compost heat extraction system, water retention pond, field production, solar systems and more! We will discuss on our regenerative approach to growing diverse organic vegetables, flowers, and laying hens, and walk you through our favorite tools/tractor attachments on the farm.

10 - 12:30 PM No Till & Cover Cropping Techniques

Learn about no-till and cover cropping best practices to help save time and energy while simultaneously increasing your land's organic matter. 

• Part 1 (30 min) Cover Crop Selection: overview of seeding rates, timing and seeding techniques for winter and summer cover crops. 

• Part 2 (30 min) Weed Free Cover Crops: The first step to a successful no-till program is growing a weed-free, vigorous cover crop. Learn the tricks of planting a successful cover crop including stale seed bed techniques, planting into raised beds and moisture considerations.

• Part 3 (30 min) Roller Crimper 101: Learn how to time the crimping operation to maximize cover crop kill and prevent regrowth.

• Part 4 (30 min) Extending Weed Suppression & Preventing Problems: Learn how to efficiently combat weeds, pests and diseases with an overview of problems for common vegetables and organic solutions. We'll also highlight mistakes we've made over the years so you don't have to do the same :)  

LUNCH AND BEVERAGES WILL BE PROVIDED - BYOB IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HANG AROUND AFTER THE WORKSHOP!

INSTRUCTOR: Shawn Jadrnicek is the author of The Bio-Integrated Farm: A Revolutionary Permaculture-Based System Using Greenhouses, Ponds, Compost Piles, Aquaponics, Chickens and More.  He has nourished his interest in sustainability through 22 years of work as an organic farmer, nursery grower, extension agent, arborist and landscaper, and now manages Wild Hope Farm in Chester SC.

Cooking Demonstration and Tasting

One of the keys factors in creating delicious meals is using top quality ingredients at peak freshness. This cooking lesson will teach you all about cooking in season with produce harvested directly from the farm. You will learn quick tips for creating easy dishes with deliciously fresh flavor so you and your family to enjoy farm-to-table meals every night! 

Your Wild Hope Farmers will guide you through how to source and prep local ingredients, storage tips for extending your vegetable shelf life x2, composting 101, and simple sauce ideas that bring a meal together. Following the demonstration, you will enjoy your meal on the lawn overlooking the pond and vegetable field.

Expect minimal meat and a whole lot of vegetables. Gluten free and vegetarian options will be available.

Yoga + Reflections + Plant Based Diet Talk & Demo

Located in the countryside an easy 45 minutes from Wing Haven, Wild Hope Farm is the perfect getaway for a day centered around intentional living. This retreat is designed to help you relax, rejuvenate, and reconnect more deeply to yourself and to the beautiful nature that surrounds us, and includes a healthy, veggie-rich lunch. At the farm, you will find yourself strolling around our wooded trails, picturesque silos, rolling pastures lined with old oak trees and 10-acre pond.

Cost is $75/person for Wing Haven members and $85/person for non-members; includes the following:

8:30 am - Meet at Park Road Shopping Center to carpool
9:30 am - Arrival, introductions, welcome to farmhouse
9:45 am - All levels Mindful Yoga with Dia Steiger
10:45 am - Trailwalk with Farmer Peanut
11:45 am - Meditation and Journaling
12:45 pm - Plant-based nutrition food talk and demo luncheon by Peanut Belk
1:30 pm - Exploration
2:30 pm - Depart for Charlotte
3:15 pm - Return to Park Road Shopping Center

This intimate gathering is for men & women of all ages, stages, backgrounds, and abilities. Bring your own mat.

 Please wear clothing comfortable for yoga, an extra outer layer, and sneakers for walking the trail.

Yoga + Reflections + Plant Based Diet Talk & Demo

Located in the countryside an easy 40 minutes from downtown Charlotte, Wild Hope Farm is the perfect getaway for a day centered around intentional living. This retreat is designed to help you relax, rejuvenate, and reconnect more deeply to yourself and  to the beautiful nature that surrounds us. At the farm, you will find yourself strolling around our wooded trails, picturesque silos, rolling pastures lined with old oak trees and 10-acre pond. The one day session includes the following: 

• 8:30 am : Arrival, introductions, welcome by the farmhouse 

• 8:45 - 10:15 am :  All Levels Slow Flow Yoga and Guided Meditation to Soft Music, led by Kayla Frank*

• 10:15 - 11:00 am : Trailwalk

• 11 - 12:30 pm : Flower Crown Ritual - Paying homage to May Day, May 1st, the halfway mark between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice, in unity our celebration will honor our power and feminism. In unity, we will relax and connect while learning to weave your very own flower crown. There is something very special about women sitting and creating together and everything is carefully demonstrated so even beginners will experience joy in their creation. Following our workshop, we will honor Mother Earth her land and bounty with a meditation ritual.

• 12 - 1 pm : Plant based nutrition food talk & demo luncheon with Edwina Willis-Fleming

This intimate gathering is for women of all ages, stages, backgrounds, and abilities. Bring your own mat.

Please wear clothing comfortable for yoga, an extra outer layer, and sneakers for walking the trail.

The cost of the event covers food, amenities, provisions, and provides a stipend for your instructors. 

*Kayla is inspired by physical activity that balances strength, mindful movement, and self-awareness. She believes tapping into our minds and bodies and moving in ways that serve our body, will promote higher feelings of love for ourselves. Kayla encourages everyone not only to “move” their bodies daily but to adjust their lifestyles, hobbies and physical activities in a way that elevates their sense of pride for the beautiful, authentic life they are living. Kayla leads weekly classes at Noda Yoga, Ebb & Flow Movement Studio, Burn Boot Camp South Park and for NC Yoga Bar. Kayla enjoys working as a consultant to small female-owned wellness companies and non-profits. Kayla and her husband, Curtis, live in Charlotte with their two pups!

At Wild Hope Farm we are farming as stewards of the land, working with natural cycles to create a healthy ecosystem of healthy soils, animals, community and nutritious food. In addition to our production fields we have over 200 acres of woodland trails, open pastures, ponds, and wetlands that serve as a home to over 200 different types of species. Join us for a guided bird walk with Bob Olson* around the farm to get to know some of the many bird species that make their home at Wild Hope Farm.

All levels of birders are welcome - please bring your own binoculars and a camera if interested!

*Bob Olson is a semi-retired engineer that likes to spend more time outdoors than in.  His birdwatching started with a cheap pair of binoculars, a bird book, and a backyard sunflower feeder.  After identifying the frequent backyard birds, he branched out to other areas, attended bird walks, joined clubs, and just started paying closer attention to all of the different types of birds and the habitats where they live.  Bob’s love of bird watching also coincides with his love of backpacking.  Over a 14 year period, he section hiked the entire Appalachian Trail and observed 123 bird species along the way. Check out his book on Amazon, “Hiking the Appalachian Trail – One Section at a Time”.  Over the years, Bob has gone on many bird watching adventures and tallied over 450 bird species in North America. He notes that bird watching is not for everyone, but it sure is a good excuse to get outside and appreciate nature.

Wild Hope Farm's Shawn Jadrnicek and Katherine Belk will co-present at the 2019 MOSES Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Join us for a talk on Farm Designs and Techniques to Save Time and Money. 

Learn new tools, techniques, and designs to make farming easier. Ideas for farm between 1-20 acres include an automated CSA pickup system from a refrigerated trailer, produce and bin washing system using electric pressure washer, gravity rollers for produce washing, greenhouse heating using passive solar and hot compost, pastured poultry systems, and five new techniques making organic no-till more effective and extending the crimping season.

Read more about the conference and register through this link: https://mosesorganic.org/conference/

Wild Hope Farm is hosting the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association’s (CFSA) workshop on organic certification. This day will include all the basics you need to know to decide if organic certification is for you and how to start the certification process. We will discuss regulations for crops and livestock, the step-by-step process of certification, writing an Organic System Plan, required record keeping, and the resources available to farmers transitioning to organic certification. Participants will learn how to assess what steps they need to take on their own farms to be ready for organic certification.

A catered lunch will be provided and after lunch, we will take an in-depth tour of Wild Hope Farm with a focus on learning how to prepare your farm and management systems for organic certification. 

Juice Cleanse + Farm Tour + Trail Walk + Plant Based Demo

Located in the countryside of Chester, SC, Wild Hope Farm is the perfect getaway for a day centered around intentional living. This retreat is designed to help you relax, rejuvenate, and reconnect more deeply to yourself and to the beautiful nature that surrounds us. At the farm, you will find yourself strolling around our wooded trails, picturesque silos, rolling pastures lined with old oak trees and 10-acre pond. The one day session includes the following:

• 10:00 am : Arrival, introductions, welcome by the greenhouse

• 10:30 - 11:30 am : Farm tour, kale harvest & juicing demo with Edwina Willis-Fleming*

• 11:30 - 12:15 pm : Trailwalk

• 12:15 - 1 pm : Digestive flow yoga with Kayla Moose**

• 1 - 2 pm : Plant based nutrition food talk & luncheon with Edwina

• 2 - 3 pm : Essential Oils talk & demo with Kayla

This intimate gathering is for men & women of all ages, stages, backgrounds, and abilities. Please wear clothing & sneakers comfortable for walking the trail (bring an outer layer).

The cost of the event covers food, amenities, provisions, and provides a stipend for your instructors. 

*Edwina is  a Hippocrates Health Educator, certified to teach organic, plant based nutrition. She believes in the huge benefits of incorporating enzyme rich organic plants in your daily life. All diseases begin with inflammation which is mostly delivered from the gut. Learning to tune in and listen to your body by actively responding to its signs of discomfort is key to avoiding disease and leading a vibrant, healthy life. Our bodies and genes are very individual and Edwina loves to share her passion that we can take control of our health using food as they medicine. Edwina can be contacted at willisfleming@me.com for individual consultations incorporating mind, body and food. 

*Kayla is inspired by physical activity that balances strength, mindful movement, and self-awareness. She believes tapping into our minds and bodies and moving in ways that serve our body, will promote higher feelings of love for ourselves. Kayla encourages everyone not only to “move” their bodies daily but to adjust their lifestyles, hobbies and physical activities in a way that elevates their sense of pride for the beautiful, authentic life they are living. Kayla leads weekly classes at Noda Yoga, Ebb & Flow Movement Studio, Burn Boot Camp South Park and for NC Yoga Bar. Kayla enjoys working as a consultant to small female-owned wellness companies and non-profits. Kayla and her husband, Curtis, live in Charlotte with their two pups!

Get inspired by the beautiful landscape that surrounds us at Wild Hope Farm - a flower garden nestled between two picturesque silos, cattle grazing on rolling pastures, and a lively pond ecosystem. Join us on the farm for a morning watercoloring workshop au plein air led by the teaching artist, Deborah Neuhs. Students will be taken step by step through the watercolor building process to explore and create paintings using watercoloring techniques. Following the workshop, students will enjoy a farm fresh picnic lunch.

All materials are provided including watercolor paint, brushes, chairs and paper.

FAQ

Is this a kid-friendly event? This class is open to adults and kids of all ages - a family-fun event!

Do I need to have experience in painting? You do not need to have prior painting or watercoloring experience although experienced painters are welcome. Please message us with any questions!

What can I bring into the event? Be sure to wear loose comfortable clothes but make sure they are old in case paint gets on them. Feel free to bring lite snacks and drinks as you desire! But most of all bring all your creativity!!

About Your Instructor

Deborah Neuhs, Teaching Artist

Since 2001 Deborah Neuhs has owned and operated Handcrafted Art, LLC where she works as a teaching artists throughout Charlotte, NC and the surrounding areas. She teaches private and group art classes to elementary, middle and high school students and teaches on a contract basis with public, private and charter schools, libraries, the Mint Museum of Art, Matthew’s Community Farmer’s Market and community centers. She worked as the resident artist at Park Road Montessori from 2000 to 2002, founded and ran the Charlotte Fiber Guild from 2000 to 2002 and is currently president of a non profit, The Charlotte Area Foundation for Music and Handcrafted Art, Inc. 501(c)(3). Giving back is an important part of Handcrafted Art's mission and the Foundation gives Deborah the opportunity to share her gifts with others who many not otherwise have art classes.

In addition to teaching, Deborah has been weaving custom textiles for interior designers with Aboutcolor, LLC since 2002. She weaves trims that are used to embellish interior fabrics and furniture. In 2018 she purchased the company and updated the name to Aboutcolor Home to reflect the companies vision for making beautiful ornaments for the beautification of homes and betterment of those who dwell in them.

Join us Saturday, August 11th for an informative tour of Wild Hope Farm and a workshop on Planning your Fall Garden.

Event Details

2 - 2:45 PM TOUR (optional)

The walking tour will include information on what’s in season, how our small scale farm operates, and organic agriculture. Please wear close-toed shoes. Children welcome!

3 - 5 PM FALL GARDENING WORKSHOP ($30 per person)

Learn how to start and maintain your fall vegetable garden while saving time and energy and working with nature.  

• Part 1 (45 min) Designing the garden: Assess solar energy, drainage and soil and learn how to build a simple automated drip irrigation system. Hands on activity: sun chart/app, water level, drip system construction.

• Part 2 (45 min) Planting basics: Learn how prep soil and plant seeds and transplants. Hands on activity: sheet mulching with compost, transplanting and direct seeding by hand and with earthway seeder.

• Part 3 (30 min) Garden maintenance: Learn how to efficiently combat weeds, pests and diseases with an overview of problems for common vegetables and organic solutions. Hands on activity: collinear hoe.

LIGHT SNACKS AND BEVERAGES WILL BE PROVIDED.

INSTRUCTOR: Shawn Jadrnicek is the author of The Bio-Integrated Farm: A Revolutionary Permaculture-Based System Using Greenhouses, Ponds, Compost Piles, Aquaponics, Chickens and More.  He has nourished his interest in sustainability through 22 years of work as an organic farmer, nursery grower, extension agent, arborist and landscaper, and now manages Wild Hope Farm in Chester SC.

Yoga + Plant Based Diet Talk & Demo + Trail Walk + Farm Tour + Meditation

Located in the countryside of Chester, SC, Wild Hope Farm is the perfect getaway for a day centered around intentional living. This retreat is designed to help you relax, rejuvenate, and reconnect more deeply to yourself and to the beautiful nature that surrounds us. At the farm, you will find yourself strolling around our wooded trails, picturesque silos, rolling pastures lined with old oak trees and 10-acre pond. The one day session includes the following:

• 11:00 am : Arrival, introductions, welcome by the farmhouse - green juices provided

• 11:30 - 12:30 pm : Yoga by the pond led by Tarra Dahlke (bring your own mat or use one of our free mats)

• 12:45 - 1:45 pm : Plant based nutrition food talk with a demo luncheon by Edwina Willis-Fleming

• 2 - 3 pm : Trail walk & greenhouse tour with Farmer Peanut

• 3:15 - 4 pm : Guided meditation by Mary Powers

• 4:15 - Bonfire and cocktail / Lenny Boy kombucha on deck, light appetizers provided

This intimate gathering is for men & women of all ages, stages, backgrounds, and abilities.