THE ART AND SCIENCE OF MUSHROOM CULTIVATION AT HOME
With Kyle Collins
Sunday, April 25th, 2010 10:00am to 4:00pm
$50 to $80 sliding Scale

This is a hands-on, experiential course that explores the vast world of fungi.  We begin with a multimedia presentation that covers the mushroom lifecycle, the evolution of fungi, the multifaceted roles of of fungi in the environment, the science of myco-remediation, using mycorrhizal fungi in the garden, and human-fungi connections.  

This workshop will cover:
Boosting Plant Yields with Mycorrhizal Fungi
Outdoor Log and Garden Cultivation
Home-Scale Indoor and Outdoor Growing Techniques
The Mushroom Lifecycle and Functions
Permaculture Applications of Fungi
Medicinal Properties of Certain Mushrooms

During the hands-on component, we'll get the experience of creating mushroom beds for the garden, inoculate logs with culinary mushroom strains, and make kits for home cultivation.  Participants will come away with the knowledge, resources, and enthusiasm to start growing culinary and medicinal mushrooms at home and in the garden. Each participant will walk away with their very own mushroom kit ($20 value) and an inoculated mushroom log ($25 value).

REGISTRATION DEADLINE April 18
To register, call 707-972-1364, email Alison@polcumsprings.net, or send a check with your information to:
Polcum Springs, Post Office Box 59, Laytonville, CA 95454

Harkening from the rocky mountains of Colorado, Kyle Collins moved to California in search of sustainable agriculture and permaculture training. He received his Permaculture Design Certificate from the OAEC in 2007 and has been teaching workshops and a high school class in permaculture since then. Kyle's love of fungi grew out of the experimental days of his college years. Kyle now has seven years experience of working with and growing organic culinary and medicinal mushrooms at home. He has taught workshops in mushroom cultivation and mycological restoration techniques in Sonoma County for two years. His programs fuse together the wisdom of permaculture principles with the hands-on experiential techniques of mushroom cultivation. More info @ www.planetfungi.com.

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FERMENT FEST: Fermented Foods Teach-in and Culture-Swap
With Tim Henry, Luna Hart and Guests
May 1 – 2, 2010
$40 to $100 sliding scale

Calling all interested fermentation experts and novices! Join us for Ferment Fest at beautiful Polcum Springs for a weekend of preparing, eating and bartering fermented foods. This will be a weekend of family-style camping, knowledge sharing, and culture-swap.

Spring is the time for RAW, LIVE foods!

In a relaxed and interactive natural setting, learn from Mendocino County fermentation artists, and help prepare: traditional saurkraut, kimchee, sourdough breads, live ginger brews, vegan cheeses, vegan kefir, raw goat cheese, raw pickles, and more. Emphasis will be placed on how to:

• Take fermentation into your own hands -- and kitchen!
• Keep live cultures
• Prepare delicious and healthful dishes for yourself and your family

Bring your favorite fermented and local food dishes, favorite books and recipes, and clean mason jars for bringing home dishes we collectively prepare. Bartering of your goods is highly encouraged; selling is also welcome.

The cost for this workshop is $40 - $100/person (sliding scale) for the entire weekend. Family discount: $60 - $150 sliding scale. Includes camping on Friday April 30 and Saturday May 1, showers, workshop materials including take-home ferments, and simple fare (rice & beans) to compliment fermented dishes.

REGISTRATION
To register, call 707-972-1364, email Alison@polcumsprings.net, or send a check with your information to:
Polcum Springs, Post Office Box 59, Laytonville, CA 95454

Tim Henry has been intentionally fermenting foods for 14 years. He is an avid sourdough baker, saurkruat maker and kimchee shaker, and has recently taken up the art of sacred and healing non-alcoholic herbal brews. Tim is the head teacher at a one-room school house in Laytonville, CA.

Luna Hart has been mystified by the art of fermentation, its exciting tastes, and depth of nutrition. She enjoys pulling this wise old tradition out of the closet and putting it back on to the kitchen table. Luna lives in Willits, CA and has a raw food booth at her local farmer's market. She has taught fermentation techniques at the Women's Herbal Symposium and many other areas in the US.

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PRIMITIVE TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW WEEKEND
With Tamara Wilder
June 5 – 6th, 2010
$140 to $160 sliding scale

Join us as we explore universal hunter gatherer skills used by humans all around the world and spend some time learning basic and essential living skills through hands-on activities.

• Make fire with handdrill and bowdrill fire kits
• Process dogbane fiber and make string
• Learn how to make a netting shuttle and a knotted net
• Practice with hunting tools, including throwing rabbitsticks & spearthrowers, shooting bow & arrow, and playing hoop & pole game
• Learn basic stone and woodworking techniques through beadmaking, shaping and polishing stone, and grinding nuts
• Experiment with some basic wild food identification and food processing techniques using stone mano & metate and mortar & pestle

In this longer weekend format we will also have a chance to discuss a wide variety of other primitive technologies as well as some of the uses of local plants. This will be an incredible opportunity to move a step closer to self-sufficiency and to an understanding of how humans

have survived for tens of thousands of years with primitive technologies (the first technologies) as their tools.

Saturday evening potluck campfire dinner. Bring something home grown or gathered and we'll include whatever other local food is available. $140-$160 sliding scale (includes Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast, camping and all materials).

REGISTRATION
To register, call 707-972-1364, email Alison@polcumsprings.net, or send a check with your information to:
Polcum Springs, Post Office Box 59, Laytonville, CA 95454

Tamara Wilder has been demonstrating and practicing ancient living skills for the past 20 years.  She is the coauthor of the book Buckskin: The Ancient Art of Braintanning and regularly teaches seminars on stringmaking, braintanning, firemaking and other ancient technologies across Northern California.  More info at www.paleotechnics.com 

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GETTING TO POLCUM SPRINGS
Please remember to carpool, as parking is limited. If possible, bring 4WD or high clearance vehicles.

From the North:
Travel 30 mi. South from the Humboldt County Line. After mile marker 76.76, turn right onto a dirt road with a green gate. Follow directions below . . . . .

From the South:
Travel 7.5 miles north of Laytonville. Pass mile marker 76.5. then you will see a big turnout on the right (m.m. 76.62 is in the turnout). 100 yards past this, turn left on to a dirt road with a solar-electric green gate. Continue 2.4 miles to the top of the ridge. Look for the small pond on the left, and turn left at the driveway with the flags after the pond. Continue past the locked gate on the left. Parking is on your right.

Once you arrive:
Continue down the hill to the community house to check-in and unload your gear.
Return vehicles to the parking area.