What: Discover how 15 everyday kitchen herbs can help with your health and healing. Be sure to bring a pen and paper… you will want to take notes.

Where: Homespun Wisdom, 1002 Chestnut St, Bastrop TX 78602

When: Saturday April 13, 2024 10:30am - 12:30pm

Who: Leesalyn Koehler, Bastrop TX

Leesalyn has been digging in the earth and communing with nature sprites for over four decades, while also offering her services as a health & wellness educator in the greater Austin area since 2001. 

As a bioregional herbalist, she crafts local plants as they are seasonally available and encourages folks of all ages to become stewards of the Earth - befriending plant allies in their own backyard.

She is a graduate of the Sacred Journey School of Herbalism with Ginger Webb in Austin, TX and currently studying Clinical Herbalism and Functional Botanical Medicine with the Herbal Medics Academy in Taos, NM. 

#FoodIsMedicine #HealthBeginsAtHome #HealThySelf #EmpoweredLiving

What: Come on out and learn how to develop a healthy biome for a thriving vegetable garden and more. We will analyze soil composition, evaluate the needs of certain conditions, and asses how best to build microorganisms for an abundant harvest.

Bring your questions for all things greens and let’s get growing!

When: Friday March 22, 2024 6:30-8:30pm

Where: Elm Forest Farm, 177 Synergy Dr, Bastrop TX 78602.

Who: Tim Fender, Elgin, TX

Tim was raised on a conventional farm in Northeast Missouri. There his family raised pigs, cattle, sheep and chickens.  The also did row crops like soybeans, corn and wheat.

Tim was always interested in more natural ways to produce food and live sustainable.  He received his Permaculture Design Certificate in 2008.   He moved to Reno Nevada in 2009 and was the farm manager for the River School Farm.  In the role, he established gardens for Hugg High School which served the disadvantaged population in the Reno area.  He also developed the first subscription based farm share program at River School Farm, along with an employee sponsored farm share program for Patagonia.

Family obligations brought him to Texas in 2012.  Tim spent many hours developing the barren land that was basically a gravel parking lot along with a lot with a torn down house into a vital urban homestead.  Tim practices no till farming not to disrupt the microbial soil web.  After years of TLC, the farm began to produce 60% of his family’s food. This has been done on less than an acre of land.  Tim specialized in Heirloom vegetables. He and his wife, Charlotte, also raise Icelandic chickens and host bees for pollinators.  Tim is also an accomplished natural builder.  He has built 2 homes in the Elgin area, helped facilitate natural building workshops in Nevada, and will be cohosting another workshop in Missouri in 2025.

Tim is passionate about soil  and happy to share his knowledge to others.

Where: Elm Forest Farm - home of Rhizome Revival ~ an educational nonprofit farm offering classes, workshops & camps for all ages.

What: This class will center around some of the history and methods of fermentation while learning the basics of fermented food safety and troubleshooting. We will make fermented carrot sticks in class for you to take home to continue to culture and ferment. 

Where: Elm Forest Farm, 177 Synergy Dr, Bastrop TX 78602.

When: Saturday March 9, 2024

Who: Kate Prejean, Houston TX

Kate has always been a bit of a kitchen witch and this has morphed into learning about various fermentation methods and techniques. During her journey she has made kombucha, milk kefir, “bugs”, and fermented a wide variety of fruits and veggies. The chemistry of naturally found yeasts and beneficial bacterias that come together to preserve food and enhancing your gut biome is a fun journey! Kate’s first love is ceramics and she has a degree from Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, TX. While homeschooling her two kids she is also a volunteer coordinator for the Kerrville Folk Festival. She’s an avid outdoor enthusiast and can be found foraging, camping, hiking, and surfing as much as possible. 

Where: Elm Forest Farm - home of Rhizome Revival ~ an educational nonprofit farm offering classes, workshops & camps for all ages.

Location: Elm Forest Farm, 177 Synergy Dr, Bastrop TX 78602.

What: Join us as Sara talks you through all things sourdough - the starter, mixing and shaping your first loaf and all the insider tips. Students will each receive their own sourdough starter and the dough that you will mix in class to take home so you can carry out an overnight fermentation and then bake the next day! Sara’s hope is that at the end of this class, you will find that Sourdough is not quite as intimidating as it might seem and it’s actually incredibly therapeutic, meditative & beneficial. Win win win!

*** Optional proofing basket will be available for $7 purchase the day of the workshop.

Who: Sara Novesky has been a baker/pastry chef for 26 years, most recently starting her cottage bakery when she was furloughed from her baking job during the early pandemic. Her focus is on sourdough, scones, cookies and cinnamon rolls but her first love has always been bread and sourdough. Sara started her baking career in a small family owned bakery surrounded by mixers, buckets filled with dough and a multi deck bread oven, and it’s there where she fell in love with the craft. She went through the baking and pastry arts program at the CIA in Napa Valley and has had 10 years of experience in restaurants as a pastry chef in Seattle and Ithaca, NY and as a baker for Mazama Coffee in Dripping Springs, TX. 

Where: Elm Forest Farm - an educational farm and home to the Rhizome Revival nonprofit - offering classes, workshops & camps for all ages.

Location: The Natural Gardener, 8648 Old Bee Caves Rd, Austin TX 78735

Join us for our free class Weeds for Wellness. Come on out as we explore 7 backyard weeds and the bounty of health they have to offer. Bring your questions about everything you ever wanted to know about Dandelion, Ragweed, Nettles, Chickweed, Cleavers, Bee Balm, and Shepherds Purse. Also a pen and paper… you will want to take notes. 

Who: Your teacher, Leesalyn Koehler, has been digging in the earth and communing with nature sprites for over four decades. She has also been offering her services as a health & wellness educator in the greater Austin area since 2001. As a bioregional herbalist, she crafts local plants as they are seasonally available and encourages folks of all ages to become stewards of the Earth - befriending plant allies in their own backyard. She is a graduate of the Sacred Journey School of Herbalism with Ginger Webb in Austin and currently studying Clinical Herbalism and Functional Botanical Medicine with the Herbal Medics Academy in Taos, NM. 

Location: Community Gardens, 1067 W 1067 State Hwy 71, Bastrop TX 78602.

Join us for our free class Weeds for Wellness. Come on out as we explore 7 backyard weeds and the bounty of health they have to offer. Bring your questions about everything you ever wanted to know about Dandelion, Ragweed, Nettles, Chickweed, Cleavers, Bee Balm, and Shepherds Purse. Also a pen and paper… you will want to take notes. 

Who: Your teacher, Leesalyn Koehler, has been digging in the earth and communing with nature sprites for over four decades. She has also been offering her services as a health & wellness educator in the greater Austin area since 2001. As a bioregional herbalist, she crafts local plants as they are seasonally available and encourages folks of all ages to become stewards of the Earth - befriending plant allies in their own backyard. She is a graduate of the Sacred Journey School of Herbalism with Ginger Webb in Austin and currently studying Clinical Herbalism and Functional Botanical Medicine with the Herbal Medics Academy in Taos, NM. 

Where: Community Gardens in Cedar Creek is a nursery that also hosts a local coffee shop, restaurant, bar, and food trucks with a play scape and live music stage. Fun for the whole family.

Location: Elm Forest Farm, Bastrop TX 78602

Here is a great last minute gift idea to keep you and the ones you love well during the holiday season. Elderberry Syrup Make & Take Workshop on the farm. Come gather with us on the farm as we customize a 32oz blend of herbal goodness of your very own.

Workshop Tickets

#elmforestfarm #healthiswealth #givethegiftofwellness #allorganic #smallbatch #handcrafted #motherdaughterduo #neverstoplearning