Whenever I post on Facebook or my blog that I'm doing a workshop or conference in my area, I usually get a message from someone asking me if I'd do a workshop in their area. When I organized the homesteading conference in IL last year, someone from Virginia even emailed and asked about having one down there. I had never really considered it because I didn't think I'd be able to get in contact with enough people in an area (much less have enough people register) to be able to cover my costs. However, when I was speaking at the Mother Earth News Fair I happened to talk to a couple of other authors who do workshops in various parts of the country, and they don't have any trouble filling them up. In fact, one person who does workshops on straw bale building has far more requests than he can fill, and his workshops last a whole week! So I've started thinking about it!
If you think there might be 15-20 people in your area who would be interested in attending a full-day workshop on raising goats, making cheese, making soap, or other homesteading and self-sufficiency skills, please send me a message. If you have any questions about what I'm doing, feel free to just post a comment below, because someone else probably has the same question, and I might as well just answer it here!
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I'd love to go to an all-day workshop given by you; I heard your talks at the MEN Faire @ Puyallup. Whenever you post about a workshop you're giving at the farm I wish I lived closer. Maybe someday I'll be able to attend one, especially if you start traveling internationally :) since in a few months from now I'll be in NS, Canada.
I'm glad you like the idea, Deborah. Hope I get to come to a class of yours there some day! :)
Thanks for the questions, Margaret! I should have posted links to what I'm already doing! We teach a variety of classes on our farm: http://www.antiquityoaks.com/classes.html I have not done any classes on other farms yet, but that's a possibility. We do a full-day goat, cheese, and soap workshop on our farm, but the cheese is basic. We're starting to do some advanced cheese classes too.
We are about to have our second Homesteading Conference, which is held at a college: http://www.homesteadingconference.com/ Last year we didn't do any demos, but we will try this year. We're going to have a hot plate and a microwave in the classroom for soap, cheese, and canning.
Yes, I was thinking that 15-20 would be a minimum to make sure I'd cover my costs associated with travel, hotel, renting a space, meals, etc. For the full-day conference, we charge $75 early registration or $89 regular. I was talking with someone who does a 2-day beekeeping workshop, and she charges $175 for the two days.
Patty, thank you so much for the link to the North House Folk School! I visited the website and already sent an email asking for more info on teaching there! It looks great!
In our community, we have MANY artists/artisans. We often have instructors come here and teach classes at the North House Folk School. Raising goats would probably not draw a lot of people, but soap or cheese making, or any number of other topics surely would. The instructors are paid and there is a lovely little apartment they can stay in. People come from all over to take classes there. I'd definitely come take a class from you! :) I'm not sure how it all works, but it is a pretty neat place so I thought I'd share it with you.
This is a great idea! Do you do the workshops based on a specific topic only or connecting topics? It seems like it would be to much info to do raising goats and making cheese for example! How do we know exactly what to talk to people about? Or do we just see what they are interested in and you combine based on those interest? I am assuming that 15-20 is a minimum of people! Is there a max? How much do the workshops run? Broad range, I assume that would vary with the topic, number of people and the location, etc. Where do you usually hold them? Do you need a kitchen for example for some topics? I am thinking church kitchens or do you use hotel conference rooms and set up lunch through them ? Give us some ideas of how you usually do them! What about on a farm? Have you every had farms host them?