Posted by Quail Springs

Start / End Date October 2-3, 2010

Quail Springs Permaculture Farm, Cuyama, CA

Instructor Paul Swenson

http://www.quailsprings.org

EARTHEN PLASTER BASICS WORKSHOPS
With Paul Swenson, land steward & natural builder
@ Quail Springs Permaculture Farm
www.quailsprings.org

WHEN: Offered twice this Fall –
October 2-3, 2010, Saturday and Sunday
November 20-21, 2010, Saturday and Sunday

WHERE: Quail Springs Learning Oasis and Permaculture Farm in the Upper Cuyama Valley in Southern California ( www.quailsprings.org )

Who is this workshop for?
This workshop is designed for anyone interested in learning the basics of earthen plastering through a hands-on approach. No experience necessary. And, those involved in conventional building & finish work who want to explore natural materials are welcome and encouraged. We’re going to get our hands in the mud!

What will the workshop offer?

Learn by doing with guidance – the basics of identifying appropriate materials sourced from the earth as well as fibers and special additions to achieve various results. We will cover mixing and applying a base-coat earthen plaster. Our experiential learning will involve mixing of materials and the application of a base coat plaster to a straw bale house thus developing body memory & the feeling of natural plastering.

Simple meals will be prepared with love, with many local & homegrown ingredients. Arrive a day early to settle in and enjoy hiking in the beautiful high desert with a spring fed canyon at Quail Springs. Camping out under the Cuyama sky is an extraordinary experience.

We look forward to sharing this experience with you!

Paul Swenson practices land stewardship & natural building as one of the founding team at Quail Springs Permaculture Farm. He discovered the beauty, function, and joy of natural building in 2005 while building the foundation & wall system of a cob house at Quail Springs, with the guidance of Betty Seaman of Spirit Pine Sanctuary. He has intensively studied straw bale construction, earthen ovens, earthen floors, and earthen plasters with Justin Kirmse of Living Craft Project ( www.livingcraftproject.org ) and is currently engaged in the earthen plastering finish work on a straw bale house, as well as building earthen ovens, and teaching the basics of natural building. Paul’s teaching style is empowering and puts people at ease, with an emphasis on self-discovery, enjoyment, and creating beauty.

Cost: $150 for a 2-day workshop, includes hands-on instruction, nourishing meals, and camping nearby. Each workshop limited to 6 participants, early registration is advised. Ask about options for family members to join the weekend.

Contact to register: Kolmi at info@quailsprings.org or 805-886-7239

Quail Springs Permaculture Farm

Instructor Sasha Rabin

http://www.quailsprings.org

This fall Quail Springs Learning Oasis and Permaculture Farm will host a long awaited 8-day natural building workshop taught by Sasha Rabin of 7 Generations Natural Builders and Vertical Clay.

WHEN: October 9-16, 2010

WHERE: New Cuyama, CA – Quail Springs Learning Oasis and Permaculture Farm in the Upper Cuyama Valley in Southern California

WHO IS THIS WORKSHOP FOR?

This workshop is designed for first-time builders, as well as professional builders and contractors who want to delve into building with natural materials.

WHAT WILL THE WORKSHOP OFFER?

We will join together to build a community bathhouse/sauna* with the teaching and guidance of Sasha Rabin. We will focus on earthen building, offering hands on experience with cob, light straw clay (slip straw), adobe block, and wattle and daub. Students will learn to smoothly integrate a variety of natural building materials to create the best possible building solution for each individual Situation. Sasha will demonstrate how to prospect and test for appropriate building sediment, how to mix cob,
various cob wall building techniques, the installation of windows into cob walls, methods for attachment of
wood (e.g. doors, roofs), and how to sculpt niches, shelves and furniture.
As a complement to the hands-on building portion of the course there will be slide shows and discussion
sessions about the philosophical and theoretical aspects of natural building. These sessions cover building design and siting, passive solar design, foundations and drainage, natural plasters and earthen floors, roofs, and electric and plumbing for earthen buildings. There will also be opportunity to gain some skills in simple wood working for those with minimal or no wood working experience.

*Project Description: Cob bathhouse & sauna with 2 inside showers and Dressing areas, 2 outside showers, interior bath and sauna space, attached greywater system and plantings.

SASHA RABIN has been building and teaching others to build with natural materials since co-founding Seven Generations Natural Builders  in 2002, and is a partner in Vertical Clay. Sasha has a degree in Ecological Design from Evergreen State College and
apprenticed at the Cob Cottage Company. She has taught natural building classes at the Yestermorrow Design/Build School, The Solar Living Institute, and starting this year she will teach at the Institute of Urban Homesteading. She is currently living, learning and working on a suburban permaculture and natural building home and demonstration site in El Sobrante, CA (villasobrante.blogspot.com).

COST: $675 early bird by September 1 / $800 thereafter ($200 deposit holds your space). Includes the intensive, hands-on natural building workshop as well as catered homegrown & locally-grown organic food (our own goatmilk, cheeses, chicken, fresh eggs, and fall harvest vegetables), tent camping, swimming in the pond, nature walks, and after good days of Satisfying work – inspiring presentations, discussions on natural building, and high desert star gazing.

Referral opportunity: Receive $50 off the course fee when a participant registers who was referred by you.
The workshop is limited to 10 students and early registration is advised.

Contact to register: Kolmi at info@quailsprings.org or 805-886-7239
We look forward to sharing this harvest-time building-adventure with you!

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Quail Springs is a working farm dedicated to demonstrating and teaching holistic ways of designing human environments, and to facilitating deeper understandings of ourselves and one another through immersion experiences in nature. www.quailsprings.org

New Cuyama, CA

Sustainable Vocations prepares youth (ages 15-24) for diverse leadership roles that integrate sustainability into their communities, and provides an experiential introduction to the growing green jobs market. This is accomplished by building an educational foundation with youth, families, mentors and community partners, including:

· ecological literacy and regenerative design training
· leadership and community building training
· valuable hands-on experience in sustainable trades
· a Permaculture Design Certification

This is a new program growing out of the success of recent pilot projects (including Teen Apprentorship at Quail Springs, 2006, and a Permaculture Design Course for ex-combatant youth in Liberia, 2008), and connected to the roots of Quail Springs’ work with youth and families. Cost: $1,500-2,500, sliding scale. Need-based scholarships are available through funding from Hutton Foundation, Towbes Foundation, and business sponsorships. Diverse youth and families are encouraged to inquire. Contact: Kolmi Majumdar at info@quailsprings.org or Cyndi Harvan at 805-886-7239.

Materiales completos en Espanol disponibles pronto! Complete materials will be available in Spanish soon! Para informacion en Espanol, llamar a Maria Edith Eisenman at 805-886-7239 or email chrisandedith@quailsprings.org

New Cuyama, California

Please join us and the many contributors to Trees for Children ( www.treesforchildren.org ) in establishing and developing tree systems at Quail Springs. This will be a joyous weekend of tending the earth and community by planting trees. A tour of the farm will be offered to interested volunteers. All ages and abilities are welcome, and experience is not required. Camping nearby and potluck shared meals.

Contact to sign up or learn more: info@quailsprings.org or 805-886-7239

New Cuyama, California

With Robyn Francis, international permaculture designer and teacher. Permaculture is a holistic approach to land use design, based on ecological principles and patterns aiming to create stable, productive systems that provide for human needs, harmoniously integrating the land with people. World-recognized, 72-hour certification course covers sustainable living systems design for all landscapes and climates – with everything from food systems, water harvesting, waste cycling, home design, to climate care, and much more. The course is appropriate for people with diverse backgrounds and interests.

There is a concurrent Children’s Permaculture Program for families taking the PDC.
Early Bird Discounts and Worktrade Options by June 1st, 2009

contact: Kolmi Majumdar, info@quailsprings.org, 805-886-7239