Workshops at Runamuk

I’m excited to announce the opportunity to participate in workshops here at beautiful Runamuk Acres!

In the five years since I established Runamuk and the Somerset Beekeepers I’ve spent a fair amount of time teaching the local community about bees, beekeeping, pollinators and pollinator conservation, salve and soap-making. I’ve volunteered as a master gardener for the Somerset County Cooperative Extension, spoken with various groups, offered presentations at several local fairs and different ag-related events. Now I’m ready to start hosting workshops on the farm.

Right now I’m confident and comfortable teaching about bees, pollinators, and salve and soap-making, but in the future I hope to collaborate with other educators (be they farmers, beekeepers, homesteaders, gardeners, or university representatives) to share the opportunity to learn valuable homesteading and farming skills with those who are interested.

So without further ado here are the up-coming workshops at Runamuk Acres:

Beekeeping 101
Saturday, September 19, 2015
8am─4pm
Comes with beekeeping resource book.
$125

We cram a whole beekeeping course into one day with this workshop, starting early in the morning with a tour of the apiary. Then we’ll dive right into learning about honeybees, the gear and equipment needed for beekeeping, pests and diseases as well as IPM techniques, treatments, and natural beekeeping methods. Lunch will be provided at noontime before we move on to learning about how to establish new hives. Later in the afternoon we will discuss honey production with a demonstration of the honey-extractor, learn how to establish new hives, and all about seasonal management of those hives. It’s a lot to take in in one day, but you’ll be among other new-bees, so no worries!

Artisan Soap Crafting
Saturday, October 3, 2015
10am─4pm
$100

Topics covered in this workshop range from the different soaping methods, soap qualities and the properties that various oils can lend to your soap, the saponification process, how to cure the soap, scenting the soap and different additives for soap embellishment, and natural vs. synthetic soap colorants. Lunch will be provided at noontime and then were will move onto a hands-on demonstration, walking potential soap-makers through the entire soap-making process.

Herbal Salve-Making
Saturday, October 17
10am─4pm
$100

In this workshop we will learn about herbs growing right in your backyard as well as recommended herbs to grow for medicinal salve-making, when and how to harvest them, as well as how to process your herbs and the benefits and uses of beeswax and honey. After a noontime lunch provided by the farm, participants will make both a lotion and lipbalm, learning first-hand the process of salve-making. Students will leave the farm with a tin of lotion and a tube of lipbalm each.

Please note that workshops are nonrefundable for any reason, however you can always use a missed workshop credit towards any other farm event, forever. Payment is required in full to reserve your spot for any of our workshops. Feel free to email me at runamukacres@gmail.com to sign up.