HILLSDALE, N.Y. — Ever dream of raising backyard chickens, tending an apiary of honeybees, or finally starting that compost pile? Itching to learn how to hula-hoop, identify mushrooms, or turn fleece into yarn? If so, you’re in luck. For many, the pandemic-induced isolation of the past two years (sorry for the reminder!) provided the perfect opportunity to hone a new skill or two. Others have been slower in emerging — not unlike a butterfly that has grown accustomed to the comfort and safety of its cocoon, tentatively unfurling its wings and taking flight. No matter where you fall on this spectrum, there’s no better time than spring to explore all the region has to offer — which, when it comes to the Hudson Valley’s Columbia County, equates to myriad makers (and do-ers) poised to share their passions (plus useful tips and tricks) in a series of hands-on workshops.
Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8 mark The Hillsdale Workshop Alliance’s second-annual festival, The Workshop Experience, packed with over 35 workshops, classes, and open gardens in nine locations throughout Hillsdale, Ancram, and Copake. The weekend intends to shine a light on gifted experts, creatives, makers, authors and artists through carefully-curated workshops.
The benefits of experiential learning have long been touted for individuals of all ages. Thanks to the region’s vibrant creative community, the rich tradition of workshops has been a mainstay in and around Columbia County long before the Hillsdale Workshop Alliance took shape last year. This collaboration among Hudson Valley neighbors, each a producer or expert in their respective field, evolved from a shared desire to join forces to showcase experiential learning events in arenas ranging from gardening, culinary arts and floristry to crafting, writing and natural history.
Alliance members include Margaret Roach (author and New York Times garden columnist); Matthew White (owner of Hillsdale General Store and HGS Home Chef); Jenny Elliott and Luke Franco (organic flower farmers and owners of Tiny Hearts Farm); Mark Holthusen (owner of Spring Hill Farm); Aubrey Lynch (dean of faculty and student affairs at American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School); Jim and Pam Carden (owners of Taconic Ridge Farm); Dana and Lindsay Bowen (owners of Sylvan Motor Lodge); and Lewis Cleale (owner of Nobletown Fiber Works).
Their mission is simple: to curate and promote experiential learning in creative fields in and around Hillsdale, New York. Whether the instructors are local experts or visiting makers and artists, the goal is high-quality workshops presented in beautiful settings that can be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. Below are some of the workshops being offered next weekend; the full schedule of events can be viewed here.
- “Tending to Honeybees: a Holistic Approach” with Sha-Na Dahl (co-owner of Lu-Na Blooms & Herbs)
- “Language of Flowers: An Introduction to Pollinator Ecology” with Rebecca McMackin (the director of horticulture at Brooklyn Bridge Park, published by and featured in The New York Times)
- “The Tao of Hula Hooping” with Annie Humphreys (author of “The Tao of the Hoop”)
- “Movement For the Non-Dancer” with Aubrey Lynch (dean of faculty and student affairs at American Ballet Theater Jacqueline Onassis School, former principal with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and original cast member and associate producer of “The Lion King”)
- “Sheep to Yarn: An Introduction to Fiber Processing” with Margot Becker (Hudson-based artist, weaver, and educator)
- “Dahlia’s Delight: Growing Better Dahlias” with Jenny Elliott (Tiny Hearts Farm owner and head grower)
- “Augmented Reality VR and the Metaverse” with Tom Westerlin (director with over 20 years of experience in virtual reality, augmented reality, CG content, and video games)
- “Say Cheese! Cooking Class” with Justin Chapple (culinary director-at-large at Food & Wine, host of video series Mad Genius Tips, for which he was twice nominated for a James Beard Award, and author of “Just Cook It!”)
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Learn to grow tulips with Tiny Hearts Farm. Photo courtesy The Workshop Experience “Understanding Soils and Composting” with Annie Novak (founder and head farmer of the nation’s first commercial rooftop farm in Brooklyn, manager of the Edible Academy at the NY Botanical Garden, and founder and director of Growing Chefs, a field-to-fork food education program)
- “Blacksmithing” with Marsha Sue Trattner (owner and operator of She Weld, a Brooklyn Welding Studio)
- “Passive House 101” with Steve Bluestone (former developer/builder/property manager in NYC; his home in Hillsdale was the first certified Passive House structure in all of North, Central, and South America that uses AAC-autoclaved aerated concrete blocks for exterior structural walls)
- “Podcasting 101” with Mat Zucker (host of the Cidiot podcast)
- “Mushroom Walk with Catskill Fungi” with John Michelotti (founder of Catskill Fungi, which produces triple-extracted health tinctures from fungi that are wild-crafted or grown on their family farm)
- “Tree Walk” with Chris Roddick (arborist and foreman of grounds at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and author of “The Tree Care Primer”)
- “Indigo Dyeing” with Diana Rupp (author and owner of Make Workshop)
- “Raising Chickens in Your Back Yard” with Jessica O’Neill (co-founder and executive director of Just Roots, an organization working at the intersection of local food, farms, and healthcare, and president of the Heath Agricultural Society)
- “Regarding Cocktails for the Home Bartender” with Georgette Moger-Petraske (cocktail and spirits journalist and author of best-selling memoir “Sarah Petraske Regarding Cocktails”)
Boxed lunches will be available for advance online pre-order for guests wishing to take in two or more events per day. Selections will be offered by Roe-Jan Brewing Co. and Copake General Store. Questions about a specific workshop or class should be directed to the producer of that event; questions for the Hillsdale Workshop Alliance can be directed to HillsdaleWorkshops@gmail.com.
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Do-it-yourself, with help: The Workshop Experience returns to Hillsdale, New York - theberkshireedge.com
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