Dive into the immersive world of Strawflower Homestead with our work-study program. Spanning from 2 weeks to 2 months, this enriching experience offers a profound blend of hands-on learning and authentic homestead living. Dedicate roughly 25 hours weekly, assisting with our diverse homestead tasks — from tending the garden to mastering age-old crafts. In return, enjoy comfortable room and board, deeply nestled within our nurturing community. It’s more than just an exchange; it’s a journey into self-discovery, sustainability, and interconnectedness. Echoing the ethos of renowned programs like Workaway, our initiative promises growth, connection, and memories to cherish. Join us!
At Strawflower Homestead, individuals delve into a rich tapestry of personal skills, each grounded in the time-honored traditions of homesteading. As our world grapples with unprecedented changes, these skills are not just nostalgic recollections but vital tools for self-sufficiency, environmental stewardship, and forging meaningful connections. From gardening and food preservation to handcrafting and natural building, every skill learned here echoes a harmonious balance between past wisdom and present needs. In an era characterized by detachment from nature, mastering these skills at Strawflower offers a profound reconnection, empowering individuals to lead more sustainable, intentional, and fulfilling lives. Over the past decade this is just a sample of what people learned:
Sprouting
Managing and working in a commercial kitchen
Make sourdough bread
Cook for large groups
Farm to Fork cooking
Wild foraging
Make a fire
Chop Firewood
Change oil
Basic vehicle maintenance and repair
Yoga
Wood Working
Hot Tub Maintenance
Sauna Maintenance
Off-grid power systems
Chainsaw repair and work
Rammed Earth Construction
Make Pizza
Make Bread
Fix electronics
Water Systems and Rainwater Collection
Change a tire
Repair a flat tire
Use a chop saw
Stain wood
Mulch Trees
Dance naked
Irrigation systems
Seed to seed farming
Permaculture design
Water Systems
Caring for chickens
Water Filtration
Rat Proofing
Personal Responsibility
Rototilling
Using a Broad Fork
Transplanting
Making a dream Catcher
Sharing a bedroom with someone
Self- Love
Bee-Keeping
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Milking goats
Making goat cheese
Caring for Goats
Non Violent Communication
Living in close proximity with others
Food preservation
Making Sourkraut
Canning
Jamming
Playing music
Dancing
Meditation
Playing
Child-care
Learning from kids
Being Alone
Public Speaking
Confidence
Stone Building
Planting a Tree
Fencing
Create art
Writing
Singing
Community building practices
Community system fundamentals
Compost systems
Compost Toilet construction
Soil regeneration
Mushroom inoculation
Painting
Carpentry
Landscaping
Aquaponics
Orchard Development
Hatching Chickens
Birthing Goats
Raising Pigs
Fencing
Tincture Making
Herbal Medicine
Make Beeswax Candles
A Campus for a new culture
We provide an environment where you have the opportunity to learn a wide-variety of skills that will change your life forever.
We learn trigonometry but not seed saving, the history of politics but not water filtration or energy systems, the periodic table of elements but not composting or basic car maintenance. Strawflower Homestead is dedicated to teaching you personal life skills and the skill necessary to live in and cultivate a healthy community organism.
What a typical weekday at Strawflower might look like:
(Depending on mutual agreements, much is flexible and is optional)
6:00 – 7:30 Optional Morning Practice Space
7:30 – 8:00 Morning Meditation with live music and check-in
8:00 – 8:30 Breakfast
8:30 – 12:30 Community Contribution and Learning
12:30 – 1:30 Lunch
1:30 – 2:30 Community Contribution and Learning
2:30 – 6:00 Personal Development and optional workshop learning
6:00 – 7:00 Dinner
7:00 – 9:30 Optional workshop or facilitated group space
Weekends are much less structured and many times are completely open outside of meals. Typical Weekend:
10:30 -11:30 Brunch
12:00 – 3:00pm Optional Workshop or facilitated space
6:00 -7:00 Dinner
Spring Program
All Programs at Strawflower Homestead include an in-depth community living experience and more skills and learning than can ever be planned or explained here, but the following programs offer a slight specialization for this who have an interest to learn dive a bit deeper and learn the following:
CONNECTION TO GARDENING AND FOOD SYSTEMS
The Connection to Food Systems Course is the backbone of Orenda and runs nine months a year. In the first 3 months of the year we learn a lot of planting and transplanting, we learn garden planning and crop rotation and co-planting, we learn soil preparation and irrigation systems.
Connection to food also includes the kitchen and help preparing the food for our nourishment.
NATURAL BUILDING AND HOW TO BUILD WITH RAMMED EARTH
The first 3 months of 2024 will see us build using a technique called SIREWall, which stands for Structurally Insulated Rammed Earth. Learn More about SIREWALL here.