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2012 Brings New Teachers and Diverse Workshops!
Workshops fees include all meals and camping
Easy Online Registration
Group and Family Discounts
Work Trades are Available
Traditional Timberframe
Woodbury, Tennessee
March 31-April 6, 2012
$675 Full price
$575 Early Registration (by March 1st) – Save $100!
This workshop is designed to take you from the raw pile of timbers to a handcrafted timber frame building. Come learn the ancient art of timber frame carpentry. In this six-day class we will learn how to draw out joinery on timbers using the traditional Square Rule layout system, cut mortise and tenon joints with hand tools, and assemble and raise the frame. In addition to hands-on learning, there will be daily demonstrations of tools and technique and several evening slide shows exploring timber framing history, design, enclosure, and more.
The building we will be constructing during this workshop will serve as our classroom for a wide variety of future workshops at Birdsong Hollow Farm. The building will eventually be completely insulated and finished on the interior with natural plasters and local woods. Come be a part of this exciting process and learn the basic skills for constructing a timberframe building. Our instructor is world class traditional timber framer, Sarah Highland. To learn more about her and see pictures of her work visit www.highlandartisan.com
No previous woodworking experience is necessary and anyone can participate!
Workshop fee includes all meals and camping on beautiful 144 acre Birdsong Hollow Farm, www.birdsonghollow.com. Hot showers and composting toilets are available in the camping area. For more information contact Christina Ott info@barefootbuilder.com or (850) 982-2597.
Register Now
Introduction to Natural Building
April 20-22
Woodbury, TN
$250 Early Registration by March 30th – Save $100
$350 Regular Price
This is the perfect course to take if you want a fun, affordable, and hands-on overview of natural building. Our three day weekend workshop is a great introduction to a variety of natural building skills. Come stay at Birdsong Hollow Farm and enjoy home cooked, farm grown meals, pretty scenery and natural building fellowship. We will cover basics of cob, straw bale, and natural plasters. We have a variety of natural buildings at various stages of completion for you to see and work on, as well as fieldtrips to nearby off-grid and naturally built homesteads.
Register Now
Cob Owner/Builder Intensive (Spring)
May 11th-19th
Woodbury, TN
$775 Early Registration by April 6th – Save $200
$975 Full Price
Couple/Family/Group Discounts Available
This is the longest and most in-depth workshop we offer, designed to prepare you to build you own cob home. This workshop offers hands-on experience building a natural stone foundation, cob walls, plaster, plumbing, electricity, and roof. We will also cover important topics like selecting your building site, finding materials, testing your cob mix, using a tractor to mix cob, passive solar design, dealing with the building department and more!
Family/Group Discounts available
Register Now
The Art of Homesteading:
Permaculture Design Certificate Course and Natural Building Workshop
Woodbury, Tennessee
June 11-27, 2012
Super Early Bird Discount $1400 (by April 14th – Save $600!
Early Registration Discount $1500 (if paid in full by May 13th) – Save $500!
Regular Registration $2000
Further discount available for families and groups. Please inquire.
The first 12 days of this workshop include a comprehensive permaculture design certificate course. You will learn the principles of permaculture land management and whole-systems design with emphasis on rainwater harvesting and larger scale land use planning. This course provides participants with hands-on experience working with common-sense solutions, while nourishing earth-based traditions and empowering our human potential. This 3-week practicum in Permaculture and Natural Building highlights innovative design systems and practical solutions that create bioregional sovereignty and, in the words of Buckminster Fuller, “have the potential to radically advance human well being and the health of our planet's ecosystems.” The second part of this course, June 22nd-27th, is a natural building workshop in which you will learn to design and build with cob and other natural materials according to the principles covered in the permaculture design class. This is an ideal course if you are planning a homestead of your own, a natural building, or just trying to manage your land in cooperation with natural systems. Our instructors are Brandy Hall - shadesofgreeninc.org/about/team/ - and Christina Ott - barefootbuilder.com/bio.html.
Workshop fee includes all meals and camping on beautiful 144 acre Birdsong Hollow Farm, www.birdsonghollow.com . Much of the food served during this workshop will be grown right here on the farm!
What is Permaculture? Permaculture is an ecological design system for sustainability in all aspects of our lives. Permaculture teaches us how build natural homes, grow our own food, restore diminished landscapes and ecosystems, catch rainwater, build communities, take care of waste and much more. The philosophy of permaculture is one of working with rather than against nature, and of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than premature and thoughtless action. Permaculture design techniques encourage land use which integrates principles of ecology and applies lessons from nature. It teaches us to create settings and construct ecosystems which have the diversity, stability, and the resilience of natural ecosystems.
What is the Permaculture Design Certificate Course (PDC)? The Permaculture Design Course was developed by Bill Mollison to teach principles and foundations of sustainable design. All PDC courses offered throughout the world must cover the same material to assure that the integrity of certification process is upheld.
Register Now
Permaculture Design Certificate Course
June 11th-22nd 2012
Woodbury, Tennessee
Deposit to hold your place $300
Super Early Bird Discount $985 (if paid in full by April 13th) – Save $515!
Early Registration Discount $1200 (if paid in full by May 13th) – Save $300!
Regular Registration $1500
Further discounts available for families and groups. Please inquire.
This workshop is a comprehensive permaculture design certificate course. You will learn the principles of permaculture land management and whole-systems design with emphasis on rainwater harvesting and land use planning. This course provides participants with hands-on experience working with common-sense solutions, while nourishing earth-based traditions and empowering our human potential. This 3-week practicum in Permaculture highlights innovative design systems and practical solutions that create bioregional sovereignty and, in the words of Buckminster Fuller, “have the potential to radically advance human well being and the health of our planet's ecosystems.” This is an ideal course if you are planning a homestead of your own, a natural building, or just trying to manage your land in cooperation with natural systems. Our instructor is Brandy Hall - http://shadesofgreeninc.org/about/team/.
What is Permaculture? Permaculture is an ecological design system for sustainability in all aspects of our lives. Permaculture teaches us how build natural homes, grow our own food, restore diminished landscapes and ecosystems, catch rainwater, build communities, take care of waste and much more. The philosophy of permaculture is one of working with rather than against nature, and of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than premature and thoughtless action. Permaculture design techniques encourage land use which integrates principles of ecology and applies lessons from nature. It teaches us to create settings and construct ecosystems which have the diversity, stability, and the resilience of natural ecosystems.
What is the Permaculture Design Certificate Course (PDC)? The Permaculture Design Course was developed by Bill Mollison to teach principles and foundations of sustainable design. All PDC courses offered throughout the world must cover the same material to assure that the integrity of certification process is upheld.
Register Now
Building with Cob Workshop
Woodbury, Tennessee
June 23 -27, 2012
$475 Early Registration by May 13th – Save $200!
$675 Regular Registration
Learn all the basic skills you’ll need to build a small cob cottage. This workshop will be a hands-on building experience during which we will plan and construct a small cob building from the ground up.
Register Now
Cob, Strawbale, Timber Frame & Thatch: Start-to-finish Natural Building!
Oxford, Michigan
July 14-28, 2012
This two week course is a rare opportunity to gain hands-on experience in combining several different natural building styles to create a snug, beautiful cottage from local natural materials. The course will be team-taught by 4 expert instructors from diverse backgrounds. This is an excellent workshop to take if you are considering building your own natural materials home, cottage or shed.
Hands-on experiences will be augmented by afternoon lectures, evening slide presentations, and individual design consultations on your own plans. Workshop fee includes all meals and camping with some indoor spaces/beds available.
Instructors:
Deanne Bednar www.strawbalestudio.org
Sarah Highland www.highlandartisan.com
Christina Ott www.barefootbuilder.com
Chris Mcclellan www.industrialrustic.com/nb/
Register Now
Natural Plasters: Clay, Lime, and Tadelakt
August 10th-12th
Woodbury, TN
$230 Early Registration by July 13th – Save $45
$275 Regular Registration
Natural plaster is the most beautiful final touch to any natural building, and you can do it in your conventional house too! In this workshop you will learn how to make and apply both clay and lime based natural wall finishes, including waterproof Moroccan tadelackt. These plasters are a beautiful and totally natural alternative to synthetic paints. Clay and lime based wall plasters are durable, can be made in a wide range of colors and give a beautiful soft finish to nearly any wall surface. Clay plasters are fun and easy to make and apply yourself.
Register Now
Cob Owner/Builder Intensive (Fall)
October 5th-14th
Woodbury, TN
$850 Early Registration by August 31st - Save $250
$1100 Regular Registration
Couple/Group/Family Discounts available
This is the longest and most in-depth workshop we offer, designed to prepare you to build you own cob home. This workshop offers hands-on experience building a natural stone foundation, cob walls, plaster, plumbing, electricity, and roof. We will also cover important topics like selecting your building site, finding materials, testing your cob mix, using a tractor to mix cob, passive solar design, dealing with the building department and more!
Register Now
Earthen Fireplace
October 20th
Woodbury, TN
$55 Early Registration by September 21st – Save $25
$80 Regular Registration
Learn to build a beautiful fireplace outdoors or in any cob building. You can have a gorgeous outdoor fireplace to rival any, and best of all you can build it using almost all free and recycled materials!
*This workshop includes lunch and overnight camping if requested.
Take this workshop together with Earthen Floors (Oct. 21st-22nd) and save on all three days!
Register Now
Beautiful Earthen Floors!
October 21st-22nd
Woodbury, TN
$175 Early Registration by Sept. 21st – Save $50
$225 Regular
Learn to install a classic earthen floor in a cob building or over an existing concrete slab. Earth floors are beautiful, warm, durable and healthy.
Take this workshop together with Earthen Fireplace (Oct. 20th) and save on all three days!
Register Now
Fireplaces and Floors
October 20th-22nd
Woodbury, TN
$230 Early Registration by Sept. 21st
$275 Regular Registration
The first day is a hands-on fireplace building workshop. We will build a cozy and functional fireplace from cob. You will be able to go home and build one of your own when we are done!
The next two days of this workshop are an earthen floor workshop. You will learn the multiple steps involved in making a gorgeous, warm, and durable floor from completely natural materials.
Register Now
Special Workshop Packages
The Weekend Warrior
3 weekend classes (10 days) plus timberframe raising day $700 - Save $200
April 6th - Timberframe Raising Day (free)
April 20th-22nd -Introduction to Natural Building
August 10th-12th - Natural Plasters: Clay, Lime, and Tadelakt
October 20th-22nd - Fireplaces and Floors
A Complete Curriculum for Cob Builders
A comprehensive preparation for aspiring natural builders
16 days of workshops for $1200 - Save $550
May or October - Owner/Builder Cob Intensive
August 10th-12th -Natural Plasters: Clay, Lime, and Tadelakt
October 22th-22nd - Fireplaces and Floors
Ask about other packages deals!
About Our Natural Building Workshops:
Payments & Discounts
Early Registration: For most workshops we offer a significant discount when you register and pay in full 30 days in advance of the workshop start date. For the Owner Builder Intensive you must register 60 days in advance to get the discount. Early bird discounts can not be combined with other discounts.
Two Adults: If you come to a workshop together with one other adult (friend, spouse, or relative) you can get a 25% discount off of the second workshop fee. Groups: When you come to a workshop in a group of three or more we will take 10% off for everyone in your group.
Kids: Children are welcome at all of our workshops at no charge when accompanied by their parent or guardian.
To get more information or register for a workshop you can contact us by email or phone, although we generally able to respond with more detailed information by email.
Contact:
Christina Ott
(850) 982-2597
cobdance@hotmail.com
Mail your workshop fee to:
Christina Ott
178 Birdsong Trail
Woodbury, TN 37190
We only accept cash and money orders the day of the workshop.
What to Expect at a Barefoot Builder Workshop
When you come to a Barefoot Builder workshop you will be fully participating in the construction of a real building, often someone’s home. We do not build practice structures or mock-ups, so when you leave you will have the confidence that comes from real experience. We also provide some of the only workshops that include hands on experience with installing plumbing and electricity in cob. Our workshops are designed to give you building skills through first hand experience and practice. Be prepared to get dirty! Most workshops involve several hours each day of moderate physical work on the building site. We encourage you to pay attention to your body and work at a pace that is comfortable for you. Participants in our workshops usually range widely in age and physical ability. Being on a cob building site is like a step back in time with the whole “village” pitching in to build something with our hands. There are no loud power tools or heavy equipment and we often sing together as we work.
We take long breaks after lunch during which you will have chance to peruse our collection of natural building books, go for a hike or swim, nap, or just hang out. There will also be lectures and demonstrations during the day and possibly slide shows, videos, and a camp fire at night.
Families & Children
Accomodations, Weather, and Meals
Workshops at Birdsong Hollow
Participants in our home workshops (those listed in Woodbury , TN ) have the opportunity to camp on 150 acres of beautiful Middle Tennessee hills, meadows and woods. There is ample wildlife, complete absence of mechanical noise, clear views of the stars, and great opportunities for hikes with views of the surrounding countryside. We provide hot showers in the camping area and three whole foods meals per day. When you attend a workshop here you will have the opportunity to learn about and experience much more than just building a house.
The view entering Birdsong Hollow, named for the cacophony almost of birds’ songs always heard there.
A view of Short Mountain from the top of the ridge. An hour hike from the campsite through Birdsong Hollow will get you to this expansive view.
Letters from Past Workshop Participants
Dear Christina,
Here it is a month after the workshop and I'm finally sending you the thank you letter that I meant to send three weeks ago. It actually works out well that it was delayed because I will be able to tell you of some recent developments in my quest to build my own cob home.
I gained so much from attending your cob basics workshop. Not only was the hands-on experience beneficial, the lectures and side conversations gave me some invaluable information.
For example, the flat area we had talked about that I was planning on building on did indeed end up being a water run off. As a result of the instruction on picking a building site, not only did I not build on that specific site, I decided against buying that property altogether. Furthermore, due to a tip you gave me, I found the land of my dreams; and for under $1,500 an acre!
I will be able to use just about every bit of knowledge I've gained from this experience; I intend to set up the "natural air conditioning" system, I redesigned my home using your functions and living spaces instead of rooms idea, and I now feel confident that I can put in an earthen floor, establish flooring for a second floor and am not as intimidated about electricity and setting up a solar system.Holly and I have been gathering rock from the creek for the stem wall for Holly's playhouse, I have talked to our neighbor about camping on her adjoining property, and I would feel very fortunate to be able to host a workshop by Barefoot Builders to raise it!
Sincerest Regards,
Diane Jennings - LaFayette, GA
Hey Guys:
I have been covered up since I got home from the courtyard walls workshop but wanted to thank you all for a wonderful experience. We touched on so many aspects of living on our planet within our world views during my stay. I apologize for not getting back sooner. My stay with your family has rejuvenated my commitment to my world, our generations to come and the absolute necessity of acting on my commitment rather than preaching it. You walk the walk and it is inspiring. May the force be with you.
- Gretchen Torrence
Dear Christina,
Our whole family had such a magnificent time at the workshop this past weekend. Huge thanks to you for so much patient and interesting instruction, to Nature for all the delicious salads & wisdoms thereabout & the stretchy-happy yoga -- and to your fabulous Mom for her cooking and gracious hostessing. It was really a special and stimulating time for us. I had thought that this workshop would be enough to get us going -- and it is -- but since we've been home, Stephen & I have been talking about cobbing nonstop. I now have a real hankering to do the longer workshop not next year but this one. The realization that your longer workshop in August happens too late for us (since Stephen'll already be teaching by then and tied down to the college) lead me to look up your earlier workshop -- and I see it's THIS WEEKEND! It would entail some intensive travelling on my part (I take Robin to the airport in Cincinnati for his flight on Thursday early evening), I would like very much to come to this workshop. I think I had an inkling of the significance of my discovery when I pulled that first book about cobbing off the library shelf, but now Stephen & I both have a strong sense --I say this entirely seriously & without exaggeration-- that we will look back & recognize our first encounter with cobbing as a life-changing experience. Thanks so much!
-Lynne
Dear Christina,
Hello! I had such a wonderful time at both workshops with you &Nature. Thank you so very much. You're of a good-energy influence onus that you can probably not imagine. We have all been talking coband natural building and raw foods almost non-stop since I returned.I think our friends are beginning to get bored with me, except for theone fabulous mom of Raphael's friend Justice who turns out to knowwhere to get gorgeous flat creekstones. Whether or not they're bored,though, we're all pretty enthused & getting planning. We found a construction site with a couple of huge piles of "filldirt" today which we promptly sampled, and we think it's prettyclay-ey. Dione and Raphael insisted as soon as we arrived home onmixing it with the sand from the sandbox (wrong sand, I know, but...)and demanded a tarp. A picture of the wee cobbers is attached.
muddily,
affectionately,
Lynne MM in IN
DEAR CHRINSTINA AND CRAIG,
JEFF AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR A GREAT SATURDAY. I HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN COB CONSTRUCTION FOR QUITE SOME TIME, BUT JEFF HAS NOT. I SIGNED US UP FOR YOUR CLASS AND THEN TALKED HIM INTO GOING. ( NOT THAT IT TOOK THAT MUCH ) BUT NOW JEFF IS VERY INTERESTED. SEEING AND DOING IS BELIEVING, I GUESS. WE ARE GOING TO BUILD AN OUTDOOR OVEN OR FIREPLACE THIS SUMMER.
WE ENJOYED THE LUNCH THAT YOU PROVIDED. SALADS ARE LWAYS BETTER WHEN THEY ARE HOME GROWN!!! YOU MUST LET ME KNOW HOW YOU SEASONED THAT VEGGIE SOUP TOO! IT SMELLED SO GOOD WHEN IT WAS COOKING. AND TASTED GREAT TOO.
I HAVE BEEN READING THE BOOK THAT CRAIG WROTE. IT IS WELL WRITTEN AND I'M ENJOYING IT.
ANYHOO, I JUST WANTED TO DROP A LINE AND SAY IT WAS GREAT MEETING YOU ALL, (SORRY I DIDNT DO IT SOONER) AND THAT I HOPE WE MEET AGAIN. WE ARE INTERESTED IN TAKING THE WEEK LONG COB COTTAGE CLASS.
BEST WISHES,
LEEANN DAVIS