Courses

Our region’s orchards provide over three-thousand apple varieties, many of them remarkably different in flavor, texture, color, in the juice they provide and their fermenting potential. Join Beth Dooley and explore the wide world of apples. We’ll cover how different varieties are especially well suited to different dishes. Some make…

Without question, the Adirondack chair is a timeless classic - its high back, large armrests and contoured seat and back are unmistakable. For many, the Adirondack chair defines the ideal deck or lawn chair for a well-deserved break. This course is the perfect opportunity for you to learn and expand…

This course offers a full immersion into the signature tree of the boreal forest: the white birch. The objects that can be made using all parts of this tree are many. Using a slojd knife, students will carve the freshly harvested green wood into butter spreaders, cheese boards, coats hooks…

Make your own sausage flavored the way you like it using your favorite meats. As a class, we will make and take home 4-5 kinds of sausage of your choosing from a list of about 10 varieties. These will be fresh, non-smoked, non-cured sausages like bratwurst, breakfast sausage, Moroccan, Polish,…

Discover the designs, color, styles and technique of traditional bead embroidery as you work with Ojibwe cultural specialist and Grand Portage band member Marcie McIntire, sewing and decorating a pair of moccasins in this course. You will design a pair of moccasins to make, choosing from either a baby or…

Discover the designs, color, styles and technique of traditional bead embroidery while crafting moccasins designed for baby feet. Create gift that will be treasured for years to come (and that will stay on those adorable little feet). Students will design and sew a pair of moccasins using quality tanned deerhide.…

The anorak is the traditional outer garment worn throughout the far North and Arctic climates. It is designed to be worn over heavier insulating layers to block the wind and shed snow. This anorak design may be made from a variety of fabrics and features large sleeves with adjustable wrist…

The graceful curve of the deer antler provides a creative springboard for the emerging folk-art form of antler basketry. In this course students learn to weave stunning rib-style baskets from dyed and natural rattan reed, incorporating a deer antler as the handle or focal point of the design. The project…

Lace up your baking shoes and get ready for an artisan breads baking marathon. Combining the skills of our popular Artisan Breads I and II courses, this 2.5 day intensive course allows students to dig deep into hand-crafted, long fermented and hot-hearth baked breads.  We’ll explore pre-ferments and a long…

Can’t whey-t to take your home cheesemaking to the next level? Make your favorite cheese anytime you want. You will learn the basics of cheese making during class and then be able to replicate and experiment at home. We’ll cover milks, starters, bacteria, molds, and common household equipment for cheese…

For centuries, the hardworking goats and cows of the fjords & mountains of Scandinavia have been kept fat and happy on the lush green grasses that thrive in the long daylight hours of summer. And as any foodie will tell you: where there is an abundance of milk, there is…

This tutorial is intended for students with some experience with bowl turning on an electric lathe, and who want to learn more advanced woodturning methods. We will explore turning asymmetrical forms from bark edged bowls to unusual end-grain pieces and burls. The tutorial will include selection of wood, cutting of…

Cranks wind, gears turn, dragons chomp and birds fly. Welcome to the whimsical world of automata: simple wooden machines that delight and amaze. Join Cecilia Schiller for a three-day exploration of the principles of making wooden machines and the simple mechanisms that make things move. Beginning with the design process,…

Learn the planning, layout and joinery necessary to construct a traditional timber frame (post and beam) structure, such as North House's blacksmith shop, bread oven shelter, fish house classroom and other structures around campus. The course begins with the basic mortise and tenon joint, and then expands on these techniques…

Discover the magic of “painting with beads” through your choice of seven different signature beaded lapel pin projects. In a reflection of the art and craft of bead embroidery, artist Jo Wood will lead you through your choice of one or two bead-embroidered projects, time permitting. The birch tree pin…