Homesteading 101 - Spring 2022

With food and fuel prices skyrocketing, potential crop shortages, and other supply chain issues looming, there is no better time to learn some of the basics of self-production and building a local community. 

Class starts May 2
Enrollment deadline is April 22, 2022. 

By the end of this course you will know:

- How to produce the most nutrient dense calories with the least time commitment in the smallest potential land area
- The time and infrastructure needs of: gardens, small livestock, large livestock, permaculture and perennial production, cottage production such as canning, cheesemaking, dehydrating and more, foraging, hunting and fishing
- How to think about basic infrastructure such as: soil quality and health, water access and purification, fencing, energy
- How to build out network connections in your local area: from small scale producers to civic organizations to free educational resources like county extension to free grant money through NRCS
- How to think about levels of preparedness for potential risks at different geographic and time scales
- How to conceptualize your ideal home and community and put a plan in action to achieve that goal
- How to avoid the worst pitfalls of beginning homesteading. Tips to avoid financial ruin, time management issues, relationship strain and more
- You will have built a scaffolding of understanding of how homesteading works, on which to build further research and experience on the particulars of any potential area

Course Structure

- This is a virtual, synchronous 8 week course that meets twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00am-12:30pm ET, running from May 2, 2022 through June 20, 2022

- All classes will be recorded, so you will be able to see them asynch if you can't attend one of the meetings live.
- Some weekly meetings will be a lecture + Q&A with a guest instructor who has deep subject matter expertise.
- Other weekly meetings will be small group meeting time. You will be paired with other students and an experienced homesteading mentor. Small groups will focus on problem solving for each student's specific circumstance.
- The community portion of this - classmates, mentors, guest lecturers, etc. - will be a huge part of the value for students. The Discord server will be available for you to connect with everyone outside of the weekly meetings and to maintain the network for you after the course is over.

Purpose and Overview

-       Students will be familiarized with and have access to some of the leading thinkers, communities and social movements for a more land-based, productive and self-sufficient livelihood.

-       The course is intended for individuals, families and professionals who want to get an overview of the current risks we are facing as a globalized society, and hear from a variety of experts on how to approach a more landed, self-sufficient existence as a way to mitigate risk and prepare for crises. A big part of the course will prepare students to build connections to local communities, offering several expert level perspectives on how to build communities of practice, local economies, and navigate uncertainty through relationships.

- This course is NOT for those who want to pursue homesteading or agricultural production with a significant level of technical depth. Future courses will be covering these topics in more depth, as student interest arises.

-       We will hear from experts who have deeply considered perspectives on the challenges we are facing in our society including: risk, complexity, and global supply chain issues. From many of these same experts we will explore their approaches toward mitigating the worst crises such as: localism, homesteading, systems thinking, alternative agrarian communities, bioregionalism, permaculture, historical precedents for agrarian societies, and disaster preparedness.

-       We will then move the course toward specific approaches to preparedness, offering experienced perspectives on: finding and acquiring land, access to water and energy, small livestock, large livestock, infrastructure, permaculture, and taking an iterative approach to building resilience.

-       In conjunction with lectures from experts focusing on an overview of relevant topics, students will also be placed into small discussion groups led by experienced homesteading mentors. Discussion groups will discuss specific, individual projects and student questions. Students can expect to leave the course with a Homesteading 101 Plan as guided by mentors in small groups. Action steps for the Homesteading 101 Plan are guided around the following topics: land acquisition, soil, shelter, security, energy, water, food, community, and health.

Topics

-       Risk

-       Complex Systems

-       Homesteading

-       Localism

-       Transition Towns

-       Ecological Land Cooperative

-       Bioregionalism

-       Community leadership

-       Regenerative agriculture

-       Energy

-       Water

-       Land acquisition

-       Historical agrarianism

-       Disaster Preparedness

-       Soil health

-       Security

-       Sustainable shelter

-       Permaculture

-       Resilience

-       Invasive species

-       Land infrastructure

-       Small livestock

-       Large livestock

-       Iteration

-       Communities of practice

-       Social change

-       Health and wellness

Confirmed guest lecturers and mentors include:
- Joe Norman, PhD, Founder and Chief Scientist at Applied Complexity Science

- Chris Ellis, PhD, Localist, Homesteader, and expert in disaster preparedness and resilience

- Joel Hollingsworth, Rancher and Founder of Untapped Growth, a cattle cooperative

- Chris Smaje, PhD, Homesteader, Activist, Sociologist and Author of A Small Farm Future: Making the case for a society built around local economies, self provisioning, agricultural diversity and a shared earth

- Roxanne Ahern, Writer and consultant on the topics of holistic nutrition, regenerative homesteading, and edible landscape design, Author of Modern Sustainability: How to be zero waste in a culture created to be disposable

- Josh Heling, Homesteader, Software Developer, Farm-based educator

- Ashley Colby, PhD, Environmental Sociologist and founder of Rizoma Field School and Rizoma Foundation, expert in communities of practice and social change

- Jason Snyder, PhD, Faculty at Appalachian State University. Focuses on homesteading, localism, bioregional regeneration and cosmopolitan localism

What are the details?

Cost: $1,000 (several reduced tuition scholarships available - contact ashley@rizomafieldschool.com. Don't hesitate to reach out!)
Dates: May 2 through June 22, 2022
Times: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00am-12:30pm ET
Platforms: Zoom, Discord, Google Drive

Testimonials: