The Gatherers Program: Foraging, Herbal Medicine and Basketry

Dates: 4-12-25 runs until 10-5-25

Hours: See below…

Deposit: $500

Tuition Remainder:  $2300

Full Tuition: $2800

Ages: 18 & Up.

Camping, Directions and Logistics

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We have so much to learn from plants! The firsthand participation of gathering food, harvesting and making medicine, and using natural fibers to weave baskets deepens our connections to our environment. Through the act of using our hands, heads, and hearts to gather, create and engage our whole selves with the landscape.

The program has three main focuses: foraging edible plants, creating plant based medicine, and the use of natural fibers for the crafting of harvesting baskets.

In these three seasons, program participants will explore firsthand the many avenues of engaging the botanical (and fungi!) world.  We will engage with plants throughout their life cycles and in their ecosystems.  In addition to gathering and handcraft, we will address seasonal timing, harvesting tools and techniques, sustainable practices, and safety.

We want to facilitate you to become more comfortable and more intimately engaged with the plant realm.  As a class we will get out and gather, prepare, store and eat wild edible foods throughout the growing season.   

We will learn to make herbal medicine to address everyday health and wellness and create tinctures, salves, oxymels, vinegars, teas, poultices and more.  To gather, we need a vessel to carry what we collect.  Working with local plants, students will make a willow harvesting basket, a black ash pack basket, and a plaited berry basket.  We will also learn how to harvest and process wild fibers for cord, dye wool with local plants and use them to weave a strap. 

This course has a relaxed pace where we take our time. There will be additional handcraft projects to work on when we will inevitably find ourselves between tasks as bottles need to be poured, leaves stripped, and tinctures pressed.  We will be placing a heavy emphasis on local abundant species that have thriving populations and take the time to give back to those plant communities.

2025 Schedule

Weekends start at 10AM on Saturday and  go  until 5-6 PM. Sundays start at 9AM and go until 4 PM.

Ribbed Willow Basketry April 12-13
Basic Botany, Vinegars, Oxymels & Fire Cider, Herbal Oil Preparation, Herbal Teas: Cold and Hot Infusions, Decoctions, Mead Making and Spring Greens and Roots May 10-11
Bark Harvesting, Tincture Preparation: Folk Weight to Volume and Double Extraction, Harvesting Tools and Basic Practices, Early Summer Edibles June 7-8

Black Ash Pack Baskets

 July 4th optional bonus day to come and pound and black ash splints

 July 5-6
Summer Edibles, Diagonally Plaited Baskets, Cordials, Salves July 26-27
Mushroom Foraging, Bitters, Plant based wool dyes September 6-7
Fall Roots, Nuts and Fruits,  Strap Weaving with Plant Dyed Wool, Herbal First Aid Kit Construction, Wild Fibers, Final Feast

October 4-5

Course Curriculum

In this spring to fall program students will learn the following:

  • Ribbed Willow Basketry
  • Basic Botany
  • Black Ash Pack Baskets
  • Plaited Willow Bark Baskets
  • Natural Dyes
  • Seasonal Foraging
  • Wildcrafted Herbalism
  • Tinctures, Salves, Oils, Vinegars, & Oxymels
  • Fire Cider
  • Mead Brewing
  • Natural Fiber Harvesting and Processing
  • Wildcrafting Tools and Best Practices
  • Herbal Teas- Decoctions and Infusions
  • Nut harvesting and Processing
  • Mushroom Foraging
  • Bitters
  • Cordials
  • Herbal First Aid Kits

Class time will be supplemented with optional homework assignments and gathering suggestions.  We encourage the students to bring in what they have been working on, recipes and products made to share and revel in.  There is a wonderful energy to the group where we can engage with and learn from each others strengths.

Joining us will be several very talented guest instructors:

Payment Information

Tuition: Tuition is  $2900 total, broken into a Deposit and Tuition.  There are three payment options for this program to be chosen during enrollment:                           
Option 1: Pay the Deposit and Tuition in full at Enrollment.
Option 2:  Pay the Deposit at Enrollment and then pay the Tuition on the first day of the program, either automatically with your card or through check or cash.   
Option 3: Pay the Deposit at Enrollment and then pay the remainder split up on the first of each month from when you enroll until August 1st.                                          
Early Bird Discount: To receive the Early Bird discount you must be Enrolled before January 15th.
Payment Plan Policy: Please know that if you sign up for a payment plan and drop out midway through the course you are still responsible for the remainder of your balance. If you do not complete your payments on schedule late fees will be assessed.  

Refund Policy: Tuition, minus the deposit is refundable up to one month before the beginning of the program.

Grants: Qualifying Vermont residents may apply for Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, (VSAC) Advancement Grants (Previously non-degree grants.) Be aware that VSAC begins its funding cycle in June and January of each year and awards grants on a first-come-first-serve basis while funds last. Please apply early!  Students who apply for VSAC grants are asked to submit a non-refundable deposit with your registration form. When the grant is issued at the start of the program, we will refund whatever amount of your deposit is in excess of the tuition.  VSAC application forms may be obtained from Vermont Student Assistance Corporation: 1-800-882-4166.