Event Registration is Full! Please contact us to get on the mailing list for future events at KalyxCenter@gmail.com.
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Join us for 5 hours of Fermentation, Mushrooms, Plant Identification, Composting, Galic Tasting, Foraging, Art in the Landscape, and more!
Incredible local experts, nestled in nature, Common Ground Food Coop sandwiches for lunch, and great company.
Camping is available, if you are interested, just bring a tent!
In an effort to keep this event affordable, the price is low. Add a donation if you are able & want to see more programming like this! We are a small volunteer run nonprofit and appreciate everyone who comes and every dollar contributed.
WORKSHOPS:
- Wonderings of Autumn with Chandler Womack: Wend through the trails starting off at Monk’s Prairie where we will look at interesting and edible flora and mushrooms. Learn about identification, usage, and lore of natural elements along the trail, stopping to discuss and wonder at the marvels of nature.
- Aroma and Alchemy: A Garlic Workshop with Sean Williams: Experience the full journey of the stinking rose at this garlic tasting and growing workshop. We'll start with a hands-on session where you'll learn tips to successfully growing your own garlic, from choosing the right bulbs to preparing your soil and planting for a future harvest. We’ll move on to a guided tasting, exploring the diverse world of garlic with a flight of different varieties. You'll discover the unique flavor profiles—from spicy and pungent to sweet and mild—of various horticultural groups of garlic, learning to appreciate the subtle differences that make each type special. This workshop is perfect for home gardeners, food lovers, and anyone curious about the fascinating world of garlic.
- Food Waste to Food Fertilizer with Compost with Grace Wilken: this workshop will explore the basic mechanisms and methods of composting food waste to recycle nutrients back into the soil and ultimately into more food. Discussions will include troubleshooting with various compost methods, updates on larger-scale local composting efforts, and samples of various stages of compost. This workshop is ideal for anyone interested in compost, from curious beginners to experienced composters.
- Fun with Fermentation with Caitlin Mellendorf: In this beginner-friendly session, explore how to use beneficial “burping” microbes to transform a variety of foods. From turning cabbage into sauerkraut or milk into yogurt, fermentation at home is simple and fun.
- Plants to Color! with Joan Jach: We will explore the many ways plants can be used to make ink and forage for some local color to paint a one-of-a-kind masterpiece to take home. Each participant will take home basic instructions for making plant based ink and a 1oz bottle of ink.
- Edible Illinois Mushrooms: talk and walk with JP Goguen: This workshop will be a quick introduction to the mushroom lifecycle, seasonal calendar, and easy-to-identify edibles that occur in local forests. Attention will be on safety and utility with plenty of time for digging deeper based on attendees curiosity and questions. An identification walk around the Kalyx woods is also an option if recent rainfalls bring a flush of fungi!
You're invited to stay after for the evening's Potluck & Contra Dance! This is a separate ticketed event.
(potluck at 5pm , 7:30pm dancing! no pre-registration is required for the contra dance)
