Workshops & Events

D Acres of New Hampshire offers a variety of fun and exciting workshops, classes, and community events throughout the year, all of which are open to the public. Topics include gardening, woodworking, cooking, food preservation, animal husbandry, sustainable forestry, and ecological construction methods.

Unless otherwise noted, all workshops are held on-site at D Acres: 218 Streeter Woods Road, Dorchester, NH. Directions are available here.

Click here to register for an event!

Prior Workshops & Events

2009 CALENDAR

OF EVENTS

View a printable 2009 calendar here!

2009 is the Year of Traditional Arts & Ecology

In 2009, our educational programming will focus on Arts & Ecology, with an emphasis on traditional arts such as blacksmithing, woodworking, fiber arts, food preservation, and printmaking. In additional to our complete schedule of workshops and events, D Acres will also be hosting a Traditional Arts Fair on September 12th and 13th, 2009.

***Open Blacksmithing is now held on Saturday's 1 - 4pm for those that have attended "Basic Blacksmithing" or have equivalent experience. $12, Reservations required.***

June 2009

June 5: First Friday Pizza & a Movie 5:30pm pizza, 7pm movie One Cow, One Man, One Planet – Cloud South Films, $5-$15 sliding scale suggested donation for all-you-should-eat pizza! http://www.cloudsouthfilms.co.nz/films/onecow/about.html

June 6: D Acres Gardening System w/ Josh Trought 1-4pm $8 We will spend the day in the gardens at D Acres of New Hampshire, learning the basics of small-scale organic agriculture. Topics include composting, plant selection, preventing pests, encouraging pollinators, and irrigation techniques.

June 7: Yoga w/ Darcie Shedd 9-10am

June 7: Farm Feast Breakfast and Open House/Open Trails 10am-1pm, Tours begin at 1pm, $10 suggested donation for adults, $5 for children.

June 7: Reiki Share w/ Gayle Hannan 1:30pm, donations welcome. All levels welcome!

June 7: At-Risk Plant Walk w/ Sarah Hall 3pm FREE

June 7: Full Moon Potluck 6-9pm FREE Bring a dish to share with neighbors!

June 19: Writing Group w/ Ivy Page 10am-12pm $15 All levels and styles are welcome; emphasis is currently on poetry and short-stories. Beginners are certainly welcome. *Pre-registration is required. Contact us at 603.786.2366 or info@dacres.org

June 20: Watercolor for the First Time w/ Cheryl Johnson 10am-4pm $50 Join Campton, NH watercolorist, Cheryl Johnson, in this watercolor workshop for beginners. The morning session will focus on watercolor basics, including use of tools and materials, brush strokes, mixing colors, applying washes, and various tips and techniques. After lunch, participants will paint a complete landscape. All materials are included, and no experience is necessary. Bring a bag lunch. Minimum: four; Maximum: eight. * Pre-registration is required *************CANCELED**************

June 20: Saturday Soup Night 6-8pm $5-$15 sliding scale donation for all-you-should-eat organic farm soup!

June 21: Solstice Potluck 6-9pm FREE Bring a dish to share with friends!

June 26: Open Mic Night 8pm FREE!

June 28: Volunteer Day 10am-4pm

July 2009

July 3: First Friday Pizza & a Movie 5:30pm pizza, 7pm movie, $5-$15 sliding scale suggested donation for all-you-should-eat pizza!

July 5: Yoga w/ Darcie Shedd 9-10am

July 5: Farm Feast Breakfast and Open House/Open Trails 10am-1pm, Tours begin at 1pm, $10 suggested donation for adults, $5 for children.

July 5: Reiki Share w/ Gayle Hannan 1:30pm, donations welcome. All levels welcome!

July 10: Full Moon Potluck 6-9pm FREE Bring a dish to share with neighbors!

July 11: Basic Blacksmithing w/ Joe Vachon 1-4pm $16. A hands-on introduction to tools, scrap-yard steel identification, fire tending, hammer technique, bending, twisting, and hot-cutting. Produce your own s-hooks in the process! Leather gloves, eye and ear protection are provided. Long pants are mandatory. No combustible synthetics! *Pre-registration is required.

July 12: Herbal Tea Making w/ Sarah Hall 1-4pm $10

July 17, 18 & 19: Dorchester Old Home Days

July 18: Building with Nature (for middle school aged children) w/ Cynthia Robinson of Eco Art a la Carte 3-5pm $8

July 18: Saturday Soup Night 6-8pm $5-$15 sliding scale donation for all-you-should-eat organic farm soup!

July 26: Volunteer Day 10am-4pm

July 31: Writing Group w/ Ivy Page 10am-12pm $15 All levels and styles are welcome; emphasis is currently on poetry and short-stories. Beginners are certainly welcome. *Pre-registration is required. Contact us at 603.786.2366 or info@dacres.org

July 31: Open Mic Night 8pm FREE!

August 2009

August 2: Yoga w/ Darcie Shedd 9-10am

August 2: Farm Feast Breakfast and Open House/Open Trails 10am-1pm, Tours begin at 1pm, $10 suggested donation for adults, $5 for children.

August 2: Reiki Share w/ Gayle Hannan 1:30pm, donations welcome. All levels welcome!

August 7: First Friday Pizza & a Movie 5:30pm pizza, 7pm movie, $5-$15 sliding scale suggested donation for all-you-should-eat pizza!

August 7: Full Moon Potluck 6-9pm FREE Bring a dish to share with neighbors

August 15: Saturday Soup Night 6-8pm $5-$15 sliding scale donation for all-you-should-eat organic farm soup!

August 15: Farm Day Join the masses for our annual Farm Day harvest celebration, featuring live music, a pig roast, local veggies, raffles, a bonfire, and tours of the farm and gardens! At Farm Day, we welcome over 200 guests to the farm to share a meal (D Acres-raised pork, complemented with lots of fresh, local veggies and homemade bread!) and build community! Bring a potluck dessert to share!

August 17-21: Kids Week at the Farm with Tyler Durham 9am-1pm Monday-Friday $200 (sliding scale and family discounts available- contact us for more information!) D Acres welcomes youth to participate in real farm activities, including feeding the pigs and chickens, gathering eggs, harvesting food from the gardens, and preparing and eating it in a tasty, healthy lunch. Young people will be encouraged to marvel at the diversity of life at the farm, and begin to see how plants, animals, insects, and others all work together in a healthy ecological system. Participating children will see that for the farm, and the world beyond, to work, ants, bugs and worms are no less important than oxen, trees, and people. Daily visits to the farm will feed the curiosity children naturally exhibit while fostering growth in a fun and exciting environment.

August 28: Writing Group w/ Ivy Page 10am-12pm $15 All levels and styles are welcome; emphasis is currently on poetry and short-stories. Beginners are certainly welcome. *Pre-registration is required. Contact us at 603.786.2366 or info@dacres.org

August 28: Open Mic Night 8pm FREE!

August 30: Volunteer Day 10am-4pm

August 30: Harvesting & Harvest Preservation 10-12pm $8

August 30: Herbal Salve Making w/ Sarah Hall 1-4pm $10

September 2009

September 4: Full Moon Potluck 6-9pm FREE Bring a dish to share with neighbors

September 4: First Friday Pizza & a Movie 5:30pm pizza, 7pm movie, $5-$15 sliding scale suggested donation for all-you-should-eat pizza!

September 6: Yoga w/ Darcie Shedd 9-10am

September 6: Farm Feast Breakfast and Open House/Open Trails 10am-1pm, Tours begin at 1pm, $10 suggested donation for adults, $5 for children.

September 6: Reiki Share w/ Gayle Hannan 1:30pm, donations welcome. All levels welcome!

September 12: Traditional Arts Fair

September 19: Saturday Soup Night 6-8pm $5-$15 sliding scale donation for all-you-should-eat organic farm soup!

September 25, 26 & 27: MOFGA's Common Ground Fair in Unity Maine

September 25: Writing Group w/ Ivy Page 10am-12pm $15 All levels and styles are welcome; emphasis is currently on poetry and short-stories. Beginners are certainly welcome. *Pre-registration is required. Contact us at 603.786.2366 or info@dacres.org

September 25: Open Mic Night 8pm FREE!

September 27: Volunteer Day 10am-4pm

September 27: Herbal Tincture Preparation w/ Sarah Hall 1-4pm $10

October 2009

October 2: First Friday Pizza & a Movie 5:30pm pizza, 7pm movie, $5-$15 sliding scale suggested donation for all-you-should-eat pizza!

October 4: Yoga w/ Darcie Shedd 9-10am

October 4: Farm Feast Breakfast and Open House/Open Trails 10am-1pm, Tours begin at 1pm, $10 suggested donation for adults, $5 for children.

October 4: Cider Making w/ Louis Holland 1-4pm FREE Bring your own apples!

October 4: Reiki Share w/ Gayle Hannan 1:30pm, donations welcome. All levels welcome!

October 4: Full Moon Potluck 6-9pm FREE Bring a dish to share with neighbors!

October 17: The Art of Fermentation w/ Louise Turner 1-3pm $12 Lacto-fermentation was used before the days of refrigeration, pasteurization, freezing, and canning as a means to preserve food. A first, easy step to incorporating lactofermented foods into your diet is to learn the preparation of old-fashioned sauerkraut and how it benefits your health and wellbeing! Participants will make and take home their own jar of organic sauerkraut; materials provided.

October 17: Root Cellaring 3-5pm $8 Tour the D Acres root cellar, and learn how you can best store those hearty crops that will last you all winter!

October 17: Saturday Soup Night 6-8pm $5-$15 sliding scale donation for all-you-should-eat organic farm soup!

October 24: Basic Blacksmithing w/ Joe Vachon 1-4pm $16. A hands-on introduction to tools, scrap-yard steel identification, fire tending, hammer technique, bending, twisting, and hot-cutting. Produce your own s-hooks in the process! Leather gloves, eye and ear protection are provided. Long pants are mandatory. No combustible synthetics! *Pre-registration is required.

October 24: Papier-mâché Making 2-5pm $4 Create your own papier-mâché puppet or mask just in time for Halloween!

October 25: Volunteer Day 10am-4pm

October 25: Sheet Mulching & Closing the Garden 1-3pm $8

October 30: Writing Group w/ Ivy Page 10am-12pm $15 All levels and styles are welcome; emphasis is currently on poetry and short-stories. Beginners are certainly welcome. *Pre-registration is required. Contact us at 603.786.2366 or info@dacres.org

October 30: Open Mic Night 8pm FREE!

November 2009

November 1: Yoga w/ Darcie Shedd 9-10am

November 1: Farm Feast Breakfast and Open House/Open Trails 10am-1pm, Tours begin at 1pm, $10 suggested donation for adults, $5 for children.

November 1: Reiki Share w/ Gayle Hannan 1:30pm, donations welcome. All levels welcome!

November 1: Full Moon Potluck 6-9pm FREE Bring a dish to share with neighbors!

November 7: Home Brewing w/ John Morrissey 2-4:30pm $12 Join neighbor John as we concoct a brew with our own hops!

November 6: First Friday Pizza & a Movie 5:30pm pizza, 7pm movie, $5-$15 sliding scale suggested donation for all-you-should-eat pizza!

November 7: Spoonmaking w/ Josh Trought 1-4pm $12 Create your very own handcrafted wooden spoon in the D Acres woodshop in this hands-on workshop, and take it home to use in your kitchen or as a holiday gift! For ages 14 & older.

November 7: Breadmaking w/ Regina Rinaldo 1-5pm $8

November 21: Saturday Soup Night 6-8pm $5-$15 sliding scale donation for all-you-should-eat organic farm soup!

November 27: Writing Group w/ Ivy Page 10am-12pm $15 All levels and styles are welcome; emphasis is currently on poetry and short-stories. Beginners are certainly welcome. *Pre-registration is required. Contact us at 603.786.2366 or info@dacres.org

November 27: Open Mic Night 8pm FREE!

December 2009

December 4: Full Moon Potluck 6-9pm FREE Bring a dish to share with neighbors!

December 4: First Friday Pizza & a Movie 5:30pm pizza, 7pm movie, $5-$15 sliding scale suggested donation for all-you-should-eat pizza!

December 6: Yoga w/ Darcie Shedd 9-10am

December 6: Farm Feast Breakfast and Open House/Open Trails 10am-1pm, Tours begin at 1pm, $10 suggested donation for adults, $5 for children.

December 6: Reiki Share w/ Gayle Hannan 1:30pm, donations welcome. All levels welcome!

December 19: Saturday Soup Night 6-8pm $5-$15 sliding scale donation for all-you-should-eat organic farm soup!

December 20: Solstice Potluck 6-9pm FREE

December 31: Full Moon Potluck 6-9pm FREE Bring a dish to share with neighbors!

December 31: Open Mic Night 8pm FREE!

EVENT DESCRIPTIONS

Full Moon Potlucks

Join your neighbors in a monthly celebration of community and great food around the time of the full moon. Bring a friend and a dish to share!

Farm Feast Breakfast & Open House

The first Sunday of each month from 10am to 1pm, D Acres hosts an All-You-Should-Eat breakfast featuring pancakes made with local flour, NH maple syrup (in season), local free-range eggs, D Acres meat, potatoes, and greens, and fair-trade coffee from Cafe Monte Alto (Plymouth, NH). $5-15 sliding scale suggested donation. Work off your indulgence with a tour of the working, organic farm.

Can’t make the Feast? Come by at 1pm for the Open House tour. Beginning in May, the tour includes a garden walk! Throughout the year, our miles of woodland trails are open for your enjoyment on the first Sunday of the month! Join us at 1pm for our Open Trails- snowshoe or cross-country ski in the winter, hike in the summer! *For the safety and preservation of farm and wilderness flora and fauna, Please Do Not Bring Your Pets*

Seasonal Saturday Soups Join us on the third Saturday of each month, 6-8pm, for a fine meal of delicious soup, made with farm-fresh organic ingredients, and served with fresh baked bread. $5-$15 sliding scale donation for a bottomless bowl of soup!.

First-Friday Pizza and a Movie Whole-wheat, wood-fired pizza is all-you-should eat for a sliding scale donation of $5-$15. Dinner begins at 5:30pm. Films begin at 7pm, and are FREE to the public. In addition to ecological and social justice, this year's film series also includes a number of features focused on our 2009 educational theme, "Traditional Arts & Ecology" .

2009 Film Schedule:

January 2: The Cats of Mirikitani

February 6: Man on Wire

March 6: Peter & the Wolf

April 3: Rivers and Tides

July 3: The Fantastic World of M.C. Escher (50 minutes)

Who was the man behind the intricate and mysterious designs? What inspired his unique and often bizarre prints? And what are the mathematical principles at work in so much of Escher’s art? The Fantastic World of M.C. Escher answers these questions and more in an engaging exploration that will enrich the understanding and appreciation of Escher and his art.

August 7: Drawing the Line, A Portrait of Keith Haring (30 minutes)

Haring’s hieroglyphics-like style filtered the modern world through the perspective and wonderment of a child. Yet he always incorporated social issues such as the fights against apartheid, crack, and AIDS into his work. This revealing profile of Keith Haring’s work and worldview provides insight into his ubiquitous art inspired by the artist’s eagerness to break the boundaries between the old and the new ways of presenting art to the public by decorating everything from walls to watches, billboards to buttons. More importantly, this film is an inside view of a controversial artist whose passion for the contemporary human condition was the fervor that drove his art.

September 4: FLOW

Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis.Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel. Interviews with scientists and activists intelligently reveal the rapidly building crisis, at both the global and human scale, and the film introduces many of the governmental and corporate culprits behind the water grab, while begging the question "CAN ANYONE REALLY OWN WATER?"
Beyond identifying the problem, FLOW also gives viewers a look at the people and institutions providing practical solutions to the water crisis and those developing new technologies, which are fast becoming blueprints for a successful global and economic turnaround.

October 2: Cuba: The Accidental Revolution Part 1 (45 minutes)

Cuba: The Accidental Revolution comprises two 45-minute documentaries examining Cuba's success in providing for itself in the face of a massive economic crisis, and how its latest revolutions -- an agricultural revolution and a revolution in science and medicine -- are having repercussions around the world. Now the world wonders: what will become of Cuba's Green Revolution after Fidel Castro is gone? Will Cuba's "Green Revolution" become a blueprint for sustainable agriculture, medicine, and biotechnology, or will it be swept aside by the economic weight of foreign investors? Or will the public clamor for consumer goods from a weary people, fed up with lack of choice, overwhelm contemporary Cuba?

Pt. 1 Sustainable Agriculture - Examines Cuba's response to the food crisis created by the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in 1989

November 6: Cuba: The Accidental Revolution Part 2 (45 minutes)

Pt. 2 Healthcare - In spite of the economic crisis and US embargo, the Cuban health system is an outstanding success story around the world.

December 4: Political Puppetry

A series of short films that explore the use of puppets in political theatre including Bread and Puppet Theatre in Glover VT to Wise Fools in CA.

Yoga Classes

$10 per class OR pre-pay $32 for 4 classes

*Attend 8 classes and the 9th is FREE!*

$5 per class for children.

Please wear comfortable clothing. You can bring water and a yoga mat if you'd like, or borrow a yoga mat of ours.

Wednesday, 6:30-7:45pm (with Sarah Hall) The class style is gentle enough for beginners and challenging enough for yoga practitioners. The intentions of our weekly class are creating a strong spine, deep breath, and peaceful mind.

First Sunday of each month, 10-11am for children and 11am-12pm for adults (with Darcie Shedd) Join us for yoga, stay for our Farm Feast Breakfast on the first Sunday of every month! Anusara Yoga is a light-hearted, all-inclusive system of yoga that is delightfully challenging and empowering. Anusara integrates the Universal Principles of AlignmentTM, celebration of the heart and balanced energetic action. And, it's fun!

Reiki Shares with Gayle Hannan 1:30pm, the FIRST Sunday of each month FREE and open to the public! Are you curious about Reiki energy healing, and want to give it a try? Are you a Reiki practitioner looking to share your gifts with others? Join our circle of Reiki practitioners and community members to welcome this relaxing, restorative energy into your life! No prior experience with or knowledge of Reiki is necessary.

Volunteer Days

The last Sunday of each month (April through October) is Volunteer Day at D Acres. Get your hands dirty working in the gardens, on the trails, or building with earthen materials with the D Acres crew. 10am to 4pm; hearty farm lunch included!

Writing Group with Ivy Page 10am-12pm, $15 Our monthly writing group meets in the enchanting northern forest of New Hampshire! Regular participants work to discover or improve creative writing talents in a supportive, encouraging environment through the use of writing promts, skills-building, and group critique. All levels and styles are welcome; emphasis is currently on poetry and short-stories. Beginners are certainly welcome.

*Pre-registration is required for the writing group. Please contact D Acres: (603)786-2366 or info@dacres.org*

Writing group is held the last Friday of each month. 2009 dates are: January 30, February 27, March 27, April 24, May 29, June 26, July 31, August 28, September 25, October 30, November 27, December 31

Open Mic Night 8pm FREE! Join us on the last Friday of every month for an Open Mic Night from 8:00 to 10:30...all types of music, poetry, spoken word, etc. are welcome. Schedule your time slot when you arrive, or call ahead- or, join us as a listener in the audience! From 10:30 to 12:00, musicians of all kinds are welcome to join in an Open Jam session! Potluck drinks and snacks are welcome.

Farm Day

Join the masses for our annual Farm Day harvest celebration, featuring live music, a pig roast, local veggies, raffles, a bonfire, and tours of the farm and gardens! At Farm Day, we welcome over 200 guests to the farm to share a meal (D Acres-raised pork, complemented with lots of fresh, local veggies and homemade bread!) and build community! Bring a potluck dessert to share!

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REGISTRATION

Asterisks (*) indicate that pre-registration is required.

To register for any of the above events, please email us at info@dacres.org with your name, the name and date of the event, and how many people will be attending. You may also call (603) 786-2366 to register. Please call in advance for confirmation and reservations. For those workshops or events that require payment, cash or checks are accepted at the door.

There is a 25% discount for residents of Grafton County and a further 25% discount for members of D Acres of New Hampshire. Members who live in Grafton County receive a total 50% discount!

No one will be denied access to D Acres workshops & events due to inability to pay.

Thank you!

Host Your Own Workshop or

Event at D Acres of New Hampshire!

Looking for a venue to host your sustainable, agriculture, art, community-oriented workshop, seminar, retreat or public speaking event? The facilities at D Acres of New Hampshire might be perfect for you. We have beautiful indoor and outdoor space to accommodate small-to-medium sized groups. Kitchen and bathroom facilities are available.

At D Acres, the environment and our local community come first. We strive to utilize only reusable plates, silverware, glasses, mugs, and napkins. Food is 90% organic and choices depend upon what can be harvested from the gardens, and what has been canned, pickled, frozen or stored in the root cellar from an earlier harvest.

E-mail us at info@dacres.org with information regarding the type of event you would like to host, the date, how many hours you will need the space, and whether you prefer indoors or outdoors. We will e-mail you back with prices and availability. You can also contact us by phone at (603) 786-2366.

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Northeast Organic Farmers Association (NOFA)

NOFA provides an informative calendar of regional events related to sustainable agriculture. Please visit their web site at www.nofa.org

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No one will be denied access to D Acres workshops & events due to inability to pay.

A 25% discount on all workshops and events is offered to members of D Acres and to residents of Grafton County, so...

50% off for Local Members