By Karen Keb Acevedo
© Keather Weideman
Get More Folk School!We’re love our John C. Campbell experience . Here ’s more of what we ’ve learn :
Sunday Arrival : On the Road AgainAs I maneuvered the tress and routine of main road 68 on my way from Lexington , Ky. , to Brasstown , N.C. , I was full of anticipation for what a week at the John C. Campbell Folk School had in entrepot for me .
The late summer weather was hot and humid , and the botany all around me was wind down for the season . These were the perfect condition under which to start conceive about fall vegetable gardening . Read Karen ’s Fall Vegetable Garden To - Do leaning > >
Monday : Lay of the LandThe first full Clarence Shepard Day Jr. of my year click and I was up early to Morningsong ( a gathering to begin each day with medicine , singing and history ) with Jan Davidson , the Folk School ’s director , to hear him weave the history of the schooling in true Appalachian fashion .
Amidst his humorous anecdotes and skilled storytelling proficiency , I heard loud and clear his message about the Folk School : Its deputation is to instruct students the traditional crafts of Appalachia in a rightfully noncompetitive and supportive environs .
It put the tone for the hebdomad and put me on a determined path .
After a hearty breakfast of oatmeal , yield and succus , I walked over to the cooking studio apartment at Davidson Hall , where our class was base for the week .
Late August in western North Carolina is beautiful to see , but pitiful to palpate : swelter heat and gamy humidity . It was a sculptural relief to have an air - qualify room to scat to throughout the day .
Our teacher , Frances Juhlin , an constitutional market nurseryman in nearby Murphy , N.C. , began by giving us an overview of the hebdomad and what we could expect to get out of the socio-economic class .
I want to take about garden through the fall and even winter , if potential , to increase my self - enough , so I was thrilled to know that by the end of the hebdomad , I would be able to add this knowledge to my repertory .
All eight members of the socio-economic class head up the steep hill behind Davidson to the Folk School ’s greenhouse , where we were given our provision for the week — two APS trays ( Advanced Planting System tray , available from Gardener ’s Supply ; 888 - 833 - 1412 ; ) and a few recycled pots for transplant .
Juhlin instructed the class on good technique for mixing soil and we set out to sow in source of Asian honey oil , lettuces , arugula and cilantro — all riotous germinators so the grade could have inst gratification !
After watering our trays with our recycle dish - soap bottles ( a tip from Juhlin ’s female parent ) to keep off disrupting the freshly set seeds , we peruse the schooling ’s garden beds and learned a little about pest wrong and organic ascendence .
After a refreshing summertime lunch of Cobb salad and chocolate ice cream , we reconvene in the air - discipline preparation studio to talk about drop and winter plant varieties and growing wind .
Juhlin supplied us each with a stack of the good organic source catalogs so we could determine what we wanted to plant when we returned home .
We were able to involve her advice on varieties , organic technique and supplies . We return to the glasshouse for a terminal lacrimation of our germ and adjourned for the day .
I enjoyed a little downtime between course and dinner with a short power forty winks !
The dining hall was packed that evening as mad students talk about their first mean solar day of classes . Vegetable lasagna , salad ( made of garden truck from the Folk School ’s garden ) and the fabled European olive tree clams ( a student favorite ) were serve .
Sidenote : The Folk School serves pleasant-tasting food for thought , but if you have specific dietetic needs ( vegetarian , low fat , gluten - free , low common salt , etc . ) , there are special preparations just for you , as well as a lovely salad bar useable at every repast . You ’ll never walk away from the dining manse hungry or unsatisfied !
I enjoyed meeting the great unwashed from all over the country , of all ages , with whom I had at least one thing in unwashed : a love for learning and craft . This commonalty is what really tie scholar for the week and the comradery is tangible .
eventide activities vary throughout the week , but Monday was special — folklore and folk music in Keith House with Anne Lough on the dulcimer ( mountain and hammered ) and autoharp .
Dig InTo see the diverseness of division uncommitted at the John C. Campbell Folk School , natter them atwww.folkschool.org
Lough ’s euphony and stories were far more entertaining than anything on goggle box ; it made me long for the days of families sit around the fire , telling stories and enjoying the peacefulness of it all .
Afterward , as I walked back to my room at the Log House over the lighted footpaths , I take a few second to listen and reflect . As the crickets cheep their summer song and the frizzy mountain breeze filled my lung , I was happy .
Tuesday : Getting Our Hands DirtyToday was the day to travail in and get imbed — transplanting that is . Juhlin had started a good number of seeds in the former weeks for us to set into the Folk School ’s garden , so they were now ready to go into the footing .
We begin with a short object lesson on rototilling with groundkeeper Tom Doornbos , then we dissever into several chemical group arrogate to different garden beds .
We transplanted collard , fennel and Asiatic greens , and directly - sowed spinach and arugula . After a thorough and careful watering , we mulch the transplants with wheat .
Though transplantation during the heat of the day is not apprise , Juhlin acknowledged that we had no other choice that week and moved forwards with the task at hand .
Juhlin instructed us on the use of floating row screening — the key to hang gardening — and we covered the freshly seeded prickly-seeded spinach and arugula layer , and secure them with tumid pin .
That eventide , another special goody was in storehouse : live music and contra dancing in Keith House with Bob Dalsemer . This modern form of a centuries - onetime dance tradition involves chemical group of couples in two long lines .
I ’ve since learned that every Tuesday is Contra Dance night at the school day and the local folks are invited to participate , increase the number of available dance partners and making for a skillful residential area case .
Wednesday : subsist the HeatOn this excrescence 24-hour interval , I settle I was sufficiently rested to go on the morning bird and flower walk at 7:15 with naturalist Bill and Janice Bolte .
During the misty morning , we walk over the paths that surround the shoal and observed various plant and birds , point out by the Boltes .
After Morningsong and breakfast , I headed over to the greenhouse to start another day in the Folk School garden . More transplant was on the agenda , so we split up into groups and put the Brassica oleracea italica , collard greens and frisée into the freshly cultivate beds . Careful watering and mulching eat up off the morning .
After lunch , we head out into the garden once again to learn a bit about heirloom tomato and the sort grow there . We were invited to pick sun - ripened yield off the vine and smack them right there — what a joy !
At that point , we had all had enough heating plant for the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. so we headed back to our cool kitchen to talk about greenhouses .
That evening ’s body process was an entertaining blacksmithing demo at the Whitaker Blacksmith Studio by teacher Greg Price .
Thursday : Field TripOn this day , we traveled to Candy Mountain Farm , the family farm of our instructor and her husband , Stephen , in Murphy , N.C. , about 30 minutes by by car .
We tour the scrumptious , fleeceable fields and spied all the organic crops being produced for the area ’s farmers ’ market place . Jacques Anatole Francois Thibault and Stephen shared lots of tips for growing particular crops , like unblanched cultivated celery and greenhouse tomatoes , and discussed the deservingness of farming organically and sustainably on a lowly - plate ( about two acres are planted in crops at Candy Mountain ) .
Their Blue Heeler , Kino , race around the farm , convey various plaything as those of us with able-bodied bodies picked leaf mustard super acid , telling stories “ like old sharecrop farmer , ” we joked .
The Juhlins cook a nice lunch for us on their pack of cards and we relaxed after the daytime ’s study was done .
Back at the Folk School , the evening ’s activity was original readings by the storytelling class .
Friday : Berry Good TimeFor our last daytime of class , we manoeuvre out for another field trip to nearby Karen Hurtubise ’s snort farm , where she blab out to us about the staple of backyard berry grow .
We learned that it ’s not as easy as it depend and , despite all your preparations and good practices , sometimes the crop does n’t materialise . At this point , that ’s one thing we all understood !
The last day of Folk School classes always terminate with the Student Exhibit .
As a horticulture class , we were a little mix up by what to “ exhibit . ” We had tray with miniscule seedling popped up , charge card pots with rocket and cilantro sprouts , and a whole good deal of dirty , sweaty clothes and baseball glove — nothing all that lovely or display - worthy !
We befuddle together some vegetable dolls and some fresh pickings from the garden , and call it a week .
It was inspiring to see all the quality work that was done by my fellow students that week — baskets , enameled jewelry , quilts , okay wooden board , wood carvings , hand - forged gates and concrete works of art .
The workweek culminated with a concert in the fete barn by a band called “ Old Enough to Know Better . ” Their songs were described as “ folks , doo - greaseball , Chinese pop song and more”—eclectic , but dead - on for the setting .
It was the perfect way to wind down from the workweek , reminisce with newfound admirer , and interchange numbers and addresses … and promises to keep in touch .
Saturday : HomeboundAfter one last hearty breakfast in the dining hall , mill about for as long as potential and not wanting the experience to terminate , I say my concluding good-by and impinge on the route for home .
I had five minute to excogitate over the week and recall about the good time and all I had check . I could n’t waitress to get domicile , go online and begin be after my twilight vegetable garden for the first time .
I felt that I had just upped my self adequacy and I knew that not a fall would pass again without a little something planted in the garden .
