Friday, March 27, 2015

Permaculture Design Course at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, 2015 - Stay at the Milkweed Mercantile!

All meals served here!


Hi friends!

Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage and Midwest Permaculture are teaming up to present a Permaculture Design Course here at DR this summer. We are super excited about it!

The Milkweed Mercantile will be providing all meals, the cost of which is included in course tuition. Which means that not only will you be learning insightful and thoughtful ways of creating the kind of world you'd like to live in, you'll eat really, really well!

Camping is also included in the course tuition. However, if you'd like to stay in (our version of) the lap of eco-luxury, we are drastically reducing the Mercantile room rates for the eight  nights of the course.

The Aldo Leopold Room



The Rachel Carson Room
Room rates include
  • all linens
  • super-comfortable beds in spacious rooms
  • a guest lounge
  • free wifi
  • a commercial composting toilet
  • a full bar, cafe and store
  • a screened-in wraparound porch
  • access to our hot tub
  • an on-site massage therapist
  • opportunity to experience life in a strawbale, off-grid building
  • and much more!  
The Mercantile is run by Alline and Kurt who have been members of Dancing Rabbit since1999. They built the strawbale, solar & wind-powered inn as a demonstration and living example of many aspects of life here at Dancing Rabbit. They are delighted to share their experiences and insights with all guests and look forward to making new connections.



After you have registered for the course please contact us at stay@milkweedmercantile.com to make your room reservations!

Below are the details. Click here to see photos of the Milkweed Mercantile Eco Inn rooms.

Fresh eggs!
Special room rates for the Permaculture Design Course being held August 29 – September 6, 2015
  • Aldo Leopold Room (upstairs, king bed, accommodates two people, regular price $120 per night) $65 per night.
  • Rachel Carson Family Room (upstairs, queen bed and twin bed, accommodates up to three people, regular price for two - $110, regular price for three - $135) $60 per night for two people, $75 per night for three people
  • David Brower Room (upstairs, queen room, accommodates two people, regular price $115 per night) $60 per night
  • Wallace Stegner Room (downstairs, ACCESSIBLE, very small room, two twin beds, opens directly onto the porch) $50 per night for two guests, $45 per night for one.

**Rates are PER ROOM, per night.
Payment in full is due upon reservation. 
Cancellations: Deposit is fully refundable up to 14 days prior to arrival; with less than 14 days notice you will receive a full refund less a $25 cancellation fee.

A sense of humor is vital in community living...
Examples of Natural Building abound at Dancing Rabbit.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

The Critter Collective Farm Boot Camp – Intensive Goat-care Weekend at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage

June 5-6-7 (Friday night – Sunday morning)


Are you interested in keeping goats but don’t know where to start? We have the perfect solution. Join our Intensive Goat-care weekend! Held at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage under the watchful eye Mae Ferber, one of the founders of the Critter Collective, it will provide you with enough information (and confidence!) to begin your goat-filled life.

Included are:
  • 12 full hours of hands-on experience
  • Instruction by caring, knowledgeable teachers
  • All meals (2 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners): organic, local and delicious, served at the Milkweed Mercantile Eco Inn & CafĂ©
Not included - Accommodations*

You’ll spend the weekend immersed in hands-on experience with Dancing’s Rabbit’s own goat herd and knowledgeable instruction by Mae Ferber. Super comfortable accommodations and meals provided by the Milkweed Mercantile. After your work day is complete you can soak off your cares under the stars in the Mercantile’s hot tub.


Details:
Your Boot Camp weekend begins on Friday afternoon with a tour of Dancing Rabbit and the opportunity to meet both the goats and the “Critters” (the humans in the Critter Collective). After the tour we’ll all have dinner in the Mercantile, where our goat-keeping discussions begin.

Saturday morning you’ll be up early (before breakfast!) for chores, helping Mae to feed and milk the goats. After a delicious farm breakfast, you’ll be back out at Critterville to learn about care, feeding and pasturing needs.

Following lunch on Saturday you’ll spend a couple of hours in the Mercantile’s commercial kitchen making goat cheese from the milk you collected earlier in the day. After cheese-making is happy hour at the Mercantile, which is followed by dinner.


Sunday morning will be another opportunity to practice milking. After breakfast you’ll have a last session with Mae to ask any last questions. Then it’s time to say our good-byes.We provide a box lunch for your drive home.

NOTE: Workshop must have at least two participants in order to be held. Maximum number of participants: 4

Tentative Schedule

Friday
Arrive by 4:00 p.m.
4:40 – 6:00 Tour of DR
6:30 Dinner at Mercantile
After dinner:

Saturday
Early – chores
8:30 a.m. Breakfast
Goat instruction at Critterville
12:00 p.m. Lunch @ Mercantile
1:30 – 3:30 Cheese-making at the Mercantile
3:30 – 6:15 chores and Happy Hour (if time allows)
6:30 Dinner

Sunday
Early chores
8:30 a.m. Breakfast
Last goat instruction at Critterville
Boxed lunch to go
Goodbyes

June 5-6-7 (Friday night – Sunday morning)
Cost of all instruction and meals
$215 per person, 
plus accommodations


To register for the seminar and 
to make reservations at the Milkweed Mercantile, 
please email alline@milkweedmercantile.com 
or call 660-883-5522


About the instructor: Mae Ferber














*Accommodations: A room at the Mercantile – spend two nights in our version of eco-luxury; a spacious, sparkly-clean strawbale inn, powered by sun and wind. Rate includes breakfast ($85 - $120 per night, double occupancy).

Thanks to Karen Hanrahan for the use of her photos!