The Michigan Folk School
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Select a Class by Discipline

Class  Categories
 archery
​ blacksmithing
 boats & trailers

 broom craft​
 bushcraft
​
 
children's classes
​fiber
​
food
​gardening & farming

​glass 
health & home
home 
improvement
​homesteading
jewelry & metalwork
​
leather
millinery
​​​ & dressmaking
sailing
woodworking 
Open Studio  Categories
 blacksmithing
 broom craft​
​ fiber
​
​ glass 
​
​ leather
 woodworking ​


​food

Hands-on Whole Hog Breakdown
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Many people have no clue how a whole animal gets from the pasture to their plate. We practice craft butchery, utilizing the whole animal, updating old-world methods with modern ideals, while still presenting meat in an accessible and approachable way. We look forward to making meat appealing with enthusiastic, approachable, and knowledgeable instructors. Come ready to jump in and work with us, there is a lot of effort that goes into butchering a whole hog. Participants go home with a bag full of personally wrapped cuts from the hog. This includes meat, skin, and bones. ​
Course Fee: $85  - Supply Fee: $100       Location: Folk School
Fri, 11/3, 9am-1pm
Holiday Cookies
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Join this fun and faced-paced workshop as we dive in deep into the world of holiday cookies. This is not just a sugar-cookie decorating class...oh no.  This is the real deal!

We will present a manageable challenge to bake out several recipes in a short amount of time. All these d
elicious and creative holiday cookies you will prepare from-scratch and go home with an array of festive cookies for the season to share with family and friends. Some examples of our bake menu:  
       -Iced Lemon Ricotta Cookies
       -Raspberry Jam and Shortbread Squares
       -Ginger Molasses Cookies
       -Chocolate Sables
Course Fee: $60  - Supply Fee: $0  Location: Folk School
sat 12/16, 9am-12pm
sun 12/17, 9am-12pm
sat 12/16, 1pm-4pm
sun 12/17, 1pm-4pm
Cheesemaking 101 Workshop
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This is the perfect class for this interested how simple and easy it is to make cheese in your own kitchen. We will discuss and sample several simple cheeses that can be cultivated at home. After our discussion we will get to work making Mozzarella and Chevre.  You’ll also learn some cooking ideas for whey, a byproduct of cheese making. Students can build on this introduction to create many varieties of cheese at home. While the class will focus on goat cheese, cheese made from milk will also be discussed. 

Each student will take home a recipe, instruction and equipment packet.  Students will also take home these they made in class.  A good concise cheesemaking book is optional, but highly recommended. 
Course Fee: $85  - Supply Fee: $15          Location: Mi Folk School
Sat 10/7, 9am-12pm
Thanksgiving Side Dishes
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Turkey might be the star of the show, the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving table, but it is the side dishes that supporting role and round out a Thanksgiving meal.  
In this kitchen workshop you will learn new sides and twists on classics while preparing everything you need for the big day, except the turkey.  Many dishes will rotate in and out of each class making a new menu for next class.  From brown butter mashed potatoes to raisin and maple grape brussels sprouts to a Squash and caramelized balsamic onion tart, your Thanksgiving table need looked so god and your guests have never been so gastronomically satisfied.    
  
While not required, cooking experience greatly helps.  
Course Fee: $75  - Supply Fee: $25     Location: Folk School
sat 11/18, 9am-1pm
Sun 11/19, 9am- 1pm
Sat, 11/18 2pm-6pm
tue 11/21, 5pm-9pm
Preserving the Harvest: Lacto-Fermentation
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Make the most of the summer's bounty of fresh produce by learning how to preserve vegetables through the traditional yet simple method of lacto-fermentation. You'll prevent food waste and be able to eat locally all year.  Lacto-fermented foods are the foods that can be called “probiotic” based on their production of health-enhancing bacteria. In this class, you will learn how to make sauerkraut and other fermented veggies. We’ll also discuss the healing qualities and nutritional importance of live-culture foods. All participants will bring home a jar of sauerkraut and receive a booklet with instructions and recipes for dozens of fermented foods easily created at home. 
Course Fee: $70  - Supply Fee: $20          Location: Folk School
Sat 9/30, 9am-12pm
Registration will open soon for the following courses 
Knife Sharpening Demystified
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Nothing is more satisfying than working with a truly sharp kitchen knife! In this class, participants will learn a simple and exact series of steps that will enable you to reliably bring your knife's edge to shaving sharp. While the focus of your lesson will be kitchen knives, you will also learn how to apply the same principles to other tools. While there will be knives on hand for practice, you should also bring knives from your home kitchen to perfect your skills!
Course Fee: $45  - Supply Fee: $10     Location: Folk School
The BEST Lasagna that makes all other Lasagna's Jealous
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Making and assembling a lasagna utilizes many rudimentary cooking techniques. This course will use homemade lasagna as the entree to introduce basic kitchen techniques such as knife skills, mother sauces, boiling, searing, braising, and baking. At completion, students will be familiar with kitchen fundamentals and take home lasagna (assembled but not baked) and a recipe.​
Course Fee: $75  - Supply Fee: $35     Location: Folk School
Wood Fire Pizza Basics
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Learn how to make Neapolitan Pizza in your own backyard! Get familiar with how to make and stretch dough, making a sauce, building and maintaining a proper fire, baking the pizza and more.
Course Fee: $75  - Supply Fee: $25         Location: Folk School
Making Weeknight Dinners Easy, Cheap & Scrumptious!
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Instructor will demonstrate 5 unique dishes (changed seasonally) that can be prepared in under 15 minutes while providing instruction on how to prepare them along with basic cooking tips. Students will be provided small platings of each meal, recipes, and a shopping list.
Course Fee: $75  - Supply Fee: $30     Location: Folk School
Cajun & Creole
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Learn to cook traditional dishes from New Orleans, such as gumbo and bananas foster. The course will discuss techniques and the history of the dishes alongside the recipes. 
Course Fee: $70  - Supply Fee: $20     Location: Folk School
Date Night @ the Folk School
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This course will focus on getting couples cooking together in the kitchen. Students in pairs will prepare a fun meal that requires teamwork to complete successfully. At the end of the class students will dine together.
   Potential Menu:
       -Seafood St. Jacques
       -Rainbow Chard Salad
       -Chocolate Lavender Tart
Course Fee: $75  - Supply Fee: $40          Location: Folk School
Cooking By Campfire
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Class will demonstrate cooking techniques over an open fire circa 1800s. The course will start with fire building and safety. Coursework will emphasize food safety while camping, and will include recipes, techniques, and a meal.
Course Fee: $70  - Supply Fee: $20     Location: Folk School
Mother Sauces
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Mother sauces are the basic building blocks for all sauces. They are a fundamental part of French cuisine with a rich history. This course will cover the 5 basic mother sauces, a sampling of "daughter sauces", and techniques to maximize sauce success. Students will leave with sauces, recipies, and techniques that can be applied to nearly everything they might cook.
Course Fee: $75  - Supply Fee: $25     Location: Folk School

Our Mission: The Michigan Folk School is committed to creating a community engaged in authentic, hands-on experiences through the teaching and sharing of traditional folk arts, crafts, music, and skills in an inspiring natural setting and to promote the preservation of forest and farmland.


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Email

registrar@MiFolkSchool.com
734-436-8973

Campus Address

7734 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105

Business Address

Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission
2230 Platt Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48104

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  • Home
    • Contact Us >
      • Show Your Interest
    • General policies & information
    • Mailing List Sign-Up
    • Staebler Farm County Park & Campus
    • Our Other Facilities
    • Instructor Portal
  • Learn
    • Instructor Profiles
    • gift certificates
    • Calendar
    • Categories >
      • archery
      • blacksmithing
      • boats & trailers
      • broom craft
      • bushcraft
      • children's classes
      • community learning
      • fiber
      • food
      • gardening & farming
      • glass
      • health & home
      • home improvement
      • homesteading
      • jewelry & metalwork
      • leather
      • millinery & dressmaking
      • sailing
      • woodworking
    • Open Studio
  • Teach
  • Finding Flow
  • Donations