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
music
woodworking 
Open Studio  Categories
 blacksmithing
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​ fiber
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​ glass 
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​ leather
 woodworking ​


​homesteading

Homesteading 101
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Want to take living green to the next level? It doesn’t take much effort to live a homesteading life, even in the suburbs or a modest living space in the city. This workshop will cover topics from gardening, canning, root cellars, solar systems and chickens to wild crafting, harvesting, cooking, homemade cosmetics, graywater systems, permaculture, and much more. Above all learn how to save money, grow closer as a family, supplement your income from home, and produce the best food you have ever tasted.
Permaculture Solutions Series: Rocket Stoves
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Discover a useful, clean burning inexpensive heater that can be used to boil sap to down to syrup or heat an entire house.  This Permaculture Solutions Workshop will explore the world of Rocket Stoves.  Rocket stoves are a type of fuel-efficient device created by adding super-hot chimney above a fire chamber that draws the flames sideways and up, blending hot fuel and air into a quick, hot, clean-burning fire that takes little wood, leaves little residue, and has lots of uses.  This unique & practical workshop focuses on the history, design, testing, material sourcing, and the variations of rocket stoves.  After basic instruction, each student will build a miniature working model that they can take home for a truly hands-on experience.
Natural Building Workshop
(spring 2022)
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With the growing national interest in sustainability and natural building we present The Natural Building Workshop: Introduction to Cob, Strawbale, Thatching, & Framing.  This course is for anyone who wishes to receive a introduction into natural building and appropriate technology that will help you to discover the beauty, simplicity, and affordability of natural building. Our two-day Workshop is a unique course of study providing lecture, demonstration and hands-on exploration of earthen and natural elements that  are used to create structures and shelters.  This workshop combines an introduction to straw, cob, plaster, thatch and other natural building materials. Topics of exploration include, but are not limited to, foundations, earthen/cob floors, timber/round-pole framing, strawbale walls, natural insulation, natural paints and plasters, and roof systems, including thatching.  The course will not build a building, instead students will journey through multiple stations where partial structures will be used for lecture and hands on learning. This is an intense fast paced workshop. We will be outdoors the entire time and you are almost guaranteed to get dirty - so dress accordingly. Some power tools will be incorporated and safety equipment will be provided.
Homesteading Weekend Intensive
(spring 2022)
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Step beyond the seminar and gain a hands-on experience with modern-day Homesteading.  This class is perfect for those looking to add a little more self-sufficiency into their lives or to change there lives altogether by creating a homestead from scratch. This weekend homesteading course provides a comprehensive series of subjects that offer essential information, demonstration, instruction and hands-on practical application designed for the family or individual that wants to homestead. This intensive, two-day course encompasses food production systems, energy conservation and creation, animal husbandry, and alternative building practices. Join us to see how attainable and fulfilling the homesteading life can be. 

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Build Your Own Raingarden
During a good rain or the winter melt, homes are hit with thousands of gallons of water that quickly build momentum that causes flooding and drainage issues, sometimes washing out gardens and even swamping basements. What is the solution? Discover the permaculture approach to rain gardens.  These beautifully designed and built gardens accept stormwater run-off that recharges your ground water, provides habitat and food for wildlife (including bees & butterflies) and adds a near maintenance-free esthetically pleasing garden installation to your yard for very little money. This workshop studies the design and build process in detail and how to choose native plants that to
TUES 4/13, 6PM-9PM
Goats 101
(spring 2022)
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If you serious about understanding the responsibility of caring for goats, this workshop is for you. Gain knowledge of proper living quarters and fencing, maintenance and health care, nutrition and feeding, toxic plants and varieties of goat breed. You'll receive most of the information in a classroom and also spend time with goats.

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

Corporate Address

6685 Vreeland Road, Superior Township, MI 48198

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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
      • music
      • woodworking
    • Open Studio
  • Finding Flow
  • Teach
  • Donations