This full season wild plant intensive takes us deep into connection with the land that sustain us through the doorway of wild food and ecological design. Awaken to a deep sense of integration with other species and the diverse landscapes of the Pioneer Valley!

As we explore the many ecosystems of the Connecticut River Valley, we'll examine our relationship with the wide world of plants and animals as we begin to participate directly with our nonhuman relations in a meaningful way. We'll visit gardens, streams, rivers, forests and fields together in different towns in the region.

Through a year's cycle, we'll cover a wide range of survival, hands-on and awareness skills. With a strong focus on learning from and about wild edible plants, class time and homework will create an immediate and positive impact on your diet, budget, health and sense of belonging to this land.

• Gain confidence and familiarity with more than 50 edible, medicinal & useful and poisonous species of plants, and their uses - how to find, ID, harvest and prepare them into food and medicine.
• Plant and land stewarding skills: Learn how to care for and propagate plants with coppicing, grafting, plant propagation and permaculture design as we explore gardens in the area.
• Learn how to make plants into useful tools to create glue, baskets, mats, cordage and rope, tinder and insulation, making friction fires, and projectiles.
• Learn 40 mammals and 20 bird species that share our habitat, their habits, appearance, songs and tracks. Process animals into food by skinning and butchering, and learn about hide tanning. We will learn how to butcher chickens as well as a sheep or deer.

Our focus location will be Turtle Bend Farm, Montgomery MA - but we'll also visit other sites in the Pioneer Valley.

The first SUNDAY of the month for May-December 2025. Program dates: 5/4, 6/1, 7/6, 8/3, 9/7, 10/12 (meets the 2nd Sunday due to the Groundnut Gathering), 11/2, 12/7

Time: 10 am-2:00 pm

Instructor bio: Felix Lufkin has been foraging and educating about plants for 17 years. He teaches nature and gardening programs at numerous public K-12 schools in the Valley, and has offered hundreds of wild plant walks. He directs Help Yourself Edibles and Leapfrog Programs.

Western MA - Sumac School

$450.00 - $750.00

In this year-long wild food intensive, we'll explore diverse landscapes around Western MA, looking for wild edible plants, medicinals, and other wildlife. Over the course of a year together, we'll expand our repertoire of familiar species, learning how to safely ID, harvest and prepare many of them into nutritious, delicious food.

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