Preparing Wild Harvested Foods

Programming Cost:  $80/person for the Saturday. Lunch and the wild evening meal are included. Start registration by clicking the "Register" link; After you submit a registration, we will send you an invoice for payment. 

We've added the option of attending 1/2 of the workshop for $40. If you want to join us for just the "lunch" portion (10 am to 3ish) or just the "dinner" portion (2:30ish to 7ish), indicate that in the comments on your RSVP.  

Location: on-site at “Iowisota”, 2472 IA-26, Lansing, Iowa.

What to expect for the Saturday event: Participants will learn how to identify, harvest, and prepare wild foods in a sustainable manner with interesting conversations about ecology and personal experiences along the way. We will hike and gather on-site; We will probably enjoy a morning hike, return to the central homestead for lunch, then embark on a longer afternoon hike to a different area of the property. By midafternoon we will return to the kitchen to learn about and prepare the wild foods we have gathered (and supplemented from our reserves). The session will culminate with a meal we have prepared at about 5:00 pm. Order of activities is subject to weather, of course! The venue provides adequate shelter in case of inclement weather.

Overnight “B&B” stay:  Additional $75/person (own bedroom) per night or $100/room per night for multiple family members in the same room. Camping is available on-site for $40. Breakfasts are included. Lodging taxes will be added.

    · Stay in one of our 6 guest bedrooms, with all the modern amenities. (See the accommodations tab of the website for information on all the rooms).

     · If you want to camp on-site, we can help you find a good spot to meet your needs. We have several good spots for tents, and a few good spots for small camping trailers. Camping on-site includes access to the bathrooms and common space inside the main Iowisota house, and breakfasts.

What to expect from an overnight stay: The setting of Iowisota includes nearly 200 acres of private forest and many trails to hike and explore. The sleeping rooms are a delightful blend of historic, rustic, and modern. The “gathering room” with its stone fireplace, expansive windows, and comfortable seating provides a place to hang out and chat with the hosts and other guests. The indoor spaces do have air conditioning.

About the speaker/guest expert: Chris Gavin was born and raised in Wisconsin and got an early start foraging for wild berries and morels as a kid. He took his interest as a naturalist on the road traveling across the US and abroad before returning to the Upper Midwest to delve deep into the rich natural history of the region. Chris’s interests are as varied as the natural landscape, but he has a particular interest in hunting and gathering, preparing wild foods, bushcraft skills and ecology. He founded Eagle Outdoor Skills to foster connections in the natural world and to help integrate people into their local environments.

About your hosts: Linda and Dennis Haugen both recently retired from careers as forest health specialists with the US Forest Service. Linda grew up on the Iowisota property, moving here with her parents in 1968. Linda and Dennis built the new residence/retreat center and moved back to northeast Iowa in 2023. They have a wealth of knowledge about natural resources in general, and about the Iowisota property specifically.

How to sign up and pay: Registration is limited to 15 participants. On-site accommodation is limited. Click the link for registration, and then fill out the registration form. This will hold your space. Once you have completed the form, we will email you an invoice that you can pay by check, credit card, or paypal. If payment has not been received within 2 weeks of registration, your spot will be released. (Note... Linda will be away from her computer July 8-13, so if you register during that time period, she will email your invoice to you when she gets back to civilization. Also, if the class reaches capacity, you can choose to be added to the waitlist and Linda will email to you if a spot opens up.)