2014 Workshops



Community Biomass Energy Systems


Biomass Gasifier (left) and stage 1 & 2 of the Biomass Gass Compressor (right).

The capture and transformation of energy lies at the heart of any sustainable community. Creating technologies that can function in support of community, and not to it's ultimate destruciton, is a task worthy of the most agile minds and skilled hands.

In a world with rapidly diminishing supplies of fossil fuels, we need to learn how to live using just the energy we receive from the sun each year. One way to capture that energy is by growing woody biomass. Learn about how to convert that biomass into a form that can cook our food, power an electric generator, or fuel a tractor.

Watch a hands-on demonstration of the open source Gasifier's and gas compression technology behind Windward's flag-ship energy project Biomass2Methanol.

Come see all the new developments coming online over the past year!

Workshop led by B2M lead Walt Patrick and Steward Opalyn Brenger


Fermentation and Human Nutrition


For much of human history, people have been utilizing techniques of fermentation to make relatively low quality, fibrous and starchy foods into nutrient dense readily digestable ferments. Partnering with microbes is also a power tool for preserving foods without the use of refrigeration.

Learn about dairy ferments such as yogurt and kefir, beverages such as kombucha and kvass, and storage ferments such as sour-kraut and pickling.

Workshop led by Pat Boley


A Walk Through Windward's Permaculture Systems

The future of our human economy lies in the creation and cultivation of ecologically sound, economically productive, and energy efficient living systems that provide for our physical needs.

In this workshop, we'll be exploring some of the big-picture, practical Permacultural food/forage/fiber/fuel systems we are working with and developing for our semi-arid cold-temperate climate.

Since there is so much to cover, topics will be somewhat dependent on interest. Topics may include agroforestry methods, woodland gardens, water harvesting earth works, hugelkultur gardens, silvo pasture, multifunctional hedgerows, natural establishment and succession, integrating animals with plant systems, and the theory and design of resilient living systems.

Workshop led by Lindsay Hagamen and Andrew Schreiber of the Windward Community


Micro Livestock: Raising Rabbits & Chickens

Rabbits and chickens are an easy and efficient way to generate meat for food, fur and leather for clothing, and compost for gardens. They are small and easy to handle and thus are great for kids. Learn about the care for, and benefits of, raising rabbits and chickens on a small-scale

Workshop led by Opalyn Brenger and Pat Boley of the Windward Community


Information Technology in the Wild.

For the nerds out there: Ruben talks about the critical role of computers and the Internet in our rural community, the daunting challenges of providing digital amenities in the wilderness, and how reused hardware, open-source software, and DIY spirit make it all work!

Workshop led by Ruben Shear of Windward


Love-based Living Circle

Compassion and trust create the foundation for the successful working of community. Part of how Windward maintains a high degree of emotional transparency is through common principles of Love-Based-Living, and by coming together regularly to engage in a compassion building excercise called a love-bsaed living circle.

Participate in this simple and effective method for building close-knit relationships with the people with whom you live, laugh, love, work and play.

Read a description of how a love-based living circle works.

Workshop led by Karen Hery of the Windward Community


Natural Burial: Life After Community

One of Windward's big-picture projects is Herland Forest Natural Burial Cemetery, a non-profit community cemetery that will allow Windward members, friends, regional allies and neighbors to make a final contribution to the communities land base.

We see Herland evoling as a mixture of quiet natural space, a research platform exploring the tranformation of body into forest, and a diverse agroecological forest modeling what is possible in our marginal environment.

And more than anything, a place where Guardians of Herland go on nourishing the mind, body and spirit for decades to come.

Join us for a sunday afternoon conversation about about life death and regeneration in Herland Forest, and how you can get involved in this historic project.

workshop led by Andrew Schreiber, Windward Steward, President and cemetery manager of Herland Forest.


For The Kids

There will be a variety of activities for children to partake in, including nature walks, plant identification, making yarn and building forts and feary houses.

Activities will be facilitated by outdoor educator and Windward member Claire Kerwin.