Sustainable Homesteading
Course
Explore Homesteading Skills With Local Experts
In English
Ten Months. Ten different practical homesteading skills.
This enriching course covers a variety of homesteading skills with inspiring experts.
Each session will take place at the home of that subject’s teacher where you will learn immersive, hands-on base knowledge for that particular technique and skill.
You'll come out of every workshop with a completed homesteading creation, kit, or the equipment* and information necessary to smoothly incorporate your new skill into daily life. You'll finish the program with access to the contacts, resources, and tools to sustainably integrate what you've learned. For the skills that you don’t choose to activate in your life, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the wondrous workings of sustainable living.
Those who choose to integrate a particular skill into their homestead - immediately, or down the line - will have the invaluable benefit of a community of coursemates available for questions, collaborations, support, and collective excitement (who else will appreciate pictures of your compost bin like we will?)
Please read on for detailed descriptions of our homesteading classes and amazing instructors. Of course - be in touch for any questions or clarifications. Thank you!
*not counting live bees - sorry!
About the Course
Details
* This course is on hiatus! check back in in the winter of 2025
When? One Tuesday morning a month, October through May, from 9:30 to 12:30/13:00.
Where? At the personal homesteads of each teacher.
Almost all classes will be held in Pardes Hanna or Zichron Yaakov.
Who is it for? Anyone dreaming of a more sustainable future and the desire to learn the skills to create it. This course will provide the base for delving deeper into a wide array of homesteading practices, connect you to a network of teachers who are experts in their fields, and build a supportive community for collaboration along the journey.
How much? 3,200 nis for the entire course, including kits and materials.
Costs vary slightly for individual courses, please reach out for an a la carte price list.
How do I register? Click here for a registration form for the entire course and for individual classes.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
"Oh, how to describe how much I love this course! Every month, a fascinating - sometimes challenging - new skill to adopt and teacher to learn from. My grandmother's hands were always busy, pickling and fermenting foods, wringing out curd in cheesecloth or dyeing wool, and I thought modern life had made those skills irrelevant or inaccessible to me. Shosh's wonderful course has brought them back full circle to me, to us, a circle of women, who gather every month to learn, to listen, adapt and grow. If you're considering signing up, don't hesitate. It'll be well worth it."
Danni B. Mazor
"It was so exciting to be part of this course. I learned so much. I can check so many things off my 'always wanted to learn that' list. It was nice to meet so many people passionate about learning so many different skills. My favorite was the pickling course. And also the beekeeping. And the sourdough. It’s been an amazing journey. Thanks Shoshana."
Gaele Chojnowicz
"This course was everything I’ve been looking for and more! Each unique class taught me practical skills for integrating a sustainable lifestyle. It’s a pleasure to learn from local experts who love to teach and share their passion. Every meeting was energizing and fun and I’m so happy to connect with this warm and encouraging community. Thanks to Shosh for an unforgettable experience!"
Tay Eskin
"I am so happy to recommend this course that Shoshana put together. Everything was interesting and so much fun. Shoshana’s magic is a true gift to her groups. All the lectures were interesting and helpful and the group was amazing people."
Debbie Solomon
"I have enjoyed the year homesteading course so much. Every month we learn about something new. It takes me out of the routine of my life and opens up my eyes and mind to the world around us. I hope that I will be able to continue next year learning more about our amazing country and the people who live here and connect to the land in such a meaningful way"
Emma Rinberg
"This course opened my eyes (and widened my tastebuds) tremendously! The variety of topics made each meeting so exciting, and I learned so very much. It was lovely to be surrounded by so many inspiring and passionate people. I highly recommend this course to everyone!"
Vanessa Hass
Meet the Teachers
Orly Lauffer
Orly is a seasoned medical herbalist who teaches with beauty, intellect and spirit. Entering her garden is walking through a portal into a world of unimaginable beauty and wisdom.
Orly will teach us to identify, harvest, and incorporate local wild herbs into our food, medicine and hearts.
Shoshana Weisberg
Shoshana is... me. I'm a gardener, a group facilitator and a lover of all things learned in nature with community.
I provide ongoing support, information and knowledge about the skills learned throughout the course, which I have been fortunate to become familiar with over the last 15 years.
I will also guide our session on composting where we will "break down" the miracle of decomposition, and build compact composters for your homestead.
Harel Weiss
Harel is the founder of Nativity Seeds, whose vision is to save and distribute rare heirloom seeds in Israel and the Middle East that form a living legacy to be cultivated for future generations.
At our inaugural meet up, we will start where everything starts - with a seed. Harel will teach about the importance of heirloom seeds, give us a tour of the nativity seed farm, and teach us how to harvest and preserve seeds from a variety of plants.
Ari Leichtberg
Engineering Director and Pickler Extraordinaire. Ari shares his secret ingredients with his biggest fans around the dinner table, and now with you.
In this workshop we will lactoferment a variety of vegetables, including a basic kraut, kimchi, gourmet sauerruben, pickled jalapeños and fermented hot sauce.
Enjoy a taste testing that will blow your lactofermented mind, and end the session with a belly full of lactobacillus and jars full of your own creations.
Abby Kishon
Abby is a weaver, dyer, spinner, mosaic creator, gardener, potter and an ever patient and gentle guide for students of all abilities.
Abby will lead us through a morning of natural dye production using plants grown near and far.
Dror Matzliach
Dror is a musician, educator, children's artist, mushroom growing enthusiast, and workshop facilitator.
In this hands on workshop, we will start by building home mushroom growing systems, and end with a mycophile's dream feast.
Annelies Verkuil-Cohen
Annelies is a herbalist, horse mama and a beekeeper.
In this workshop you get an understanding of the dynamic of the hive and what it means to keep bees.
Annoushka Saci
Annoushka & Matat are kombucha artists, bringing plant wisdom to their bubbly fermented delights. Also, their smiles light up the world!
Don't you think it's time you raised your own symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast? In this workshop we will learn how to brew kombucha and incorporate within it the plants that inspire us.
You will sip, learn, brew, and go home with everything necessary to keep the magic happening on your own kitchen counter.
Chanita Golomb
Chanita is the founder of Chanita's Naturals, which makes high quality organic body products from all natural ingredients.
With oils, plants, beeswax and love, Chanita will teach us to concoct healing salves from the gifts of the earth.
Reuven Weisberg
Reuven Arye is a teacher, sourdough bread baker, pizza enthusiast, and Bialy Champion. For him, sourdough bread is a craft, a meditation, a connection to the roots of sustenance, flavor, connection and and delight into our lives.
This workshop looks back at the origins of bread and sourdough in the Middle East and in Jewish tradition.
We will cover the basic principles of the living sourdough culture, and practice the techniques that will allow you to bake fantastic delicious bread in your home kitchen, using only the simplest of ingredients and equipment.
Baking is a part of our basic human inheritance, you can be a great bread baker!
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