Philo, Ohio
Upcoming Events in Philo Ohio
January
| 30 |
Healing Methods to Keep Dogs, Puppies, Cats and Kittens Healthy
- Today?s pets commonly suffer from ailments such as upper respiratory infections, stress-induced mange, or parasites like fleas and worms Modern medicine typically offers ?cures? such as antibiotics and harsh chemicals that severely injure the animals immune system. While these may temporarily mask the symptoms, they leave your pet even more vulnerable to future infection. We will also discuss the importance of diet in keeping your critters healthy and happy - and how many commercial pet foods are actually killing your pets. This workshop will provide tried and true remedies and information on how to create healthy immune systems in animals. Address: Blue Rock Station |
February
| 3 |
Llama Trek - Maple Syruping
- We will begin your visit with a tour of Blue Rock Station - strolling the gardens, feeding the rare breed chickens and visiting the Earthship (Ohio's first - a home made of tires, cans, bottles, and earth). You will then learn the proper way to handle a llama. This is a very "hands-on" workshop. We will learn how to catch and halter a llama (not always an easy task). Then we will groom the critter, give them their shots, clip their hoofs, check them for injury or parasites and generally give them a complete checkup. Then we will take them on a trek through the woodland paths at Blue Rock Station -stopping for a relaxing cup of tea in the maple grove and collecting maple sap along the way. After our trek through the woods we will sit down to a relaxing 3-course lunch in the Earthship, followed by a proper cup of tea. After lunch we will boil some of the sap, making maple syrup. Address: Blue Rock Station |
April
| 10 - 23 |
Llamas Trekking: An adventure of fun in the woodlands
- Walk the scenic hills of this Appalachian river valley region with a companion who will not interrupt the silence... the serenity. Better still, this companion will carry your pack for you, leaving you free simply to enjoy a leisurely stroll through nature. Occasionally he might even lean over and nuzzle you a bit as you stare off into the distance. The basic trek takes about 3 hours (2 hours of walking, 1 hour for a relaxing lunch followed by a proper cup of tea). Lunch will be provided. Children are welcome - provided they can walk for two hours (the llamas cannot carry them). We will also take a tour of Blue Rock Station - a unique sustainability center and home of Ohio's first Earthship (a home made of tires, cans, bottles, mud and garbage. Group treks are available upon request on a date of your choosing (based on availability of course). Individual rates are $35 for adults, $25 for children (this includes lunch). Address: Blue Rock Station |
| 20 |
Earth Day at Blue Rock Station
- Come spend Earthday with us at Blue Rock Station. Aside from touring the station - we will (weather permitting) set up areas where you and your kids can try many of the techniques used in building sustainable shelters. There will be stations set up so you can: Pound tires filled with dirt (like the ones in the Earthship) Help dig in the garden and other muddy work Work with mud plaster on the chicken chalet wall (if it isn't too cold to get your hands wet) Help use bottles and cans to build walls Feed our rare breed chickens Walk with the llamas ... and probably a bunch of things we haven't yet imagined Address: Blue Rock Station, 1190 Virginia Ridge Road , Philo, Ohio |
May
| 21 |
Creating Your Own Solar Oven
- A solar oven is an amazing little project that is a great way we've found to re-heat food, cook sweet corn to perfection and keep the heat out of the kitchen...AND using one may have huge ramifications to our earth - as our resources become more and more scarce. With little more than a cardboard box, some clear plastic wrap, a bit of paint, some aluminum foil and knowledge about how this all works - you can create your own durable oven. You will be absolutely amazed at how well these ovens work - reaching cooking temperatures of 275 degrees Fahrenheit with no more than the sunlight for energy. Great for camping, pasteurizing water, or everyday use. Address: Blue Rock Station |
| 27 |
Annual Spring Plant Exchange
- Tour Blue Rock Station: First stop is a stroll around the grounds of Blue Rock Station - home of Ohio's first Earthship, an amazing home made of tires, cans, bottles and earth. During the summer there will be a variety of projects to view including a plastic bottle greenhouse and the espalier wall. You will tour the home for an insight into how this structure uses the sun and the earth (as well as various bits of "trash") to create a warm and welcoming home. Then tea and a presentation: We will then settle in for a proper cup of tea, and learn about natural garden pesticides as well as how to raise a few hens in your garden. And after the talk... We will have a Plant & Seed Exchange Garden Party. Bring along perennials, seeds, plants and other garden items to exchange with others. What better way to share the bounty from your garden and get some new items for this year's garden. Address: Blue Rock Station |
| 4 - 10 |
The Complete Vaulted Straw Bale Workshop (7 Days) - This basic project incorporates most of the skills and techniques that you will need to tackle much bigger things (like building your own Earthship or building that dream mansion out of straw bales). But the scale of the Vaulted Straw Bale building is small enough for a beginner green builder to learn without being overwhelmed - useful techniques for big or small building projects. Also, the Vaulted Straw Bale building is pretty cool all by itself and makes a great garden shed, play house, guest room or hunting cabin. This seminar will walk you through the entire process of building a straw bale structure using a pounded tire foundation. We will begin with site preparation, building a foundation, framing the structure, building vaulted walls using straw bales, building walls and free standing structures using cans and bottles, and the various aspects of earth plastering. As part of this seminar, you will be provided with complete step-by-step design and construction plans to build your own vaulted structure (so do not worry about taking notes). Address: Blue Rock Station |
June
| 10 - 9 |
Open Tours of Blue Rock Station
- Tour the Earthship - a 2,200 sq. ft. home made of tires, cans, bottles, salvaged lumber, mud, sand, sweat and tears. Annie & Jay will explain the various construction techniques and how the building uses the earth and sun to provide a comfortable place to live. Explore the vaulted Straw Bale "Chicken Chalet". This building houses our rare breed chickens (you may even get a chance to feed them). It is built with a pounded tire foundation, straw bale walls, beer bottle front and back walls and a mud plaster finish. Learn about rare breed chickens. We will discuss the changes in agriculture in America that have lead to the near extinction of most of the most common and popular farm animals of our recent past. Say hello to the llamas and perhaps take one or two for a walk. Throughout the day we harness up the llamas and let our visitors take them for a little stroll as we walk the grounds of Blue Rock Station. Address: Blue Rock Station |
| 10 - 8 |
Earthship & Sustainability Tours
- Tour the Earthship - a 2,200 sq. ft. home made of tires, cans, bottles, salvaged lumber, mud, sand, sweat and tears. We will explain the various construction techniques and how the building uses the earth and sun to provide a comfortable place to live. Explore the vaulted Straw Bale "Chicken Chalet". This building houses our rare breed chickens (you may even get a chance to feed them). It is built with a pounded tire foundation, straw bale walls, beer bottle front and back walls and a mud plaster finish. Learn about rare breed chickens. We will discuss the changes in agriculture in America that have lead to the near extinction of most of the most common and popular farm animals of our recent past. Say hello to the llamas and perhaps take one or two for a walk. Throughout the day we harness up the llamas and let our visitors take them for a little stroll as we walk the grounds of Blue Rock Station. Address: Blue Rock Station |
| 19 - 24 |
Women Build - Learning Green Living Together
- Mornings will be spent learning Blue Rock Station sustainable building techniques such as - how to create a small garden structure: creating foundations out of tires, building with straw bales, plastering with clay and much more. You?ll get your daily exercise and feel good about what you learn.A relaxing lunch will follow, vegetarian and hearty, all ingredients locally grown or produced - followed with a proper cup of tea and dessert served on vintage English fine china. The cook receives rave reviews for her meals so don?t be scared off by ?vegetarian?. Each afternoon we will hit the road, visiting local craftsmen and artisans who will teach us some of the basics of - natural fiber weaving, welding & blacksmithing, herbal lotion-making, basic carpentry, pressure point healing, solar cooking and much more.Then in the evening, back to Blue Rock Station to learn how to cook quick healthy meals from locally grown produce with Indian, down home, vegetarian, picnic and Lebanese as the themes. And perhaps we?ll sit around an open fire and watch the sun set across the valley. Address: Blue Rock Station |
| 8 - 9 |
The Very Very Basic Straw Bale Weekend Workshop
- From start-to-finish we will build a small garden outbuilding (about 6? x 6?) utilizing all the skills that you would use to build a much larger project... but in a small and digestible package. The Workshop Agenda includes: -Orientation/ quick tour of Blue Rock Station -Site selection and leveling Laying out the tire foundation Pounding and leveling the tires. -Installing a sill plate. -Framing the structure. -Securing the base row of bales to the foundation -Cutting and retying bales to size. -Cutting saplings to girdle the bales. -Lashing the bales to the saplings. -Theory of straw bale, load bearing versus non-load bearing -Water issues (keeping the bales dry) -Mixing and using cobb -Earth plastering -Integrating designs and light into your building using bottles The Straw Bale Garden Project: This basic project incorporates all the skills and techniques that you will need to tackle different size projects. But the scale of the vaulted straw bale building is small enough for a beginner "green builder" to learn without being overwhelmed - useful techniques for big or small building projects. Address: Blue Rock Station |
July
| 11 - 12 |
Open Work Days at Blue Rock Station
- Come spend some time at Blue Rock Station working and learning about a number of sustainable practices. Tour Ohio's first Earthship, a home made of tires, bottles, cans, straw bales and earth. Learn some of the techniques that helped to build this structure. Have fun, get dirty and learn. Address: Blue Rock Station |
| 6 - 7 |
Adobe Mud and Earth Plastering Workshop
- In this workshop you will learn the ancient and lovely skills used in earth plastering. You can use the earth to create amazing walls and finishes - completing your straw bale building or some other project you have dreamed up. We will focus on all aspects of interior and exterior earth plastering, including base coats, scratch coats, and finish coating. As this process requires some drying times, we will likely work on several projects to learn all phases of the process during the two-day workshop. The Workshop Agenda includes: * Orientation/quick tour of Blue Rock Station * The theory of earth plastering * How to mix the various coats, including cobb, base coat, scratch coat, finish coat and exterior coats (areas exposed to the weather) * Applying cobb * Applying the base coat * Applying the scratch coat * Applying the finish coats * Creating shelves or other free-form objects * Finishing and sealing options * Mixing and applying the lime plasters and lime washes (finishing it off) Address: Blue Rock Station |
August
| 3 - 4 |
Constructing a Can or Bottle Wall, and Earth Plastering
- You can build amazing structures using cans and bottles, held together with adobe mud or concrete - encased in layers of earth plaster. Learn the techniques of building free flowing walls, for your home or garden. Whether you just want to build some borders for your garden or are finishing off your straw bale home - this workshop is for you. The Workshop Agenda includes: * Orientation/ quick tour of Blue Rock Station. * The theory and practical uses of can/bottle walls (such as pillars, walkway boarders, small garden buildings, etc). * How to mix the concrete plaster (exterior) and mud plaster (interior). * Forming bottle walls within conventional framing. * Forming free floating bottle/can walls. * Using cans and bottles as part of a straw bale or tire wall. * Exterior coating for outdoor walls and structures. * Introduction to earth plastering. Address: Blue Rock Station |
September
| 24 |
Autumn Harvest Exchange
- If you are an avid gardener, a beginner or just love beautiful gardens - this event is for you. First stop is a stroll around the grounds of Blue Rock Station - home of Ohio's first Earthship, an amazing home made of tires, cans, bottles and earth. During the summer there will be a variety of projects to view including a plastic bottle greenhouse and the espalier wall. You will tour the home for an insight into how this structure uses the sun and the earth (as well as various bits of "trash") to create a warm and welcoming home. Bring along perennials, seeds and other garden items to exchange with others. What better way to share the bounty from your garden and get a start on next year's with new ideas and plants.
Address: Blue Rock Station |
October
| 21 |
Building a Greenhouse from Plastic Pop Bottles - We have all seen those pesky 2-liter plastic bottles littering the countryside. If you are like us, you have imagined that there must be something useful we could do with that bit of rubbish. Well, there is... Come spend the day with us learning how to build your own greenhouse using discarded pop bottles. This simple, attractive little structure actually works quite well... Allowing you to get a head start on your spring planting or keeping your plants green year-round. The Workshop Agenda includes: hOrientation/ quick tour of Blue Rock Station. Framing the greenhouse. Cutting the bottles. Placing and fitting the pop-bottle walls. Putting it all together. Foundation options for your greenhouse. This pop bottle greenhouse concept was tested and developed at the Sustainable Communities Initiative in Scotland. Class size is limited to 10 students, so please reserve your spot early. Address: Blue Rock Station |
| 22 |
Victorian Cottage Gardening: Tea and Talk
- If you are an avid gardener, a beginner or just love beautiful gardens - this event is for you. Tour Blue Rock Station: First stop is a stroll around the grounds of Blue Rock Station - home of Ohio's first Earthship, an amazing home made of tires, cans, bottles and earth. During the summer there will be a variety of projects to view including a plastic bottle greenhouse and the espalier wall. You will tour the home for an insight into how this structure uses the sun and the earth (as well as various bits of "trash") to create a warm and welcoming home. Settle in for a light lunch: Then you will have a chance to get to know other guests while you sit down to a delicious lunch (made from local and BRS-grown produce) in the strawbale greenhouse overlooking the hills of southeastern Ohio. Then tea and a presentation: After dessert and a proper cup of tea, Annie Warmke will talk about different types of Victorian cottage gardens, and how to create one of your own. Address: Blue Rock Station |
| 28 - 29 |
Living Green Weekend
- Green Living is much more than separating your recyclables or replacing your light bulbs with compact florescent. It is a mind set. It is a shift from? * competition to partnership Address: Blue Rock Station |
November
| 19 - 20 |
Living Green Weekend
- Green Living is much more than separating your recyclables or replacing your light bulbs with compact florescent. It is a mind set. It is a shift from? * competition to partnership But how do you find that connectedness? How do you begin this shift? You begin by rediscovering some of those simple chores and pleasures your grandparents took for granted. Address: Blue Rock Station |
December
| 6 |
Living Green in the Winter - Open Day
- Green Living is much more than separating your recyclables or replacing your light bulbs with compact florescent. It is a mind set. It is a shift from? During your visit you will learn about good old-fashioned tried and true farm skills such as canning, yogurt making, seed starting? and so much more. Weather permitting you?ll take a walk in the woods with the llamas and enjoy a healthy and nourishing picnic lunch. Or experience the future of renewable energy? from passive solar to bio-diesel. Along the way you?ll discover how to create a greener attitude in your everyday life ? not by giving up your comforts, but by incorporating the parts that appeal to you ? one step at a time. Address: Blue Rock Station |