Fermentation Residency
with Sandor Katz
at Walnut Ridge in Liberty, TN
Due to the great demand for the Fermentation Residency, this spring we are offering two sessions of the same workshop in order to accommodate more fermentation enthusiasts. The two sessions will be more or less identical. Select one or the other, or let us know if you are available for either.
Session I: April 10 – 14, 2019
Session II: April 17 – 21, 2019
These four-day-long programs are intended for individuals who already have some fermentation experience to deepen and broaden their fermentation practice and thinking. This will not be an introductory workshop.
This program will be held at Sandor’s fermentation school at Walnut Ridge, a restored 1820’s log cabin. We are situated in a wooded area, and exploration is encouraged. We will work in the large, sunny, well-equipped Walnut Ridge kitchen. Students will have access to Sandor’s extensive library of fermentation-related books.
This residency is hands-on and participatory. The dynamic is friendly and communal. Students share in food preparation and clean-up, and our meals are a combination of planned ferments and spontaneous collaborations. Food is included in the program cost. Students camp, unless they make arrangements for other local accommodations (which are all several miles away and require driving). The cabin is down a dirt road, off-the-grid, and amenities are comfortable but basic. The amount of electricity we have is dependent on how much sun we get, so time for charging personal devices may be limited.
This is a chance to experiment with ferments you have always wanted to try, to discover new techniques with familiar ferments, and to explore their uses. Participants will have the opportunity to begin fermentation projects and (in some cases) follow them through to completion, with the benefit of tasting, observing, and learning about them with others as they progress.We will also be harvesting, foraging, and visiting a local fermentation business. It will be a lively and inspiring time for sharing ideas, methods, and experiences, and an opportunity to build community with people with similar interests.
Over 4 days, we will do a variety of fermentation projects, including:
-
- Fermenting vegetables
- Alcoholic and lightly fermented beverages
- Sourdough and other grain fermentations
- Tempeh, koji, and miso
- Yogurt
- And possibly others, based upon the interests of participants.
Cost: Running this fermentation residency program takes a lot of time and costs a lot of money. The program includes camping and food and instruction and varied activities. Yet we do not wish to ration space solely on the basis of ability to pay. We request a sliding scale fee of $350-1000 for the four-day program. Please pay as much as you can afford to. Students who are able to pay at the top of the scale enable us to accept students who are not. We are open to partial barter or exchange, and willing to consider waiving the fee altogether for farmers and people engaged in activism around food justice issues.
We can get people to and from the Nashville airport or bus station (65 miles: $40 each way).
Please Note: Sandor and many of his friends are queer (lesbian, gay, transgender, and so on). Please do not consider this program unless you feel comfortable around queers and gender-non-conformists.
We value the participation of people with diverse life experiences and encourage people of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, trans people, two-spirited and queer people, and others who experience marginalization to apply, and we invite you to self identify in your application if you feel comfortable doing so. We also seek age and gender diversity in our residency groups; the questions regarding these help us balance the groups.
To apply for the program, copy the following questions into an email, answer them as best you can, and email to sandorkraut@wildfermentation.com. Please be patient. We will accept applications until November 30; then we will review them and respond in December. If you are coming from abroad and need more time to obtain a visa, please let us know and we can try to respond more quickly.
Please understand that generally there are many more applicants than we can accept.
Thanks for your interest!
Application for Fermentation Residency
Name:
Address:
City, State, Zip:
Phone:
Email:
Which session are you applying for?
(Please choose one if you are available for only one of the session times, or let us know if you are available for either.) Session I: April 10 – 14, 2019 or Session II: April 17 – 21, 2019
Gender (optional):
Age (optional):
Describe fermentation experience:
Describe why you want to be part of this residency and what you hope to gain from it:
Is there anything specific you are seeking to learn about?
How would you envision yourself sharing this information with others?
Dietary restrictions?
How much can you offer to pay for the program?
If you are seeking a partial barter or alternative exchange, what skills or goods can you offer?
