This is our list of our 2024 classes. Forging ahead because food and herbs are our best medicine. Focus will be on cooking from scratch with the best ingredients to support good health. What we eat, drink & think matters.
Of course do not come to a class if you do not feel well or have recently been exposed to the virus. I will use herbs to purify the indoor air and we'll all be safe. It's time to make changes for the better.
2024 CLASSES
at
MILLS GARDEN HERB FARM
Cooking, Gardening, Medicine making--all for the health and fun of it!
Good health starts at home in the kitchen and garden. Cooking meals with ingredients picked from the garden, purchased from a farmers market or grocery store selling organic products will build health. Ingredient choices are very important. Herbs are medicinal and support health in delicious ways. Again the theme of our classes is "back to basics": cooking like our grandmothers and great grandmothers once did. Think back! Our future is in our past.
Many maybe most of our health problems are caused by the food we eat; stress contributes too. Plan to cook more this year to control the ingredients in the food you consume. The food will be delicious and we'll have many tips on preparation . All of our recipes are prepared "from scratch" meaning nothing from boxes or cans with long ingredient lists.
Include the whole family in cooking, baking, cleanup. Cook meals ahead so as to never be caught without a quick homemade meal.
CHEESEMAKING
February 25, 2024
2:00-5:00 p.m.
The more foods we create in our own kitchens the better our health will be. Cheese is a great food to prepare at home as it doesn't take long we just nwed tyo do the steps. Put on some favorite music and think positive thoughts, they will go into the cheese too!
Cost: $35 or two for $60.
Reservation and contact information appears below.
FERMENTED & CULTURED FOODS
March 17, 2024
2:00-5:00 p.m.
Healthy gut bacteria are now recognized essential for good healh. They help keep the immune system strong. We need to eat fermented foods everyday: yogurt, skyr, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir & more. Learn how easy it is to make these foods from organic ingredients. We'll have lots of samples for you to taste!
Cost: $35 or $60 for two. Reservation and contact information appears below.
Mark your calendar:
ASHEVILLE HERB FESTIVAL
at
WNC Ag Center
Fletcher, NC
2024
Friday, April 26 - 8:30 - 5:00
Saturday, April 27 - 8:30 - 5:00
Sunday, April 28 - 10:00 - 3:00
GEARING UP THE ORGANIC GARDEN
May 19, 2024
2:00-5:00 p.m.
Let it grow! Plant your love and let it grow! The finest freshest food and herbs are grown in our own backyards. New discoveries in soil science tell us that plants flourish and are nourished in soils that support a diverse community of organisms. So, in this class we'll discuss how to feed the soil and how to control weeds and insects without chemicals. There will also be numerous tips for growing your favorite herbs and vegetables . We'll tour Madge's gardens, and to ensure a head start for your garden, you are invited to dig and take home many perennial garden and woodland plants. Wear gardening clothes, and bring a trowel, shovel and a box or bags for plants. Handout and herbal treats included.
Cost: $35 or $60 for two. Reservation and contact information appears below.
MUSHROOMS
June 23, 2024
2:00-5:00 p.m.
If you haven't explored the world of mushrooms now is the time to begin. Be prepared to be in awe. Identification is key. Mushrooms are medicinal too. It's time to learn more about them, their health benefits, and how to use them in cooking and more. Watch the movie "Fantastic Fungi" - it is great!
Cost: $35 or $60 for two. Reservation and contact information appears below.
COOKING FOR THE HEALTH OF IT
JULY 21, 2024
2:00-5:00 p.m.
Hippocrates said "let food be thy medicine, let medicine be thy food". It stilll applies. Make your food supply the basic constituents for growth and repair. This class will address efficiently preparing meals in your own kitchen from basic ingredients and having enough to freeze for "quickie" future meals. Save money, time & health by "cooking ahead" eating out less and less dependence on prepared foods.
Cost $35 or $60 for two. Reservation and contact information appears below.
TRADITIONAL MEDICINE MAKING
from the garden to the medicine chest
August 18, 2024
2:00-5:00 p.m.
SYRUPS, TINCTURES, TEAS, VINEGARS, FIRE CIDER and more....Growing herbs is delightful; we love adding them to our foods and feeling the sheer joy of their beautiful flowers and scents. But there is so much more; many have powerful medicinal effets that can be easily preserved and made available when needed. Summer is the best time to prepare and stock your winter apothecary while your herbs are at their peak of vitality. We'll demo how to make tinctures, syrups, teas and vinegars using garden plants or dried herbs purchased from a reliable source. A handout will include detailed instructions and background information about common herbs. Take home samples to start your herbal apothecary. Delicious herbal tea and treats will be served.
Cost $35 or two for $60. Reservation and contact information appears below.
FOOD AS MEDICINE
Back to basics
September 22, 2024
2:00-5:00 p.m.
Food provides constituents to build and maintain the body as well as the "machinery" to run it. As many infectious diseases have come under control, overall health is not improving because of chronic diseases-many which have their orgins in the food supply. Home cooked food with quality ingredients will make a difference. Join us to sample recipes and discuss how to return to the days when food was our medicine.
Cost: $35 or two for $60. Reservation and contact information appears below.
CRYSTALS & HERBS
October 27, 2024
2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Crystals are not just for jewelry & ornamental purposes they have historically been used for healing and coupling them with herbs make powerful remedies. Come learn about beautiful stones, their history,and how to use them for healing.
Cost $35 or two for $60
Resevations & contact information appears below.
Cost $35 or two for $60. Reservation and contact information appears below.
HOMEMADE CLEANING SOLUTIONS
November 17, 2024
2:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Live a life chemical free and safe. Advertisements may promote a product to sell but they don't scream out the chemicals used in them and how they can affect us health wise. We have great cleaning products in our cupboards already. The recipes are easy to make and very inexpenisive saving us our health and $$$$$!
Cost $35 or two for $60.
Reservations & contact information appears below.
WREATH MAKING WORKSHOP
December 8, 2024
2:00-5:00 p.m.
Our year end annual event: Wreath making in the barn. The custom of bringing greens inside the home at winter solstice and Christmas dates back hundreds of years. Continue the tradition by making your very own decorations with fresh cut evergreens, holly, ivy, pinecones, mistletoe and other natural items. We'll work in the barn, listen to holiday tunes, and sip hot tea and spicy cider. This class is a celebration of the Winter Solstice, Christmas, and father time; many participants return year after year! All materials are provided, but feel free to bring special items from your home or yard that you would like to add. Cost: $30 or $50 for two. Reservation and contact information appears below.
Classes will be posted on Facebook. If you are not presently on our email list and would like to be notified by email two weeks in advance of all our classes, send us an email at: millsgardenherbs@roadrunner.com and ask to be added to our list. Of course your information is not shared with anyone.
Reservations
To make a reservation, please fill out the form on the "Reservations" page, indicating the class you would like to attend and the number of reservations; send this form with your payment to:
Mills Garden Herb Farm732 Mills Garden RoadStatesville, NC 28625
Your advance reservation is required to assist us in planning. Make a reservation by sending in the form on the reservations page or by email or phone. Also, kindly let us know in advance should you need to cancel for some reason.The Form: Indicate the class you would like to attend and the number of reservations; send this form to:
Mills Garden Herb Farm
732 Mills Garden Road
Statesville, NC 28625
email: millsgardenherbs@roadrunner.com or
Phone or text: 704-929-0347.
Please contact us by phone, email or text if you have registered for a class but cannot attend.
MILLS GARDEN HERB FARM
Mills Garden Herb Farm, located in rural Statesville, NC is the realization of Madge’s dream to grow herbs and share her love of nature with others. The farm delights the senses; her wonderful garden beds have become magical places for birds, bees and butterflies as well as a sustainable source of herbs and food, supporting all life. The woodland garden has become a virtual fairyland, where she lovingly cultivates many of our NC native plants that are “endangered” due to overharvesting and loss of habitat. In her greenhouse, Madge’s 100% chemical free herbs are germinated and raised to be sold as potted plants at farmers markets in Statesville and Charlotte, NC. They thrive in the greenhouse where they are tenderly cared for while listening to classical music all day long! Madge manages the Evening Farmers Market in downtown Statesville.