the pioneer project
Guest Instructors
Tim Ryan: Gardening / Blacksmithing
Tim has over 40 years experience as a landscape gardener. He is also an auctioneer, medicine showman, raconteur, and he makes a fine pot of chili. A student of blacksmithing since 1986, Tim served on the board of the Artist-Blacksmith's Association of North America and has an honorary Ph.D. in metal arts. He has taught at the John C. Campbell Folk School since 1993 and considers teaching an expression of his attempt to integrate his life toward wholeness.
Tim has also been an integral member of Lane's End Homestead's community, as he helped install the first gardens, built the cabin on the site and equipped the blacksmith shop.
Darby & Elliot Smith: Biodynamic Farming
Elliot and Darby are a young Homesteading team who own and operate Sun Dog Farm in Blairsville, GA. The farm is made up of vegetables, fruits, and herbs grown without herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers. They focus on preserving genetic diversity by growing Heirloom varieties of plants and raising Heritage breed livestock. Sun Dog's farming practices are low impact, reflect a respect for the ecosystems located on the land, and aligned with the natural rhythms of the universe.
Darby and Elliot pour their love into the soil, where all things start, and it can be tasted in the fruits of their labor.
Frances & Stephen Juhlin: Farming
Stephen & Frances created Candy Mountain Farm back in the 70's, with the dream of owning a small amount of land and starting an organic vegetable farm. Their original plan was to sell to local restaurants, but it took about 5 years find home and start farming. Starting from the soil up, they learned from their intuition and from their sucesses and failures as they built up customer base. As the organic food movement started to become mainstream, the local farmers market emerged, and they had developed a loyal audience that has allowed them to be reliant on farming as an income and way of life. Through teaching what they know, they hope to inspire a new generation who will help rebuild a much needed local food system for the country and our future.
Daniel Baker: Cooking
Daniel, chef extraordinaire, has been in the world of creating culinary feasts for over 40 years - working in hotels and restaurants. He is especially interested in a health-oriented culinary lifestyle. Currently, he is executive chef in two establishments, where he is one of the few to offer a weekly vegetarian menu. When away from the restaurants, he also works as a catering specialist.
Daniel has been a familiar face at Lane's End over the years, often popping by to delight us with his tasty creations from the garden, and he is excited to share his passion for cooking with local, in-season foods with our students.
Chuck & Peggy Patrick: Wood Carving / Leather Working / Basketry
Both natives of the area, Chuck and Peggy grew up learning traditional mountain music and crafts. Chuck's family taught him blacksmithing and white oak basket weaving, both of which he continues doing today, and he has built a reputation for making knives and other edged tools. Peggy also makes baskets of white oak and rivercane, learning from Cherokee craftswoman Emma Garrett. In addition, they do hide tanning and shoe making, and Peggy does beadwork in traditional and original styles.
Teaching craft and music workshops throughout the region, the Patricks are particularly fond of passing along their knowledge of folk traditions in an educational setting.
Jen & Zack Stockbridge: Poultry Raising & Processing / Beekeeping
Zack and Jen operate Stockbridge Farms, LLC after moving to the area in 2006 to make their dreams of homesteading a reality. Zack also works at Tri-County Community College, which allows the them to focus on their agricultural endeavors during the summer. They raise chickens for meat and eggs and sell honey from their bees. A Jersey cow and calf are the newest additions to the farm.
Zack serves as President of the Appalchian Beekepers Association. Jen serves on the board of Southern Appalachian Family Farms (SAFF) and on the Cherokee County Extension Master Gardeners (CCMG) board. She is also studying for her Permaculture Design Certification.
Rob Withrow: Pottery
Rob became passionate about clay in 1993, when he got an old wheel and kiln. He has since taken many classes at the Folk School, receiving a great education in clay, and now frequently teaches. At his home studio, he built his own woodfire kiln, and specializes in “fun”tional stoneware pottery. He is known for making useful items for the home, like crocks, sponge holders, soap dispensers, a wide range of mugs and bowls, and, of course, his face jugs and large, beautifully glazed pots.
Rob's classes are full of experimentation and humor! He loves teaching and is known to throw a face mug party from time to time being that face mugs and jugs are his favorite.
Donna Gains: Goat Dairy
Donna has a history of raising goats, along with small scale farming, that occured back in the 80's and lasted about 10 years, after which, she took a hiatus to go back to school for nursing. Since 1987, worked as an RN for 25 years, and since retiring in 2011, she returned to her first love: farming. Her granddaughter wanted to do a 4H goat project in 2009, which got the wheels turning. Just last year, she received a grant to build a creamery. She now has 11 French Alpine goats, 2 Boer goats, and a licence to operate. This is a long time dream of hers come true. Donna makes several flavored chevre cheeses and a whole milk mozzarella that she sells at the local farmers markets. She is excited to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with the next generation.
Cathy Merckens: Gardening / Herbalism
Cathy purchased the Lane's End Homestead in the late 90's and broke ground in what has become the current garden space, brought the first chickens to live here, started a CSA program, and sold at farmer's markets. Since then, she has studied herbalism and has converted half of the vegetable beds for growing bulk medicinal herbs. In 2011, she started a small business to provide these herbs publicly, along with educational workshops on how to grow and use herbs for health and happiness.
Cathy lives primarily in Atlanta, but is in the process of building a small house for herself here and is excited to share Lane's End with the Pioneer Project.
Hannah Levin: Yoga / Pottery
Hannah recently settled in Brasstown after living in other parts of western NC where she has worn many hats. She is an experienced yoga teacher (RYT 230) and Certified Practitioner of Assisted Thai Yoga. Following her teacher training, she lived and studied at Satchidandanda Ashram in VA and has additional training in Kids Yoga, Thai Yoga, and Yoga for Depression.
Hannah is also one of two potters at Songbird Studios, a new pottery studio she and her partner have built in Brasstown. And in addition to all this, she also comes from a background of arts education, is a singer/songwriter, and a chef. She is grateful to all of her teachers, mentors, and students.
Jamie Sparks: Herbalism / Earthskills
Jamie's real passion for the interconnectedness of plants and people began almost 2 decades ago. She cultivates these connections by running a small herbal business, Herban Farmacy, which offer herbal shares, medicines and education to her community. She has worked as a clinical herbalist and operates herbal first aid at many gatherings. Jamie wears many hats, from a yoga teacher, massage therapist, and herbalist to silversmith, felting artist to earth-skills organizer and educator, having spent over 18 years teaching in many of these areas.
Jamie's been a friend of Lane's End Homestead for years and uses many of their herbs in her teas.
Lauren Kelischek: Quilting / Sewing
Lauren grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. After earning her BFA in Sculpture from East Carolina University in Greenville NC, she earned her MFA in Sculpture at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Lauren then made the move back to North Carolina (where she lives and works) with her husband, Stefan. She believes in living an artful life through domestic activities such as gardening, cooking and the like. Lauren is passionate about bringing that experience to others through teaching. She works with all kinds of media including cloth, wood, wax, paint, paper, and clay.
Lauren was also one of the first interns at Lane's End Homestead, which is how she and Allison met.
