the pioneer project

Overview

The Winter is traditionally a time of reflection and fireside chats while working on a favorite craft.  It is a time for thoughtfully examining our intentions for the coming year and our accomplishments from the year past.  Our Winter program honors these time-tested Winter traditions while throwing in a dash of action!  Pack your winter coat, because in addition to the cozy fireside crafting sessions, we will get outside as much as possible to do winter-specific homestead tasks like chopping wood, prepping garden beds, working on small building projects, and taking care of the animals, not to mention having ourselves an adventure or two.  Winter is a wonderful time to put on some layers and go for a spectacular, leaf-free and vista-rich backpacking expedition, have an exhilarating mountain bike ride through the forest, or go rock climbing on a picturesque south-facing slab of granite!  And our rich craft curriculum will have us warming our hands around the blacksmith forge, carving spoons out of maple branches, and turning wool fibers into comfy hats to wear on cold winter nights.  We will also take advantage of this introspective time of year to dig a little deeper into our purposes and paths by working with a life coach who helps folks figure out how to turn their passions into their reality.  Indeed, Winter can be quite the time to be at The Pioneer Project!  We hope you’ll join us!

 

Sustainable Living & Farms

As most of the garden sleeps, we help it rejuvenate by prepping it for the coming Spring.  Students help mulch paths and beds, remove some old weeds, plant cover crops, and add compost to replenish the nutrients used in the previous season.  We will also take this opportunity to develop new beds and maintain old ones that need some extra attention.  The chickens will need our care as the temperatures drop, so we will do coop maintenance and make sure they are well fed and warm.  We will learn more about animal husbandry in Winter by visiting various animal-focused farms in our area and helping out.  Additionally, we will use wood to partially offset our heating needs, so chopping and hauling logs, then starting fires in the wood stove will be a part of our daily routine.  Winter is also a wonderful time for feasting on local root crops, hogs we butcher in the Fall, and fresh-baked bread, so cooking and eating will be a joyful daily activity that will give us ample energy for Winter’s work.

Traditional Craft

With less time in the garden comes more time in the craft workshop!  This is a wonderful time of year to focus on creative pursuits.  We will increase our number of craft workshops per week during this season and include blacksmithing, fiber arts, woodcarving, herbal medicine and much more!  Outside of formal workshop time, we’ll work on our unfinished projects as we chat around the wood stove on cozy wintry evenings.

Outdoor Leadership

We love heading up to the scenic ridges during this season for the spectacular views of our gorgeous mountains.  Shortly after students arrive, we will head to the wilderness to backpack in the peaceful solitude of the Winter season.  This expedition will help students master the skills needed to keep themselves warm even when the weather isn’t and help them get a sense of place in their new environment.  We will also embark on a challenging climbing expedition that will help students test their limits and take advantage of the un-crowded crags of the region that would be packed during the summer.  Lastly, we will go on various mountain bike rides along lakeshores and through beautiful forests that contain some of the best cycling in the Southeast!

 

Life Coaching

Students will have the unique opportunity to work with a certified life coach from Off-Trail On Purpose to further clarify their intentions.  Leslie Frey, a former Outward Bound Instructor and charter school teacher, will help students assess their professional and academic interests, then make a plan for pursuing them.  Leslie will offer initial consultations that could lead to more in-depth coaching sessions for students who are interested in working further with her.