Classes: when weather permits, many of our classes are held outdoors. Check out our Facebook page to learn more about upcoming classes on a range of garden and food-related classes! Classes are free, but donations to our cause is always welcomed. See classes page.
Class topics in winter 2021 included planning your 2021 garden, growing culinary mushrooms at home, a class on backyard grains, and one on growing shoots. Several of our classes in 2022 have been in partnership with the local project called Rooting Through Corn, Planting Families. This project funded through NCR SARE connects backyard heritage corn growers through food, growing corn, seed saving, ceremony, and strengthening community through shared work, tools, resources and knowledge. Bushelcraft Farm has been an active partner in the Rooting Through Corn Planting Families project.
More info on 2022 classes coming soon! We also may offer classes on storytelling and outdoor self-care. Does yoga on the farm sound of interest to you? E-mail us!
Internships: Bushelcraft Farm was thrilled to host and complete its first-ever internship program for high school students in spring 2022. We hired six high school students (Elkhart and Goshen students) from Elkhart County. This offering is made possible with the help of grant funding from the Community Foundation of Elkhart County and other supporters. We are still looking for individual donors, corporate sponsorships, and others who want to support our cause to continue this program for Fall 2022 and beyond. Open to high school students in Elkhart County, ideally close to the farm.
Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares: our 2020 season enabled us to offer a summer program (May-Aug) of 14 weeks of produce pick-up for households who invested in our efforts up front. We also offered a 14-week program in the fall from early September to early December. In 2021, Bushelcraft Farm offered summer CSA May-mid August, then a fall CSA program Aug 31-Dec 7th, with on-farm pickups on Tuesdays 4-6pm. Contact us by email if you want to sign up or to get more information about the 2022 season (email bushelcraftfarm@gmail.com), or download the flyer and the CSA agreement documents below to see 2021 documents. **2022 CSA is now open for sign-up! We are starting later this year, beginning July 14 and going to December 8. Pick-ups are now on Thursdays unlike previous years. We offer a standard sized share, a larger sized share, and this year we also have opportunities for 5-week trials.
Please see our 2022 CSA Agreement Form to learn more and sign up.
Not familiar with ‘CSA’? This model of agriculture centers on a direct relationship between a farm and households who enter into a relationship that shares the risk of growing food. Households ‘invest’ in the farm up front and repaid with weekly installments of produce each week–whatever is in season. The farm–in this case Bushelcraft Farm–is supported by participating households and can purchase seeds and supplies up front. CSA participants are not only supported with super-fresh produce on weekly basis, but are given up-close opportunities to learn about farming and receive weekly information about the farm, recipes and tips on how to prepare and eat a wide range of vegetables, herbs, etc that are in season (and sometimes includes unfamiliar or ‘forgotten’ foods) and can volunteer on the farm, as well. The idea is to build community around agriculture and local food!
Volunteering: Come visit us on site and get your hands literally soiled! Even during the pandemic, there are ways to work with others with social distancing outdoors while conversing and building connections. Such activities can range from wheelbarrowing compost and woodchips to weeding, watering young trees, harvesting veggies, and maintaining tools and equipment. Not able to help with physical agricultural activities? We can also use help with volunteers to hang up signs, translate in Spanish, promote our events on social media, and staff classes and events!
Tours and field trips: though this part of our offerings is just now coming together, Bushelcraft Farm is happy to coordinate tours and field trips on site to those interested in getting outside in the fresh air. Though the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our offerings on this front, we aim to further coordinate and explore safe possibilities in 2022, while being in close contact with our local health department guidelines and approval.
Contact us if you’d like to connect about what we have to offer! E-mail director Jon Zirkle at bushelcraftfarm@gmail.com.
Bushelcraft Farm 