Bring your camping gear, instruments & work clothes & food to share for potluck meals.

We will be building an outdoor kitchen, mending roofs, hanging pianos & various other sundry & exciting homestead activities.  No hard hats required… bring your friends, your neighbors &/or their kids, but no dogs (sorry).

Join us for the 15th Annual Food for Life

For nearly two decades the Sequatchie Valley Institute’s annual “Food for Life” event at Moonshadow has gathered thinkers, practitioners, dreamers, and eaters alike.  On the walls of the ancient Cumberland Plateau, Food for Life is an act of community connecting and opening us to the flow of energy we call food.

In a space where being is your criteria for expertise, discussion and presentations range from the practical, common, and scientific to the edgy netherworlds of speculation, mythology, and spirit.  Topics covered in these manners include, fermentation and the art of cooking,  the joy of eating, nutrition, herbal medicine, crop and animal production and building relationships with the origins of our food.

Workshop leaders are drawn from a wide background of expertise and experience – allowing for a variety in the types of teaching, learning, and interaction.

Sessions Cover:

• food preparation and preservation strategies, including canning, drying, and fermentation. The exploration of various fermentation cultures, such as sour kraut and kim chi, mead, wine and beer making, kombucha, kefir, sour dough, miso, yogurt and cheese making. Our keynote speaker on this topic is Sandor Katz, the well loved southeastern author of “The Art of Fermentation” and “Wild Fermentation.” This underground fermentation superhero will be sharing his enthusiasm for & wisdom about various aspects of health and vitality through fermentation.

• permaculture gardening & edible landscaping, with an emphasis on how to create & live within your own abundant environment

• plant walks, meeting & greeting our local wild edible & medicinal plants here in the forest, harvesting, discussion and preparation of various medicines
• metabolic, nutritional, biochemical, evolutionary relationships to health and disease
• theoretical and political explorations of the social and ecological implications of industrial agriculture as well as the pitfalls of the modern diet & an exploration of various methods of creating sustainable community-based food systems instead of global monopolies

• a comprehensive kids program encouraging adventurous eating & a real connection & relationship with food.  We will be sharing yummy snack ideas that kids prepare & share, food based art projects, ways to play with your food, kids fermentation by making herbal sodas & general fun in the garden & fun with our food.  We view kids as the future and helping them to fully understand how important it is to make wise choices about where their food comes from, how it is prepared & the ways in which we share it is imperative to a sustainable & abundant future.

• the art of bread making, culminating in a pizza party in our outdoor wood fired earthen oven

• tours of our land and hand built homes, permaculture gardens and sustainable lifestyle

• games, theatre, live music, sharing circles, and of course, delicious food!

All events are intentionally affordable and we ask $25 — $50 per adult, per day and children are $5-$20 per child per day, which includes lovingly prepared nutritious meals and admission to all workshops and lectures.

There is a $10 camping fee for the weekend.  Sliding scales are available for those who need it. All Sequatchie Valley Institute members receive a 10% discount.  We are not for profit (501c3), and all proceeds go to cover the costs of this and future events. Limited work trade is available and needs to be arranged in advance. Food trade is accepted, but only if the food is nutritionally and ethically sound (i.e., produced in manner that makes our world a better place). All food trade must be approved in advance.

Our goal is to deepen community through educating and empowering people in one of the most fundamental aspects of being… FOOD.

Food for Life 2013 Schedule

Friday, May 31

9:00 AM  Welcome!

Register and set up camp.

10:00 Tour

Explore the structures and gardens with Johnny and Carol.

11:00-11:45  Opening Circle

11:45-12:45   Lunch

1:00-3:30  1^st  Session

Plant Walk with Alan Powell

Come & discover our lovely slice of Appalachia on this guided hike with Alan, who will introduce local plants in the forest and fields.  We will harvest wild edibles & medicinal plants to bring back & turn into medicine, mead & magik!

3:30   Bentos!

4:00-5:30    2^nd Session

Medicine, Mead, & Magik

Patrick, Marissa & Maya will explore a variety of tinctures, tonics & fermented beverages.  We’ll chat about yeasts, sample brews, & make wild wine from the plants we gathered on Alan’s walk.

5:45-6:00 Dinner Bell & Circle

6:00-7:00   Dinner

7:00-9:00   Connections

We will begin with “The Green Man, A Tribute to Frank Cook,” a short film about this deep ecologist who inspired many of us to discover wild foods.   We’ll share our relationship with food.  Then we’ll explore how we came to be the animals that we are and the serendipitous events that brought us all to this unlikely event in the woods!

Saturday, June 1

7:45   Rise & Shine!

8:00  Morning Circle

8:20-9:20  Breakfast 

9:30-12:00  1^st Session

Optimal for What?

Join Joel Kimmons & Bill Keener for a moderated conversation on food, cooking, diet, and wellness.  Nothing trumps fiction like the real!  Explore the labyrinth of millions of years past to consider the evolution of metabolic processes in the twisting arms of nature’s bounty.  How, why, and how much:  What does it mean to pursue an optimal diet?

12:00-12:20    Afternoon Circle

12:30-1:30    Lunch

1:30-3:30   2^nd Session

The Art of Fermentation

Join well-loved southeastern author & wild fermentation master, Sandor Katz, as he spins the web of folklore & practicality into a delicious version of reality!  Learn to create your own sauerkraut, kim chi, kefir, kombucha and other healthy fermentation foods at home.

3:30   Bentos!

4:00-5:00   Fermenting Grains

Join Patrick & Marissa discussing sprouting & fermenting wheat & the art of making bread, while creating the pizza dough for dinner.

5:00-6:30   Evening Entertainment

Join Michelle Kimmons & the FFL kids in an art opening to view the creations from the kids’ programs.  Cheese and (kid) “wine” will be served.

Bridge the arts and the environment with Cerulean & WAN Love in collaboration with Friends of the Forest (the SVI homeschool program), performing, playing, and having fun!

6:30-8:30   Pizza Party!

Create your own masterpiece using locally grown toppings on sourdough crusts made in our workshop, then bake them in the earthen wood-fired oven!

9:00-??? Campfire Shindig

Don’t forget your instruments, stories and songs to share ‘round the campfire. Pass your favorite drinks or homebrew around– bring some, drink some, share some! We’ll have teas of local herbs, cocoa, and homebrews.  What will you bring?

Sunday, June 2

7:30-8:30   Coffee, Tea & Crumpets

8:30-8:45     Morning Circle

8:45-10:00    1^st Sessions

A. Safe and Healthy Food Preservation

Discover fun and easy methods of canning, freezing, and drying your surplus from garden and market.

B. Dairy 101.  Join Andy Onion for a hands-on workshop to explore soft cheese, yoghurt, & other milk products.

10:-10:15  Brunch Circle

10:15-11:30   Dutch Brunch!

Enjoy Dutch oven baked food, sprouted breads & more!

11:30-1:30   2^nd Session

Wild Woods Mushrooms

Join Matt Shigekawa as he shares his adventures in wild foraging.  Then take a hike in search of elusive edible fungi…happy hunting!

1:45   Closing Circle

We need a handful of folks to stick around to help clean up the aftermath of this glorious event!

Family Friendly Schedule

Programs created with kids in mind!

Friday, May 31

2:00-3:30   1^st Session:    Cheese!

Join Lori Carter and her baby goat from The Farm Camp & learn basic cheese making skills.  Help prepare the 3:30 Bentos!

4:00-5:30    2^nd Session:  Relax!

Join Allyson Ford for a relaxing movement session designed to relax, refresh & renew you.

7:00-9:00   Movie in the Woods

Bring your blankets & cozy up under the stars for this outdoor big screen viewing of a surprise food movie!

Saturday, June 1

9:30-12:00   1^st Session

Play with Yer Food!  All are welcome to join Michelle Kimmons for a hands-on exploration of food-based art, featuring Kool-Aid water colors, spaghetti sculptures, games, stories & more!

12:00-12:20    Afternoon Circle

12:30-1:30    Lunch

1:30-3:30   2^nd Session

Food Mandala!  Join Lisa Fox & her daughter Tori for this beautiful exploration of art & food, creating a meditative mandala of food to be shared at Bentos!

3:30  Kids Share Bentos!

4:00-5:00  Gallery Preparations

We will transform our outdoor pavilion into a gallery to display our food art creations. Everyone is invited to an Art Opening, complete with “wine”, juice & cheese!

5:00-6:30   Art Opening

Participants share their artistic creations as we mingle in the gallery!  Lynn Grabowski, from the Avian Learning Center, will display her fascinating collection of nests & eggs & share wisdom about birds.  Then join Cerulean, WAN Love & Friends of the Forest for forest frolicking, theatre & games!

6:30-8:30   Pizza Party!

Create your own masterpiece on our sour dough crusts, then enjoy the unique flavor of our earthen wood-fired oven!

Sunday, June 2

8:45-10:00    1^st Session

Bento:  Artful Box Lunches

Join Mirel Crumb to learn about artistic presentations & healthy combinations of yummy food.  Participants will share their creations with everyone at the 10:15 Dutch Brunch!

10:-10:15  Brunch Circle

10:15-11:30   Dutch Brunch!

Enjoy a bounty of Dutch oven delights, sprouted bread, fresh fruits & more!

11:30-1:30   2^nd Session TBA

Download a flyer to print and post in your community:

Download the full schedule and share with friends:

Please visit Carol at the 2012 Holiday Tour of Artists’ Studios and Galleries, Saturday, Dec. 1, 10-5 pm CST and Sunday, Dec. 2, Noon to 5 CST.

She will be showing her work, including mugs, decorative tiles, pendants, and birdfeeders, all with impressions of plants from SVI, in the Spencer Room at St. Andrews-Sewanee School in Sewanee, near Monteagle, TN.

Believe it or not, that’s not much more than an hour from Chattanooga, up I-24 toward Nashville.  And the area is well worth the visit.  Be sure to tour the University of the South campus, and visit the two beautiful chapels there, one based on Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and the other a spectacular soaring modern chapel of wood.  Cool restaurants and coffee houses abound, as well as great hiking trails.

• CAST 2012 Studio Tour (PDF Download, includes map of the tour)

Saturday, December 8, 11-5 CST; 12-6 EST (Chattanooga time)

Dust off your jingle bells and come join us for fun and shopping at SVI, a non-profit sustainable living center located 45 minutes from Chattanooga, in the midst of 400 acres of forest. We will be providing nature-based fun for adults and kids alike, so bundle up and join us by the fireplaces for hot spiced cider, yummy holiday snacks, games and crafts.

Great gifts by local artists will be available for purchase (cash or check), including Carol’s Sassy Shadows Pottery bird feeders, mugs, dishes, and wall hangings, all with impressions of forest leaves, flowers, and herbs.

Nature of Reaction jewelry, marbles, and kaleidoscopes by Patrick Ironwood will be featured. We’ll also have for sale SVI’s favorite books on sustainable building, food, gardens, and kid activities.

If hiking is your style, wear your boots and explore our mountain trails. We’ll have tours of our gardens and hand-crafted buildings made of rock, logs, clay, and straw, and powered by the sun. Dress warmly and wear walking shoes. No pets, please. Please let us know if we can expect you.

SVI is located in the Cartwright community just off Hwy 28 half-way between Dunlap and Whitwell. For more information and directions, contact Carol or Patrick at: 423-949-4598, carol-kimmons [at] utc [dot] edu

Former Sequatchie Valley Institute intern, and award winning world musician, Guy Mendilow will perform at SVI on October 30, 2012 at 7pm CST. Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the performance, to allow time for parking and shuttle to the event venue. We suggest a donation of $10-15 per attendee.

Directions: 1233 Cartwright Loop, Whitwell, TN

Information: 423-949-5922, patrick [at] svionline [dot] org

The Guy Mendilow Ensemble

Tales from the Forgotten Kingdom: Ladino Songs Renewed

Experience the raw power of this emotionally captivating, artistic concert up close. Join Guy Mendilow (twice voted Boston’s Best World Music Act) and renowned Argentinian singer Sofia Tosello for a voyage awash with warm harmonies, intricate textures and spellbinding rhythms.

Starting in ancient Spain and winding through Sarajevo, Salonica and Jerusalem, discover the haunting beauty of centuries-old Sephardi songs and legends in their endangered language, Ladino. Epic tales of sailors and love lost to the seas, fantastic dreams and the intrigue of kings come alive in arrangements that crackle with rich musical storytelling, skillfully woven with historical vignettes and poetic tales. Shifting from sweepingly cinematographic to a dark and penetrating quiet, it’s a return to this music’s roots as songs of the streets and of fiestas: Alive with adventure and humour and grit.

See guymendilow.com for more information

Join us for our annual FUNdraiser. This is an SVI members-only event, but you may join the organization at the event.

Sequatchie Valley Institute (SVI) will hold its annual fundraiser, Wine in the Woods, on Saturday, November 10, 2012 from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm, CDT.

Participants will enjoy a walking tour of the Moonshadow homestead, gardens, orchard, and vineyard. During the tour, there will be several tastings of wine, beer and mead, made by residents and friends of Sequatchie Valley Institute. Makers will discuss ingredients and fermentation techniques. Hors d’ouvres will be served.

Barrot Rendelman, former SVI intern, will display photographic prints, many of which were taken at SVI. Musical guests will play Appalachian music, while the flora and fauna of the Cumberland plateau will provide additional ambiance.

Wine in the Woods is a members-only event, with membership registration available at the event. Membership in SVI is $35.00 per individual, $50 per family, or $200 per organization. An additional fundraising donation of $15-25 per person is requested.

Wine, Beer and Mead Tasting begins at 2pm.

» directions, click here «

Please park (snugly) in the gravel lot, and enjoy a hike up the trail or road to the event. If you wish to drive up, please consolidate vehicles and riders, as parking at the top of the hill is limited.

SVI will host Bledsoe County’s UT Extension Energy Campers for a tour of Moonshadow.

Living the good life at moonshadow and rendezvous for green path summer

Moonshadow homestead gathering and skill share

June 11 at 3:00pm until June 18 at 12:20pm

sequatchie valley institute (http://svionline.org/) near chattanooga, TN.

This is an event with kids involved. So if you have kids or know kids who might enjoy, please bring them.

This event is open. So spread the word.

5-20$ sliding scale per/day with food trade options.

Tent camping with plenty of covered areas available in case of rain

Bring skills to share

Skills will depend on who shows up, and interest.

What will happen for sure:

• plant walks and garden tours
• tea parties
• whatever skills folks bring and choose to share
• group food preparation
• music making and story telling
• wild harvests
• wild fermentation of bread, veggies, and wine
• on going permaculture homestead projects
• wood fired oven pizza party Saturday night

What to bring:

• Skills, dreams, ideas, kids
• long pants, boots, gloves
• flashlights

What not to bring:

• Please do not bring dogs.

Facebook event link:

• http://www.facebook.com/events/422723294434192/

Please see the link below for some more details and directions:

• http://svionline.org/what-we-do/projects/moonshadow-programs/events-directions-info/

Tour for UTC students of Carol Kimmons:

• Directions to SVI
• Property, trail and topographic maps

Sequatchie Valley Institute will sponsor a Fire Feast Seed-Sharing Potluck on Wednesday, February 1, 2012 from 5-10 pm at green/spaces.

Eric Blevins from the Mountaintop Removal Road Show will kick off the feast with a talk at 5pm.

Fire Feast 2012 flyer (PDF download)