Workshop photo: Chris Battaglia
Events
Smithereen Farm hosts workshops in collaboration with our sister organization, Greenhorns.
- Greenhorns offers free and low-cost events for the benefit of the local and regional community. If you are able to donate beyond the affordable cost of a workshop, or if you enjoy a free event, consider making a tax deductible donation to Greenhorns to support the actual costs of this and future programming so we can keep these accessible. Thank you!
- Workshops require advance registration; follow the registration link within the workshop description.
- Coming for an event and want to stay a while? You can book a campsite at the farm.
- REFUND POLICY Due to our rural location and small event sizes workshop registrations are not refundable.
Summer 2024
AUGUST 3 + 4 Saturday + Sunday
Wild Maine Blueberry Weekend with Odessa Piper
Maine Wild Blueberry Weekend takes place across the state, and we celebrate with a free, family-friendly event on Saturday and Sunday, 10am-3pm both days.
Blueberry Weekend Tic-Tac-Toe — Three stops on your blueberry tour of Pembroke!
All of these locations are bike-able, if you can bring your bike on a rack, you could park at any of the 3 places, and do a lovely loop! There are plenty of places to jump into salty or fresh water along the way!
- Wild Blueberry U-Pick at Blueberry Land, our organic blueberry barrens. Special FREE WEEKEND! Typically $4 a pint. 306 Youngs Cove Road
- Handpie Making at the Summer Kitchen at Smithereen Home Farm — Hand Pie Making in the shade, hosted by chef legend Odessa Piper, to talk and chat about berry cooking of all kinds, sample and savor, roll and press the handpies in the breezy shade, bake in the outdoor wood oven and enjoy a view of Cobscook Bay while chatting with whomever shows up! 767 Leighton Point Road
- Blueberry Treats of all kinds at the Smithereen Farm Store — Blueberry popsicles, frozen blueberries, and more! The Farm Store offers a delightful range of local food products, takeaway, sauces, dairy, meat, fish, eggs, candies, tinned fish, camping supplies, a surprising diversity of healthy foods from Washington County and small farms in Maine. 12 Little Falls Road, open 8am-3pm.
- Optional add-on: Visit the Agrarian Library at Reversing Hall, for browsing and conversation. 4 Leighton Point Road.
- Smithereen Farm Summer Kitchen: 767 Leighton Point Road, Pembroke ME 04666
- Blueberry Land U-Pick: 306 Young’s Cove Road, Pembroke ME 04666
- Smithereen Farm Store: 12 Little Falls Road, Pembroke ME 04666
- Reversing Hall: 4 Leighton Point Road, Pembroke ME 04666
We kindly request that visitors come prepared for a day in the sun. Wear a sunhat, bring your own water bottle, be sensible around electric fences and holes in the ground, park where it says to, and please pack out your own trash and recycling. NO LOOSE DOGS are permitted on Smithereen Home Farm. We are looking forward to seeing you!
AUGUST 17-18
Chokecherry + Fireweed Intensive with Rachel Alexandrou
Join wild edible plant educator Rachel Alexandrou for a hands-on, immersive workshop identifying, harvesting, processing, cooking and tasting two important, abundant and delicious plants of Downeast, Maine. This weekend-long workshop is meant for anyone interested in learning about how to safely harvest and eat these plants or for those seeking to experience a communal wild food harvest. All levels of experience are welcome.
Chokecherry is a prolific, native shrub that is often overlooked in modern North American cuisine. Together we will prepare a brilliant magenta juice and syrup as well as chome cherry bbq sauce. Fireweed is another native fire-loving plant which can be processed into a complex and flavorful tea reminiscent of a fruity, floral black tea.
We will end the weekend creating a feast together and tasting the fruits of our labor. Based on the abundance of the hedgerow, and the swiftness of our handiwork, participants may be able to take home a jar of syrup, jam, bbq sauce, or fireweed tea.
Signup for the workshop here (link coming soon) and then book your stay through Smithereen Farm HipCamp. Campsites with outdoor tent platforms are available for your stay during the workshop. If you have any questions about the workshop, do not hesitate to reach out to Rachel via email.
Rachel Alexandrou is an interdisciplinary artist who uses her education in plant science, and collaborative practice, to create experiential work about food, flora, and innovating human relationships to the natural landscape. Find out more about her @giantdaughter on Instagram or her website giantdaughter.com for more information on her events around Maine this year.
SCHEDULE
Saturday
- 10–11am — Meet at the outdoor kitchen for breakfast and introductions
- 11am–1pm —Fireweed Harvest
- 1–2pm — Lunch!
- 2:30pm — Chokecherry Harvest
- 4:30pm — Cleaning and Juicemaking in the kitchen
Sunday
- 10am–12pm — participants may join in on the community plantwalk (see below), process fireweed, or enjoy free time swimming etc.
- 12pm — Lunch
- 1pm — Processing Fireweed and cooking chokecherry sauces or any other foraged recipes in the outdoor kitchen
- 6pm — Wild Feast, Fire and Hangout
AUGUST 18
Community Plant Walk
Sunday August 18
10am-12pm
Join wild edible plant educator Rachel Alexandrou for a family- friendly wild edible plant walk at Smithereen Farm. We will meet at the outdoor kitchen and make our way through the gardens and to the shore learning about the wild edible and medicinal plants along the way. Notebooks are highly encouraged during this walk as lots of information will be disseminated. At the end of the walk, participants will be invited to the kitchen for a foraged refreshment.
This walk is open to community members, visitors and is included for Fireweed/Chokecherry Workshop participants.
AUGUST 24+25
Washington County Fair
9am–4pm Pembroke Fairgrounds
Smithereen Farm will participate in the Washington County Fair this summer.
Stay tuned for more details!
More info at washingtoncountyfairmaine.com
POSTPONED TO THE FALL! DATE TBD
Build Your Own Garden Cart Workshop with Farm Hack
- There is a $250 fee to cover the cost of materials. Let us know if you are interested but need financial assistance.
- People under 18 years old are welcome to attend with parent or guardian supervision.
- Signup deadline is July 1.
- More details about exact time and location will be sent to registered participants. The bulk of the workshop will take place on July 20, with July 21 as an as-needed day for completing the project, clean-up, and conversation.
Fall 2024
SEPTEMBER 20+21
MOFGA Common Ground Fair
We’ll participate in the Maine Organic Farm and Garden Association (MOFGA) Common Ground Fair.
Stay tuned!
More details to come. More details at mofga/org/the-fair
There is always so much happening! To stay in the loop, join our mailing list. Find an archive of workshop documentation on our Instagram.
Event Archive / Past Events
JULY 10-12 • Wednesday–Friday
FABUFLOWERS with Sarah Ryhanen
Join celebrated florist Sarah Ryhanen of Saipua (Hudson Valley, NY) for a multi-day workshop for florists, aspiring florists, and farmers interested in floristic income generation.
Sarah’s workshops draw students from around the world. This summer she’ll be teaching a “abundant and native” bouquet/dried wreath making workshop, with extensive tips for floristic income generation for small farmers.
Pre-registration required!
Sarah says:
It’s the middle of wedding season, so let’s take a few days in north coastal Maine to come together, talk shop and work on either honing our skills together (I love to teach loose, wild-bouquet making) or getting reinvigorated for the second half of the season.
This is a course intended for florists (or aspiring florists). We’ll discuss our industry: floral sourcing, handling clients and vendors, invoicing, business, and also get our hands dirty making some inspired designs just for ourselves to work our creative muscles for the sake of making art. Bring an open mind, your clippers, an appetite for seafood and berries, a good book, and your camera (or not!) and meet me in Maine at the ever-inspiring Smithereen Farm. I’ll be bringing my best trade secrets to share with you, some excellent ribbon and some inspiring ceramics for us to play with.
Smithereen Farm says:
This class is also open for farmers/ flower farmers who are considering adding farm weddings to their enterprise. As we all know, these kinds of “agri-tourism opportunities” to get some good income from those who will enjoy all our land stewardship, can be a boon to farm viability. This workshop includes designing a mock-wedding, with cake, table display, bouquets and decorated arch—all elements of a celebration format that have become the standard expectation. Such a joy to learn from an expert like Sarah, we at Smithereen are thrilled to host her, the florists and the learners, and eventually, the brides!
What’s included
Workshop fee includes some shared meals (beautiful farm-fresh food prepared by Charlotte and Zoe) and lodging (choose between camping, glamping, and a private room in an historic house by the river). Take home your bouquet and wreath! Optional add-ons: stay for the weekend! On Friday after the workshop we’ll have a free harp performance at the farm and Spa Day in the orchard with soaking tubs and wood fired sauna.
Wednesday July 10
Arrival, afternoon
Drinks and tour at the farm
Dinner on your own (provisions provided)
Thursday July 11
Group brunch
Morning session
Lunch + Free time
Agrarian Library visit
Afternoon session
Group dinner
Friday July 12
Morning session / farewell
Optional:
Afternoon harp performance
Evening SPA DAY
Stay another night!
More details about lodging and schedule here at the sign-up form.
Learn more about Sarah and Saipua at saipua.com
JUNE 29, 3pm • Friday
Library Convergence: Booklet-making and Binding Workshop with Patrick Kiley
Join a group of publishers, librarians, archivists, and others at Reversing Hall’s Agrarian Library for an afternoon of hands-on exploration and zinecraft from 3-5pm.
We will use the group exercise of collating, folding, and finishing copies of the new Library Visitor Guide to survey the collections in treasure-hunt fashion.
Participants will learn three different pamphlet binding techniques and use a specially designed stamp to hand-finish each copy. Each participant will get a copy of the guide as well as a copy of the “10 Reasons Libraries Matter” zine from Publication Studio.
Patrick Kiley is a printer-publisher in Troy, New York. He has a Masters in Library & Information Science from the University of Illinois and, as a younger person, several seasons of experience working on organic vegetable farms and artisanal cheese dairies in the U.S., Italy and Ireland. While in residence, he will work to organize the library at Reversing Hall, host a public workshop, and edit Volume 7 of the New Farmer’s Almanac.
Questions about the library or the workshop? Email Lou at [email protected].
JUNE 21, 5pm • Friday
SPA DAY: Midsommar Night (Full Moon!)
Smithereen Farm hosts SPA DAYS, to take in the good energy of the farm and release anything else down the drain.
We provide: herbal tea, personal seaweed bath, shared hot sauna, scrub, salt, mud, Bixa Fixa cream
You bring: change of clothes, bathing suit if desired, your own drinking water vessel, your own towels, farm-appropriate footwear, a sense of adventure!
Cost is $75 per person for a 3-4 hour experience.
You may wish to book a massage (paid separately) with Mandy Newell of Mountain Air Therapeutics. To schedule, please text: (207) 214-1068
Questions? [email protected]
JUNE 15 + 16, 3pm • Saturday + Sunday
SPA DAY: Peak Meadow
Smithereen Farm hosts SPA DAYS, to take in the good energy of the farm and release anything else down the drain.
We provide: herbal tea, personal seaweed bath, shared hot sauna, scrub, salt, mud, Bixa Fixa cream
You bring: change of clothes, bathing suit if desired, your own drinking water vessel, your own towels, farm-appropriate footwear, a sense of adventure!
Cost is $75 per person for a 3-4 hour experience.
You may wish to book a massage (paid separately) with Mandy Newell of Mountain Air Therapeutics. To schedule, please text: (207) 214-1068
Questions? [email protected]
MAY 24+25, Friday and Saturday, 10am–5pm both days
Third Annual Pennamaquan Alewife Festival
At the Crossroads in Pembroke
Free event! No RSVP required
We’re delighted to partner once again with Downeast Salmon Federation to bring you a family-friendly weekend of FISH!
- Smoking of fish with Downeast Salmon Federation
- Eating of fish! Free lunch buffet by Smithereen Farm
- Activities for kids
- Indoors and outdoors
- Group bike rides and bike tune-ups with Mike’s Bikes of Eastport
- NOAA Fisheries Biologist Max Tritt will be on hand all day Saturday to lead learning experiences about alewives for all ages, with his interactive Stream Smart table, followed by a presentation about Atlantic salmon restoration.
- Live music organized by LAMPS (Lubec Area Musicians’ Philanthropic Society)
- More details and participants coming soon!
Make a weekend of it and book your campsite at Smithereen Farm, for a full agritourism experience.
Thank you to Maine Office of Tourism for supporting this event.
More info and media for learning at greenhorns.org/alewife-festival, and at earthlife.tv/fish
MAY 18, 1pm • Saturday
SPA DAY: Apple Blossom Special
Smithereen Farm hosts SPA DAYS, to take in the good energy of the farm and release anything else down the drain.
We provide: herbal tea, personal seaweed bath, shared hot sauna, scrub, salt, mud, Bixa Fixa cream
You bring: change of clothes, bathing suit if desired, your own drinking water vessel, your own towels, farm-appropriate footwear, a sense of adventure!
Cost is $75 per person for a 3-4 hour experience.
You may wish to book a massage (paid separately) with Mandy Newell of Mountain Air Therapeutics. To schedule, please text: (207) 214-1068
Questions? [email protected]
MAY 8-12, Wednesday–Sunday
Low Low Tides: Seaweed Harvest with Kacie Loparto
Registration required. Email [email protected] if you’d like to talk about becoming a part of the Harvest Team.
Kacie Loparto leads the algae harvest at Smithereen farm, with lots of chats for beginners and intermediates.
Groundrules
- Be Punctual. The tide waits for no one.
- Safety First. We recommend rubber boots, water booties, woolen long johns, bib pants/wetsuits, wool sweaters, extra socks, thermos of tea.
For first-time attendees, we don’t expect much more than learning and orienting to the intertidal zone. This is an educational experience we are happy to share in the spirit of the commons.
If you want to join as a “Proper Harvester” …
This is a multiple-day commitment, to learn the whole sequence of how we have learned to harvest, dry, and process for Smithereen Farm products. If you are interested, we need to make sure you have the correct licensing for that. We are also willing to pay, feed, house and invest in your learning. Serious inquiries contact: [email protected]
This event also takes place April 11–14 (Thursday–Sunday)
APRIL 13, 2pm • Saturday
SPA DAY: Seaweed Special
(takes place during LOW LOW TIDES event!)
Smithereen Farm hosts SPA DAYS, to take in the good energy of the farm and release anything else down the drain.
We provide: herbal tea, personal seaweed bath, shared hot sauna, scrub, salt, mud, Bixa Fixa cream
You bring: change of clothes, bathing suit if desired, your own drinking water vessel, your own towels, farm-appropriate footwear, a sense of adventure!
Cost is $75 per person for a 3-4 hour experience.
You may wish to book a massage (paid separately) with Mandy Newell of Mountain Air Therapeutics. To schedule, please text: (207) 214-1068
Questions? [email protected]
APRIL 11-14, Wednesday–Sunday
Low Low Tides: Seaweed Harvest with Kacie Loparto
→Sign up here!
Registration required. Email [email protected] if you’d like to talk about becoming a part of the Harvest Team.
Kacie Loparto leads the algae harvest at Smithereen Farm, with lots of chats for beginners and intermediates.
Groundrules
- Be Punctual. The tide waits for no one.
- Safety First. We recommend rubber boots, water booties, woolen long johns, bib pants/wetsuits, wool sweaters, extra socks, thermos of tea.
For first-time attendees, we don’t expect much more than learning and orienting to the intertidal zone. This is an educational experience we are happy to share in the spirit of the commons.
If you want to join as a “Proper Harvester” …
This is a multiple-day commitment, to learn the whole sequence of how we have learned to harvest, dry, and process for Smithereen Farm products. If you are interested, we need to make sure you have the correct licensing for that. We are also willing to pay, feed, house and invest in your learning. Serious inquiries contact: [email protected]
This event will also repeat May 8–12 (Wednesday–Sunday)
MARCH 16, 1pm • Saturday
SPA DAY: Polar Bear Special
Smithereen Farm hosts SPA DAYS, to take in the good energy of the farm and release anything else down the drain.
We provide: herbal tea, personal seaweed bath, shared hot sauna, scrub, salt, mud, Bixa Fixa cream
You bring: change of clothes, bathing suit if desired, your own drinking water vessel, your own towels, farm-appropriate footwear, a sense of adventure!
RSVP is required. RSVP to [email protected]