Ever wonder what it’s like to build a timber frame from the ground up? Join The Year of Mud this summer for a 7 day Timber Frame Workshop. In this introductory class, students will use timeless techniques and traditional hand tools to lay out, join, and raise a beautiful timber frame pavilion. Learn valuable new carpentry skills in a gorgeous mountain setting, and discover how to build a long-lived timber structure using mortise & tenon joinery — without depending on nails or screws.
Timber Frame Workshop Info. at a Glance:
- Date: August 8 – 14, 2019
- Location: South Slope Farm, Berea, Kentucky (map)
- Cost and Discounts:
$980 Early Bird Discount (register 30+ days in advance – $200 off savings!)
$1180 Regular Registration (register less than 30 days in advance)
** limited scholarships and barter arrangements available - All-inclusive: Workshop includes camping accommodations, and 3 delicious home-cooked meals a day
- Homesteading Experience: Get a glimpse into homestead & off-grid living with natural building tours in our community
- Led by Ziggy Liloia, natural builder with over 10 years of experience
- Families with children are welcome! Please contact Ziggy for more details
Food and Dining
Unlike other similar natural building workshops, we provide all meals during our workshops. The lovingly prepared meals will largely consist of hearty organic vegetarian dishes featuring local ingredients. You won’t go hungry with us! In fact, you might have a hard time leaving the table after each meal. We do our best to accommodate dietary restrictions and food allergies. (We’ll follow up after registration to make sure we have your preferences on file.) It’s recommended that participants bring snacks and specialty items only if they wish (think tea, coffee, any food you can’t live without) to supplement the otherwise complete meal service.
Lodging and Accommodations During Your Stay
All accommodations are included in the cost of the workshop. Here is what you can expect during your stay:
- Ample camping space close to indoor facilities
- Access to composting toilets
- Indoor & outdoor shower facilities
- Phone and internet available on-site
- Library with large collection of natural building and permaculture titles
- Easy 15 minute drive into town for any town needs you might have
The 2020 Timber Frame Workshop is located 15 minutes outside of Berea, Kentucky (map) at our homestead, South Slope Farm. We live in the gorgeous Clear Creek Valley on 30 acres of hillside pasture and woods. Our homestead sits in the middle of a rural community with many folks dedicated to art, music, community building, permaculture, sustainable food, and cultural transformation. We’re pleased to be surrounded many motivated friends and neighbors who want to live creative, heartfelt lives.
Berea is a small town in central Kentucky, home to an active population of craftspeople, artists, woodworkers, musicians, social activists, and homesteaders. Berea has a longstanding tradition of diversity, social justice, environmental responsibility, and community service. The historic Berea College is the first interracial and coeducational college in the South, and its influence on the town remains to this day.
Workshop Schedule
Students must arrive the afternoon prior to the official workshop start date. For example, students must arrive on August 7th for the August 8 – 14 workshop. We’ll start with a leisurely dinner and introductions around 6 p.m. The workshop will end the morning after the official posted date, with the departure of students on August 14th. Please factor this in to your travel plans!
Our daily schedule will follow the same general structure each day:
- 7:30 A.M.: Breakfast
- 8:00 A.M.: Begin morning work session
- 12:00 P.M.: Lunch break
- 1:00 P.M.: Afternoon work session
- 5:00 P.M.: Free time, shower, relax
- 6:30 P.M.: Dinner
- 8:00 P.M.: Evening presentation or activity
Hands-On Skills Include:
- How to acquire timbers and select material
- Joinery layout using the square rule method
- Safe hand tool use for cutting joinery, including hand saws, chisel and mallet, hand plane, axe, boring machine, etc.
- Fitting and assembling a timber frame
- Finishing timbers with natural oils
- Frame raising methods
- Hand tool restoration & sharpening (including restoring old tools so they work like new again)
- How timber framing relates to other natural materials, including straw bale and clay construction
Additional Course Highlights:
- South Slope Farm land walk
- Tour of an off-grid straw bale home
- Field trips to see other natural building projects in the community
- Natural building presentations with examples of our work over 10 years
- Immersive exploration of what it means to live resiliently, and of course — some of the best home-cooked food you’ve ever had. Seriously. What could be better?
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Student Testimonials
Discover Your Community Today
Time and time again, participants have commented on the powerful community-building experience of our workshops. Participants appreciate the feeling of connection within the workshop, and getting to know our local community as well. Consider this an invitation to meet and connect with a community of like-minded individuals. The Year of Mud workshops are life-enriching experiences that you will cherish for countless reasons beyond the chance to learn new building skills.
p.s. Our workshops are family friendly. Please contact us about rates for children if you’d like to bring your family along!