With various star and tavern goddesses such as Inanna, Venus, Demeter, Hestia, and the Miller Brewery's Girl in the Moon as our guides, this workshop brings together the practical skill of creating a wild fermented floral soda with the cultural significance of fermentation through the lens of the worship of these goddesses. We’ll begin with a conversation that traces the lineages of these domestic goddesses and their connection to fermentation, exploring the themes of beauty and rebirth. We'll then learn practical fermentation techniques we can use in our own kitchens with flowers from our immediate surroundings. By the end, everyone will have a jar of their own fermenting wild soda to bring home.
This class is for you if…
You are interested in the ancient, cultural, and mythological ways we engage with food.
You want to cultivate a practice of working with domestic goddesses.
You want to learn about fermentation but aren’t sure where to begin.
Maybe you’re already an avid fermenter that wants to learn more about wild yeasts and floral sodas.
You love flowers!
You want to infuse more magic and intention into your kitchen.
This class is not for you if…
We will be making simple ferments that contain trace amounts of alcohol. We will talk about other forms of yeast fermentation such as breadmaking, wine, and beer, but we will not discuss how to make alcoholic beverages such as mead or wine.
This class is an infusion of the esoteric and the practical! You will walk away with a basic skill set to explore wild fermentation with more knowledge, but this class comes to these skills through an animistic lens.
About the Teacher:
Kayle Karbowski (she/they) is a facilitator and artist living on the western banks of Lake Michigan. In 2019, she founded Other Dust, a psychospiritual consultancy & technoapothecary focused on developing intuition and reclaiming interdependence in an age of disconnection. A driving force of Kayle’s work is rekindling the relationship between our intellect and intuition. Kayle works between art, herbalism, animism, mythology, and homesteading in contemporary urban living.
Cost: sliding scale $45-$65
More information on sliding scales: https://www.radicalhistoryclub.com/sliding-scale
Location:
This 3-hour workshop will be held at Hedge Meadow Herbs + Apothecary located at 25 Brodhead St in Mazomanie, WI.
What to Expect/Bring:
This class is going to get messy! Wear clothes that you don’t mind getting wet or sticky. We will be working with fresh plant materials, namely flowers, and folks should take care if they are allergic to certain pollens. We will also be using honey so the ferments you create will not be vegan. Please note that you will be expected to monitor your ferment outside of class. Fermentation is generally safe if you follow the steps and trust your senses—students are responsible for making this determination on their own.
Please bring a notebook and pen. Herbal tea will be provided but please bring whatever other drinks or snacks you need to take care of yourself.
Accessibility:
We will be both seated in chairs and standing and using our hands during this class. Please note that you must go up two stairs to enter the building.
Covid Safety:
Weather-permitting, the door will remain cracked throughout the duration of class and there will be an air purifier running in the space. Masks are not required but recommended. Please use common sense and do not attend class if you’re sick, if someone in your household is sick, or if you know you’ve been exposed to an infectious pathogen.
Cancellation/Refund Policy:
We reserve the right to cancel class at any point due to a lack of interest. If this is the case, anyone who has signed up will receive a full refund.
If you sign up for class but can no longer attend, please let us know at least 48 hours prior to class for a full refund. If you let us know the day prior to class, you will receive a 50% refund. Sorry, but if you cancel the day of class you will not receive a refund.