Raised Bed Vegetable Gardening
2026-03-28 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | Winding Stair Gardens, 57 Saunders Rd., Franklin, NC, 28734, United States
Saturday March 28th, 2026 | 10am
Choose Your Price: $30 – $5
Growing your own food in the mountains is one of the most rewarding things you can do. It’s also one of the most humbling.
Katie of 3 Barn Farm gets that, and she’s here to make the learning process a whole lot easier. This hands-on class covers what actually works at our elevation and in our rocky, clay-heavy WNC soils. Using one of our Epic Garden Beds as a live example, Katie walks you through building a bed, mixing the right soil, picking the right plants, and keeping everything alive through a mountain summer.
What You’ll Cover:

Building Your Bed: Why raised beds outperform in-ground planting here, and how to get yours set up right from the start
Soil That Works: How to build a mix that drains well, holds moisture, and gives your plants something worth growing into
Plant Selection: Which vegetables do well at higher elevations, and how to plan around WNC’s last frost dates
Watering Basics: Managing the gap between our wet springs and dry summer stretches
Keeping It Going: Feeding, mulching, and staying ahead of pests without reaching for a bottle of chemicals
When Things Go Wrong: Blight, critters, mystery wilting… Katie has seen it all and knows what to do about it

Class is held on our grounds with plenty of time for questions and getting your hands in the soil. First-time growers are very welcome. So are people who’ve tried before and walked away with nothing but frustration.
About Katie:
Katie of 3 Barn Farm has been growing food in the Southern Appalachians for years. Her approachable, practical teaching style makes this class a perfect fit for beginners and seasoned gardeners alike.
Purchase your ticket at our new, secure online portal here!

Butterfly Felting Workshop
2026-04-04 10:00 - 12:00
Saturday April 4th, 2026 | 10am
Set Price: $70 per person
Transform wool into whimsical butterflies with your own hands!
Spring is the perfect time to explore the art of needle felting, and what better subject than butterflies? In this hands-on beginner workshop, you’ll learn the fundamentals of needle felting as you create up to five unique felt butterflies to create a whimsical and beautiful mobile. Working with colorful fibers and simple techniques, you’ll discover how therapeutic and rewarding this ancient craft can be—no experience necessary!
What You’ll Learn:

Needle Felting Basics: Master the foundational techniques of this accessible fiber art
Create Your Own Felt: Transform raw wool into workable felt through the magic of needle felting
Design & Color: Explore pattern and color choices to make each butterfly uniquely yours
Take Home Your Art: Leave with a lovely felt butterfly mobile that will add fun to any space

This beginner-friendly class, held in our comfortable Pavilion, provides all materials and tools. Whether you’re looking for a new creative outlet or simply want to spend a peaceful morning working with fiber, this workshop offers a gentle introduction to the meditative art of needle felting.
About Kim: Kim Keelor is an award-winning fiber and textile artist based in western North Carolina and a resident artist at the Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center. See more of her work at Carolina Artworks.
Purchase your ticket at our new, secure online portal here!

Grow Your Own Food Forest
2026-04-11 10:00 - 12:00
Saturday April 11th, 2026 | 10am
Choose-Your-Price ($30-$5)
Growing your own food is one thing. Growing a self-sustaining ecosystem that feeds you, your family, and the wildlife around you — that’s something else entirely.
A food forest is one of the most rewarding things you can put on your property. It’s also one of the most misunderstood. Adam Bigelow is here to change that.
This class covers the fundamentals of food forest design from the ground up — how to think about your land, choose the right plants for our mountain climate, and layer everything together so nature does most of the work for you.
What You’ll Cover:

Site Selection: How to read your property (sun, slope, soil, and drainage) and identify where a food forest will actually thrive
Plant Selection: Which fruit trees, shrubs, and ground covers perform at our elevation and in our acidic Appalachian soils
Companion Planting: How to pair plants strategically so they support each other’s growth, deter pests, and build soil health over time
Layering Your Forest: Understanding the canopy, understory, shrub, and ground layers and how to stack them for maximum yield and minimum maintenance
Ecosystem Benefits: How a well-designed food forest supports native pollinators, improves water retention, and gives back to the landscape around it
Maintenance Without the Misery: What ongoing care actually looks like once your food forest is established

Class is held on our grounds with plenty of time for questions, conversation, and the kind of tangents that only happen when someone genuinely loves what they’re teaching.
About Adam: Horticulturist Adam Bigelow brings encyclopedic plant knowledge, deep roots in native plant ecology, and a storytelling style that makes even soil science feel like something worth leaning in for. If you’ve never heard him talk about companion planting, you’re in for a treat.
Purchase your ticket at our new, secure online portal here!
