Women's Environmental Institute Events

Sunday April 27 12:30pm - Sunday October 26 4:30pm CDT

Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, MN, 55056

A Year in the Life of Honeybees: 7-Month Training Course for Beginning Beekeepers

Become a beekeeper in this seven-month hands-on class that meets one Sunday per month while following the life of Honeybees. The first class is Sunday, April 27, 2025, and continues every fourth Sunday of the month from April through October unless otherwise noted. This experiential class will cover the historic folklore, agricultural politics and current sciences of sustainable beekeeping in northern climates. The seven-session class is designed for beginning beekeepers and will provide hands-on experience at each turning point of the season. Each session will focus on the changing tasks that are involved with keeping bees and will include one-on-one time with the hives, guided by Hailey Kisch from Big Sky Acres. The class meets the educational requirements for the WEI Beekeeping Certificate. To earn a WEI Certificate, registrants must attend at least 6 of 7 classes. The class schedule is subject to change and dates will be rescheduled if needed due to weather or other circumstances. We will be following all current CDC and Minnesota State guidelines pertaining to any epidemic at the time of each class. Class schedule.Beekeeping at WEI is committed to the health of the bees, organic care practices as much as possible and an understanding of bees on the farm as integral to the farm’s ecosystem. April 27: Overview of beginning organic beekeeping. Where to buy the necessary equipment, supplies and bees how to build a hive, setting up hives.May 25: Hive day inspections: anti-swarming techniques, reversal of hive boxes in overwintered colonies, planting fall flowers for pollinatorsJune 29: Hive day inspections: honey assessment, prepping for nectar flowJuly 27: Hive day inspections: Varroa mite counts and hive diseasesAugust 24: All things honey extractingSeptember 21: Prepping the hives in fall to prepare them to survive over winter. (NOTE: Third Sunday of the month)October 26: All things Beeswax, winterizing hives and saying goodbyeAll are welcome – WEI classes are open to everyone. What to bring: Bee suit, veil, gloves, hive tool, outdoor wear. Snacks and beverages as needed. Instructor and WEI have several veils to lend. Please let us know if you need one. Instructor Bio: Hailey Kisch dedicated to sustainability and food sovereignty, with a B.S. in Soil and Water Science and an M.S. in Range Science from Montana State University. She applies this expertise on her farm outside Shafer, where she and her husband, Trevor, raise their four children while focusing on sustainable farming practices. Starting with a small chicken coop and garden, their farm now produces high-quality produce and pasture-raised animals, all while preserving the land’s health for future generations. Education is key, as Hailey and Trevor teach their children about soil health and resource preservation. Beekeeping is a central part of Hailey’s work. Over the past four years, she’s apprenticed with Mike at Bone Lake Meadows Apiary, deepening her knowledge of pollination and hive management. Hailey manages the hives at WEI and also oversees hives on farms in the Chisago County area. In partnership with Mike, she helps manage bees for an apitherapy center in Stillwater, using bees to assist with healing for various conditions. Hailey’s passion for beekeeping integrates pollinators into her farm, supporting biodiversity and reinforcing the important connection between humans and nature. Through this holistic approach, Hailey nurtures the land and educates future generations on sustainable practices. If you would be interested in staying overnight at WEI before and/or after this class, please reserve accommodations through our FarmStay. WEI has an annual scholarship fund to support cost-accessible programming. Please see scholarship application instructions in the class registration form. This class is sold out. Please email us to be placed on the waitlist. Thank you.

Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, MN, 55056

Saturday May 10 9:30am - 3:00pm CDT

Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, MN, 55056

Gardening from Scratch 1: Building and Planting

Course Description: This is the first class in a three-part series with sessions in spring, summer, and fall. Come learn how to start and maintain your own garden from scratch. This family-friendly gardening course will include 3 sessions throughout the growing season: ......More

Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, MN, 55056

Sunday May 18 1:00pm - 4:00pm CDT

Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, MN, 55056

Foraging with Hope

Course Description: You don’t want to miss this foraging class with Hope Flanagan from the Turtle Clan. Hope is an elder who has learned about plants and foraging from her family lineage, Native elders and teachers, and the plants themselves. She will lead us through a ......More

Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, MN, 55056

Saturday May 24 10:00am - 4:00pm CDT

Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, MN, 55056

Veggie Transplant Boot Camp

This work-and-learn workday is critically important for the success of WEI’s Amador Hill Farm, especially one that is as far north as we are. Please join us for 2025 Veggie Transplant Bootcamp! During Saturday, we’ll be working on the fields, upgrading hoop house beds,......More

Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, MN, 55056

Saturday May 31 9:30am - 3:00pm CDT

Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, MN, 55056

Deepening Connections: Spring Herbal Medicine and Magic

Course Description: Join master herbalist Gigi Stafne to connect with the unfolding, blooming energies of spring. This gathering expands on last year’s seasonal herbalism classes to focus on spring bitters and plant medicines including wood violet, motherwort, Virginia waterleaf, nettle, dandelion, and plantain. As spring unfolds, discover the plant medicines that the season brings, including their healing traditions and cultural and ecological importance. Gigi will weave plant wisdom together with ways to center ourselves and reconnect with our true wild natures, and explore the connections between herbal medicine, collective healing, and grassroots environmental conservation. Weather permitting, the class will pick up the medicine trail at the farm and meander field and forest to find out which wild-growing medicinal plants call WEI home. In the afternoon, students will deepen their plant wisdom in personal, meaningful, seasonal ways. Gigi will guide you in hand-crafting a special Spring Bitters Tonic to take home to nourish family and community. Hand crafting herbal medicines empowers individuals and communities to care for themselves and each other using knowledge passed on by the hands of countless generations that came before. We encourage participants to also register for Gigi’s Autumn Herbal Medicine and Magic class. All are welcome – WEI classes are open to everyone. Please bring: $10 materials fee paid directly to instructorPlant journal or notebookComfortable walking shoes – the farm includes uneven terrainDress for the weatherA sack lunch and preferred beverage/water bottleInstructor Bio: Gigi Stafne MH, ND is an enthusiastic educator, activist, and writer in the health justice and natural medicine fields. She is faculty at the Women’s Environmental Institute, director of the Green Wisdom School of Natural and Botanical Medicine, and former executive director of Herbalists Without Borders International. Earth ethics, ecology, sustainability, and environmental health are woven into every level of her organizing and teaching for nearly four decades. If you would be interested in staying overnight at WEI before and/or after this class, please reserve accommodations through our FarmStay. WEI has an annual scholarship fund to support cost-accessible programming. Please see scholarship application instructions in the registration form below.

Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, MN, 55056

Sunday June 8 10:00am - 3:00pm CDT

Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, MN, 55056

Spring Members Gathering

Join us for a day of familiarizing yourself with the land, meeting fellow “Friends of WEI,” and sharing stories and visions you have for food work, environmental justice, farming, and WEI. We’ll be starting the day with a couple hours of light-medium work getting our ha......More

Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, MN, 55056

Saturday June 14 9:30am - 3:00pm CDT

Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, MN, 55056

Gardening from Scratch 2: Maintenance and Plant Health

Course Description: This is the second class in a three-part series with sessions in spring, summer, and fall. Come learn how to start and maintain your own garden from scratch. This family-friendly gardening course will include 3 sessions throughout the growing season:......More

Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, MN, 55056

Saturday June 28 1:00pm - 5:00pm CDT

Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, MN, 55056

Red Ball Hanging Party

We’re having a ball and you’re invited! While many nonprofits have annual galas, we have something a bit different: a work party! This year, our annual Red Ball Party is when we will gather to hang up the red balls that hang from our orchard’s organic apple trees, helpi......More

Women’s Environmental Institute, 15715 River Road, North Branch, MN, 55056

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A Year in the Life of Honeybees: 7-Month Training Course for Beginning Beekeepers

Gardening from Scratch 1: Building and Planting

Foraging with Hope

Veggie Transplant Boot Camp

Deepening Connections: Spring Herbal Medicine and Magic

Spring Members Gathering

Gardening from Scratch 2: Maintenance and Plant Health

Red Ball Hanging Party

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Pelham Jewish Center

Women's Environmental Institute

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About Us

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About Us

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Group Results

Tag sale

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