Build an Earth Oven Workshop! Sept 12th 2010

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Many visitors who have come to the farm in the past 2 years have enjoyed fresh baked bread and pizza from our unique oven.  In addition to learning about the process of artisan baking, they have also had the opportunity to learn about this form of sustainable building.  This earth oven is made from cob.  Cob is one of the oldest building materials.

It is a mixture of clay, sand, and straw; making it simple to source locally.  There is no need to ship in building materials. A variety of groups have utilized the earth oven, from home-school groups to the Waldorf schools, from day camp kids to participants in the bread and cheese-making classes. Visitors from the Colver Center, refugees who hail from around the world, found the process of creating the oven and cooking in it to be healing and a reminder of home.

We have had many inquiries into the process of building the oven that we have decided to create a new workshop on building an earth oven. This earth oven workshop, presented by AOLC, will be held at the workshop instructor’s property, The Dome Education & Gathering Center located in Roscoe, IL, on September 12, 2010. We have been working on building the foundation to the oven with adjoining cob benches and it is ready to have the cob applied at the workshop in September. The foundation is made from reclaimed broken pieces of concrete, or “urbanite”.  At the workshop, students will come away with the knowledge of how to build their own oven.

Cob is an extremely fun material to work with and it is a great way to build community.  Anyone from young children to their grandparents can work with the material.  At the workshop, we will enjoy community through a potluck lunch and will work together to build the oven.   Be prepared to get dirty, have a lot of fun, make new friends and learn sustainable building practices!

>> Learn more and register for the Earth Oven Workshop

>> Learn more about The Dome Education and Gathering Center

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