Monday, December 26, 2011
Wassailing Winter Celebration
Location: Wagbo
Cost: FREE
Join the Martha Wagbo Farm and Education Center for a potluck and winter celebration! Dinner begins at 6pm with a potluck in the farmhouse. Bring a dish to pass if you can, but it's not required. Wagbo provides drinks and table service.
The wassaling begins at 7pm. Wassaling is an ancient rural tradition of toasting to the health of an orchard in hopes that a bountiful crop will ensue the following year. A community celebration, Wassailing is done on a January night beginning with a feast and libations, followed by a short procession to the orchard where toasts are made and torches lit. Bring a sled! Immediately following will be a sledding party!
Wild Game Potluck
Date and Time: Saturday, January 14th, 6pm
Location: Wagbo
Cost: FREE
Come out to the Martha Wagbo Farm and Education Center for our third annual wild game potluck! Join us at the Wagbo farmhouse at 6pm and share in the bounty of northern Michigan foods. Bring a dish of wild or local food to pass if you can, but it’s not required for attendance. Wagbo provides drinks and table service.
The potluck wraps up with a showing of the film The Complete Angler at 7pm. Set admist the beauty and tranquility of Irish and English waterways, this visual poem celebrates the joys of nature and literature, of solitude and beauty and the elegant art of fly fishing. Called "a visual journey for the fisherman's soul," this film reinforces the notion that fishing is more than recreation: it cleanses the soul and allows a simple reconnection to nature. 47 min.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Holiday Greens Workshop and Potluck

Location: Wagbo
Cost: FREE
Come out to the Martha Wagbo Farm and Education Center for our monthly potluck program! The potluck begins at 12 pm with lunch in the Wagbo farmhouse. Bring a dish to pass if you can, but it’s not required for attendance. Wagbo provides drinks and table service.
The program begins at 1 pm with Alana Haley of Roots & Wings Herbs teaching a Holiday Greens Workshop. Make a wreath or swag from fresh cut greens, berries, twigs and cones. Even if you’ve never made a wreath before, you’ll be amazed at what you can create. If you plan to make a wreath, bring a grapevine wreath for the base.
Limited to 15 people. Call 231-536-0333 to register.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Potluck and Cider Making Demo

Potluck and Cider Making Demo
Saturday, November 12th, 12pm
Come out to the Martha Wagbo Farm and Education Center for our monthly potluck program! The potluck begins at 12 pm with lunch in the Wagbo farmhouse. Bring a dish to pass if you can, but it’s not required for attendance. Wagbo provides drinks and table service.
The program begins at 1 pm. Homebrewers Keith Kintigh and Jason Stephens will provide an introduction to the art of making "hard" cider. Discussion will include history of cider making, the role of apple varieties, and the importance of yeast choice. This is the perfect opportunity to find a delicious use for the glut of apples that have grown this year!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Autumnberry Harvest and Picnic Potluck
Date and Time: Saturday, October 8th, 4pm
Location: Raven's Roost Farm
Cost: FREE
Join the Martha Wagbo Farm and Education Center for our monthly potluck program! This October, WEEDS (the Wagbo foraging group) will host the event. Activities begin at 4pm with a journey into the world of autumnberries. Autumnberry (aka Autumn olive) is a common invasive shrub throughout the United States, but few realize the berries are edible and choice! Come join us in this forager's foray and learn how to identify, harvest and prepare this delicious fruit.
When everyone's worked up an appetite we will start our picnic potluck! Bring a dish to pass if you can, but it's not required to attend. But please bring your own plate, bowl, utensils, and a chair if you'd like a seat. (We will have some on hand, but not enough for everyone!) Berry pickin' will resume until folks have enough; there will be plenty for all.
Raven's Roost Farm is located at 2398 Vandermark Road in Bellaire. For directions, see Google Maps
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Benefit Concert to Raise Funds for Wagbo Roof
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Courtesy of Chris Bathgate |
Monday, August 29, 2011
Fermented Punch
According to Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions, "punch" come from the Hindu word meaning "five," because it was crafted from five ingredients. During American colonial times, recipes called for water, sugar, lemons, tea, and liquor. In this version we use raw cane sugar (which would have been traditional in India) and whey (also readily available in India.) This results in a delicious lacto-fermented drink that's a great pick-me-up during the day!
Easy Home-made Cream Cheese
You don't need fancy cultures, special equipment, or technical knowledge to make your own tasty cream cheese at home! All you need is yogurt, a strainer, and some thin cloth. This type of cream cheese, also called yogurt cheese or labneh is far superior to most commercial varieties. This is because the beneficial bacteria in the yogurt transfer to the yogurt cheese, so you get a live-cultured product that is good for your digestion and immune system. Plus you are left with the yogurt liquid, called whey, which you can use for other fermentation adventures!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Home-made Goat Cheese
September Potluck
Join the Martha Wagbo Farm and
Raise the Roof Benefit Concert and Raffle
An evening of folk dancing, local music, and good food to raise money for our roof
Date and Time: Saturday, September 24th, 7 pm
Location: Banks Township Hall, Ellsworth
Cost: Sliding Scale $10-$20 per adult; Kids 12 and under are free

Photo courtesy of Chris Bathgate
Sponsored by Providence Farm and CSA, BC Pizza and Jo Jo's Natural Market
Read more about our benefit on our website.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
New Website!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Canoe for Cattails!

Thursday, May 26, 2011
Event Cancelled!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Barter Circle and Potluck
First Saturday Potluck
Barter Circle
Saturday, June 4th, 12pm
Join the Martha Wagbo Farm and
The program starts at 1 pm with a barter circle. Traditionally practiced for hundreds of years (if not more), barter circles bring together diverse groups of people to respectfully share their bounty with one another. Trading transfers goods to people who need them, builds relationships, and strengthens communities. So bring your handmade crafts, garden produce, agricultural products, gently used items, or anything else you find appropriate and become part of a tradition! (Remember, however, that this is not a garage sale or a place to dump unwanted items; rather bring something you think others will enjoy and hope to come away with something useful in return!)
From Pest to Pesto
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED!
From Pest to Pesto
Saturday, May 28th, 4pm

The garlic mustard harvest has been CANCELLED. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Please stay in touch for future Wagbo events.
Join the Martha Wagbo Farm and Education Center for garlic mustard identification, harvest, and preparation at Raven’s Roost Farm in Bellaire. Learn how to transform this invasive weed into tasty table fare while clearing it from the forest. We will have a propane burner to cook some on the spot, and send everyone home with recipes. Free and open to the public.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Mother's Day Morel and Leek Walk
Come take a walk and learn about wild edible plants and spring mushrooms. We will cover what habitat to look for and identication of wild plants and mushrooms. Please remember to dress for the weather, wear hiking footwear, and bring a basket. Stick around to learn how to pickle leeks and preserve morels at a workshop to follow!
$5-$10 suggested donation. No preregistration required. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Morel and Leek Preservation Workshop: 1 to 2:30 pm.
There are many ways to preserve morels and leeks. We will cover how to dry and freeze morels, and how to dry, freeze, and pickle wild leeks. Each participant will take home one half pint jar of pickled leeks. If you didn’t attend the walk, that’s okay! Anyone can attend the workshop.
$5-$10 sliding scale. Pre-registration required.
May Potluck: Wild Edibles Hike
Saturday, May 7th, 12 pm
The program begins at 1 pm with a hike on the Wagbo property to locate wild edibles! Learn to identify, harvest, and prepare springtime fare. We will also provide recipes to turn your harvest to a tasty dish!
Free and open to the public. For more info, contact Wagbo at 231-536-0333 or wagbo@torchlake.com.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Wild Parsnip Diggin
Saturday, April 23rd, 3 pm

Few know that wild parsnip, an invasive bane of habitat restorers, is the exact same plant you buy in the store! Bring a shovel to harvest this delicious root vegetable and help preserve native wildflowers. Free and open to the public.
For more info, contact Wagbo at 231-536-0333, or email wagbo@torchlake.com.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Maple Sugaring Open House Update
The following activities have been canceled:
- Live music
- Naturalist-led hike to sugarbush
- Bake sale
- Syrup sales
- Drawing for gift baskets
- Syrup samples served over ice cream
We hope you can still make it out to the farm!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Music at the Open House
- Dwain Martin
- Kelly Shively
- Robin Luce
- Ryan Luce
- Michael Lee
- Gordon Howie
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
April Potluck: Woodcock Walk

The program begins at 8 pm with an evening viewing the spectacularly dramatic courtship display of the woodcock. Find out why they are nicknamed “the Little Brown Ghost” as we sneak through forest and field to experience our local harbingers of spring. Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to encounter the wild animals that live in the Jordan River Valley. Great for individuals, couples, and families! Free and open to the public.
For more info, contact Wagbo at 231-536-0333, or email wagbo@torchlake.com.
Maple Sugaring Open House
For more info, contact Wagbo at 231-536-0333, or email wagbo@torchlake.com.
Friday, February 18, 2011
March Potluck: Maple Tree Tapping!
Join the Martha Wagbo Farm and Education Center for an afternoon of good food, fun company, and inspired programming. Potluck starts at 12 pm. Join us with a dish to pass or without. Wagbo provides drinks and table service.
The program begins at 1 pm with an excursion to the Wagbo Sugarbush to tap maples with the Friends of the Wagbo Sugarbush (FWSB)! Our sugarbush is a half-mile hike from the farmhouse, so come prepared for the trip. Bring snowshoes or skis if you have them (and if there's snow on the ground!) and dress for the weather. And remember, the time you spend working for FWSB earns you sweet syrup in exchange!
No experience necessary. Bring a cordless drill and 5/16" bit if you have one. Free and open to the public. Located three miles south of East Jordan on M-66. For more info, contact Wagbo at 231-536-0333, or email wagbo@torchlake.com.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Film Showing: The Economics of Happiness
Friday, February 18th, 7 pm
Donations Suggested

Friday, January 21, 2011
Guided Winter Hikes
February Potluck: Biomass Presentation
Join the Martha Wagbo Farm and Education Center for an evening of good food, fun company, and inspired programming. Potluck starts at 6 pm. Join us with a dish to pass or without. The presentation begins at 7 pm with Anne Zukowski and John Teesdale of the Friends of the Jordan River Watershed speaking about the problems of wood-burning biomass plants. Learn about the threats these plants pose to Michigan's forests and our health. Free and open to the public. Located three miles south of East Jordan on M-66. For more info, contact Wagbo at 231-536-0333, or email wagbo@torchlake.com. See also the FOJ page on biomass.