by Tom Gibson

A new gardening/earthskills resource has taken root in Northeast Ohio.  Called Reeds & Roots Skillshare, the weekend event covering August 17-19 drew 215 people and probably just as many plaudits.  Its organizers believe they can repeat and expand their success in the years to come.

The event is modeled on the Whipoorwill Festival held annually in Kentucky and which one of that event’s organizers, Stephanie Blessing, passionately determined to transplant here. Taking stock, she sees “tons of support for future years. We are getting offers of other venues and more teachers and all kinds of excitement for future years.”

The skills shared ran the gamut from earthbuilding to fermentation to tree care. One of the attendees, Margy Weinberg of Cleveland Heights, commented that “one teacher was better than the next.”  She attended the fermentation class and also ones of reflexology, herbal foot baths, and leather bookbinding.  

I attended classes on edible mushroom identification and tree care.  I learned from both and am already applying to my own yard several of the ideas I got from Diana Sette, an arborist at Holden Arboretum.  See the full offering at https://reedsandroots.org/

The gathering was highly intergenerational, relaxed and from across the region (not only Cleveland, but Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Columbus, and even eastern Tennessee).

Above all, the event was exceptionally well organized—everything from signage to food.  If you want to be on next year’s mailing list, contact the organizers at reedsandroots@gmail,com.  Here are some pictures.