Our Outreach Presentations in the Community
These are the community presentations we've given on a range of topics from seed starting, to growing & processing grains on a small scale, to solar power on the homestead. You may reuse this as-is information for non-commercial purposes - a source citation is greatly appreciated.
2024
Presentations of our SARE grant "Predictive Yields for Small-scale Staple Crop Production in North Central States Using Common Homestead Equipment and Minimal Inputs (FNC23-1378.)"
2022
Small Scale Grain Growing for Homestead and Community Gardens - Various dates and locations
Discover how to grow grains on a home garden scale. Scott takes us through a growing season step by step, sharing his experience with growing these wonderfully diverse and versatile staple crops. He speaks from a personal use level, and topics include selection, planting, cultivation, harvest and processing that culminates in culinary uses.
2021
Oh, how can we forget that year!
2020
Home Grown Grains: A Hands On Workshop
The Central Michigan Seed Swap on Sunday February 23rd at the Chippewa Nature Center in Midland is fast approaching. Last year, one of the sessions covered all aspects of growing grains on the home scale.
This year, following a very brief summary of the 'growing phase', we will focus on preparing various grains for eating. More than a dozen stations will be setup for a very hands-on workshop. You will move the wheat, rice, sorghum and corn through processes such as threshing by hand, beating with a rubber hose, cleaning with a house fan, pounding with a mortar & pestle, milling with small & large querns, hand & electric milling wheat into flour, flour sifting as well as manual & electric de-hulling of rice.
Three files:
Part 1: A brief review of last year's class
Part 2: The material from the hands on session
2019
Sorghum 4S: Seed, Stalk, Sap & Syrup
- Seed—Which Sorghum
- Stalk—Planting and Care
- Sap—Squeezing the Juice
- Syrup—Making Syrup
Growing and processing sorghum at the Lyon Public Township Library.
Our friend at this library (Lyon Township Public Library South Lyon, Michigan) asked us to put together a short presentation and demo on making sorghum syrup. They planted some Rox Orange in their library demo garden and we planted extra on our farm.
We hauled our portable mill, truck bed of stalks and all the necessary cooking equipment. We plan to press and mostly cook down a small batch ahead of time so that the demo can show the whole process all at once instead of the hours it normally takes.
Here in Michigan, we are on the northern frontier of sorghum syrup. On the chance there are other nearby potential syrup makers lurking in this area, here is your chance to come get sticky.
Today, we began to strip the leaves from the stalk that get to make the trip to the library. It's a little early, but for the demo, it will do.
2018
Growing Grains at a Garden Scale at the Central Michigan Seed Swap in Midland MI
Learn about growing grains on a home garden scale. The primary focus is wheat but other crops such as sorghum, millet, amaranth, barley, corn, rice, rye and sunflowers is included. Our speaker will walk us through his personal experience with growing these staples from selection, planting, cultivation, harvest and processing, rounding out the presentation with culinary uses.
Our speaker Scott Hucker lives in Ortonville Michigan with his family on their small homestead farm and grows for Great Lakes Staple Seeds. As a child, he was a champion 4-H gardener.
Photovoltaic Solar System in use at our homestead presented at the Lyon Public Township Library.
Learn about solar power systems and options available to homeowners and how to estimate the system size for your family's needs. Our speaker will walk us through his personal experience with design and installation details of the 14 kW hybrid system he installed on their farm and will finish with a review of the performance of the last 3 years.
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First version of the Solar System presentation was presented to the Oakland County Permaculture Group on Facebook.