The Healthy Herd
The Healthy Herd offers Arts and Nature-based experiential learning opportunities at Dandelion Springs Apiary in Virginia, with opportunities to expand as funds allow. Through our Organic Community Garden and regenerative agricultural practices, we put our principles of creating conscious community, having a present connection to the natural world, and understanding beyond self, into practice.
Cost: $15 per class. See registration form for additional information to include scholarships.
2025 Healthy Herd Classes
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The Foundations of Gardening
Join us in assessing soil health in fun and interactive ways. We will make Seed Slingers using clay, compost and pollinator friendly seeds to sling anywhere that could benefit from a nice patch of flowers!
Saturday, January 25, 2025
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EST
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Healthy Herd Community Garden Planning Meeting
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Back to our ROOTS!
Exploring underground communication in the plant world is much more than meets the eye. We’ll also be Seed Starting in preparation for spring planting.
Saturday, February 22, 2025
12:00 - 1:30 p.m. EST followed by an opportunity to play in the Community Garden
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Plant Your Intentions
Join us in celebrating the return of Spring while observing the renewal and beauty of the season! Create your own beautiful Flower Fairies!
Saturday, March 22, 2025
12:00 - 1:30 p.m. EST followed by an opportunity to play in the Community Garden
2024 Healthy Herd Classes
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Solstice Intention Balls
Create your own intention balls for the coming New Year.
Saturday, December 21, 2024
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. EST
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Winter Solstice Gathering
Join us in celebrating the Winter Solstice.
Saturday, December 21, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EST
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Making Gifts of Gratitude from Nature
Cultivating gratitude for all that the garden has given us this year.
Saturday, November 23, 2024
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Garden of Gratitude
Cultivating gratitude for all that the garden has given us this year.
Saturday, November 23, 2024
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Handmade paper with botanicals
Create hand made paper from recycled materials and botanicals.
Saturday, October 26, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EST
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Harvesting & Seed Saving
Learn the art of Seed Saving for a more sustainable future.
Saturday, October 26, 2024
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. EST
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Using Botanicals To Color Our World
Play with the beautiful colors of nature and how we can incorporate them into our lives.
Saturday, September 7, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EST
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Creating A Healthy Ecosystem
Explore the dance of getting back to a healthy balance within our natural world and all the ups and downs we encounter in the process.
Saturday, September 7, 2024
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. EST
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Imprints of Nature
Creating beautiful one of a kind imprints of nature.
Saturday, August 24, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EST
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Working with Nature
Working with Nature to create healthy forage and habitat-learn ways to attract wildlife to your space.
Saturday, August 24, 2024
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. EST
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Water Conservation
Join us to learn different ways to conserve water.
Saturday, July 27, 2024
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. EST -
Art & Nature - Wind Chimes
Join us to make wind chimes and rain chains for the community garden.
Saturday, July 27, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EST -
Natural Alternatives
We will make our own healthy alternatives for the community garden-weed tea, pepper spray.
Saturday, June 1, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EST
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Plants Over Poisons
Join us to learn how to garden without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides.
Saturday, June 1, 2024
10:00 a.m.- 11:00 a.m.
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Art & Nature - Garden Signs
Creating fun garden signs & decorations
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Trash to Treasure-Black Gold
Learnin the basics of composting while building a compost bin for the community garden.
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The Healthy Herd Bee Well Retreat May 4, 2024
An immersive day of respite & renewal for the mind, body & spirit surrounded by a beautiful community of healers and in harmony with nature.
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Bug Art Sculptures
Choose from a variety of materials to create sculptures for the garden.
Saturday, April 13, 2024
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST
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Community Garden: Good Bugs, Bad Bugs
Explore bugs in the garden and learn how to tell which ones are helping!
Saturday, April 13, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EST
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Introduction to Foraging Wild Foods and Folk Medicines
Sunday, March 31, 2024
12:00 - 2:00 PM
Why HUNT for EGGS when you can HUNT for WILD EDIBLES!
Join Dandelion Springs Apiary in collaboration with FreeHorse Arts for a foraging class led by Heather Flournoy.
We will learn the basics of identification practices and explore wild edibles & folk medicines!
Please wear appropriate clothing, closed toe shoes/boots, and rain gear (if raining) as this will be an outside event. Water , sunscreen, and insect repellent is also recommended.
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Grooving in the SALSA Garden!
Learn how to grow everything you need to make your own homemade salsa!
Saturday, March 16, 2024
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST
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Growing in Small Spaces
Not a lot of outdoor space? Learn how to gardening in small spaces with container gardens.
Saturday, March 16, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EST
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Seed Starting: from seed to nourishing food.
Saturday, February 10, 2024
11 a.m. - 12 p.m. EST
What does a seed need to sprout and grow into healthy nourishing food, succession planting, garden planning?
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Handmade Seed Paper
Saturday, January 20, 2024
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST
We will get dirty while making our own hand made paper, infused with seeds to plant in our spaces.
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Soil Health
Saturday, January 20, 2024
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
We will dig deep into what makes healthy soil and take a soil sample from our garden to see what nutrients we may need and find healthy ways to add what is missing.
“It has been an honor working with FreeHorse Arts. They are passionate about accommodating people with different abilities into their programs and offer classes that are beginner friendly. Jody Conway has demonstrated her holistic knowledge and passes forward her passion to those around her. The FreeHorse Arts team exemplified professionalism, stewardship, and efficiency throughout the grant cycle…Their dedication to community service is exemplary and provides a positive impact to those they serve.” Kiana Richardson, Project Coordinator, Virginia Partners in Prayer and Prevention (VAP3) Initiative to address COVID-19 Disparities.
Funding for this project between June 2023 - August 2024 was made possible by OT21-2103 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved, Including Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations and Rural Communities awarded to Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Office of Health Equity (OHE), Virginia Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved.
2023 Healthy Herd Classes
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Ornaments to All
Sunday, December 3, 2023
12 p.m. - 1 p.m. EST
Join us at WHUMC in creating fun ornaments to keep and to share!
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Winter Gardening
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Time: 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
Join us in our garden for winter & exploring ways to grow food all year!
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Build a Spiral Herb Garden
Saturday, November 4, 2023
Time: 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. EST
Join us in learning how to grow herbs for food, seasoning, tea & medicine.
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Handcrafting Salves
Thursday, November 2, 2023
Time: 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. EST
Join us at WHUMC to learn how to create your own healing salve using herbs from our community garden!
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Harvest Moon Wild Foraging & Folk Medicines
Sunday, October 29, 2023
12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. EST
We will learn the basics of identification practices and explore wild edibles & folk medicines while spending time with the horses. -
Harvesting & Seed Saving
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Time: 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. EST
Join us in harvesting fresh food from our garden and learn how to save seeds for planting next year.
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Trash to Treasure
Saturday, September 9. 2023
Time: 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. EST
Join us in and creating a counter top compost bin for your kitchen!
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Composting
Saturday, September 9, 2023
Time: 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. EST
Join us in learning what to compost, how to compost, and how to use compost in the garden.
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Pollinator Party
Saturday, August 19,2023
Time: 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. EST
Join us on a journey to see how many pollinators we can spot! Release Monarch butterflies, plant milkweed plants, and create a beautiful pollinator to take home!
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Pollinator Friendly Gardening
Saturday, August 19, 2023
Time: 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. EST
Join us in caring for our pollinator garden & exploring ways to attract different pollinators to your yard.
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Farm to Table!
Thursday, July 27, 2023
Join us at Westover Hills United Methodist Church & enjoy a healthy meal prepared with produce from our very own community garden!
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Edible Garden's & Food Forests
Saturday, July 22, 2023
Time: 11 p.m. - 12 p.m. EST
Join us to explore the healthy mini-ecosystem of a food forest garden, and create a food forest garden.
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Plants Over Poisons
Saturday, July 8, 2023
Time: 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. EST
Join us at Dandelion Springs Apiary to explore healthier alternatives to using harmful chemicals for weed & pest control. Make organic fertilizers, teas, pest & weed sprays.
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Companion Planting
Saturday, July 8, 2023
Time: 11 a.m - 12 p.m. EST
Join us to learn how companion planting works and work in our Three Sisters Garden.
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Let's Jam!
Thursday, June 15, 2023
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. EST
Westover Hills UMC
Join us at Westover Hills United Methodist Church to make homemade jam using fruit from an organic local farm.
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Fruiting Plant Care
Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EST
Dandelion Springs Apiary (map)
Learn how to care for fruiting plants and trees while working with the plants at Dandelion Springs Apiary
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Handcrafting Salves Workshop
Saturday, June 3, 2023
Time: 11:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. EST
Dandelion Springs Apiary (map)
Cost: $15.00
Join Dandelion Springs Apiary in collaboration with FreeHorse Arts PLUS. We will explore growing, gathering, drying and using herbs from the farm to create healthy salves!
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Foraging Wild Foods with the Horses
Saturday, May 6th, 2023
Time: 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. EST
Dandelion Springs Apiary (map)
$15 suggested donation
FreeHorse Arts and Dandelion Springs Apiary welcome Creative Collaborator Heather Flournoy for an introduction to foraging wild foods and folk medicines. This 90 minute class begins with the basics of identification practices, then then time spent in the fields and wooded areas of Dandelion Springs Apiary with the horses.
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Where Do Pollinators Live
Saturday, April 15, 2023
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. EST
$10 suggested donation
Join Dandelion Springs Apiary in collaboration with FreeHorse Arts PLUS to explore where different pollinators live! We will build a pollinator home for all our pollinator friends.
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Creative Hive Painting
Saturday, April 1, 2023
Time: 11:00am-12:30pm
Cost: FREE
Tour the hives at Dandelion Springs Apiary (from a safe distance!) and then have fun decorating some empty hives before the bees move in. We’ll provide colored paints, brushes, stencils and more!
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Springs Starts
Saturday, February 18, 2023
Time: 11:00am-12:30pm
$5 suggested donation
Looking forward to Spring growth in the FreeHorse Arts Community Garden as we start some plants from seed. We’ll also learn about what we can do to help our pollinator friends and planting diverse native forage is one of them. Diversity and inclusion are important to all living things! You’ll take home a planted seedling of your choice, so come prepared to get DIRTY!
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Bee Light Candle Making Workshop
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Time: 11:00am-12:30pm
$15 suggested donation
The bees actually make the beeswax with 8 glands on their abdomen and then form it into the comb shape with their mouths and feet. Participants will get to see comb from a hive along with both unprocessed and processed wax while choosing the type of candle they’d like to make (molded, hand-rolled, or a candle bowl).
2022 Sessions
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Make Your Own Wreath
Date: Saturday, December 3
Time: 11:00am-12:30pm
Cost: $25 suggested cost per person
A perfect way to create your own unique wreath with fresh cut greenery! Optional ribbons, bows and other embellishments will be available for purchase. If you can, bring gloves and wire cutters.
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FHA Community Garden
We are so grateful to ASCV Herd member Rachel, who has shared her skill and expertise in sustainable agriculture in designing and creating the FreeHorse Arts INAUGURAL COMMUNITY GARDEN. Herd members have hands-on opportunities to apply skills learned in class to include assessing and cultivating healthy soil, growing healthy food from healthy seeds for our communities and ourselves through the bounty of nature.
