[wildfoodie]

Hi Jamanda,
because I've had parents with very young children on courses before and when the kids get bored/cranky or similar it takes a participating adult out of the group and affects the group dynamic detrimentally.
ime 15 year olds and over have the ability to participate without dominating proceedings. Having said that I know that many kids around 10-13 can be great to have in an adult oriented group, and cope fine. but with a mixed group of people I don't know well, I would prefer to concentrate my attention on delivering to adults, if I have younger children around that means I would need to incorporate other activities slanted towards a different audience - harder to manage, and I'm committed to doing this weekend really well, delivering a quality course where people can take something of value away with them, within my capabilities as a teacher. hope that clarifies, and how old are your kids? I'm really up for developing a similar weekend for families with children for the future....

[wildfoodie]

all meals from friday night to sunday lunch, fuel for cooking and camping pitch is included in the price. yes you're right we all have to make a living, and researching, designing and publicising a weekend like this I estimate conservatively as being a good 10 working days of activity. that's even before I've turned up and delivered the course. Plus, Knowledge and expertise has a value, something that many small business people routinely undervalue. My position is that my subject matter may be free, but I've worked for several years on the content: hence its value. fwiw I'll be surprised if I can turn a profit after 1 weekend course. If I can run it another 3 times, I should be in the black with it. and I know you only meant it as an expression, but knowledge
/expertise 'thrown in' is definitely NOT what I do in my work.

[Jamanda]

Hi Jamanda,
because I've had parents with very young children on courses before and when the kids get bored/cranky or similar it takes a participating adult out of the group and affects the group dynamic detrimentally.
ime 15 year olds and over have the ability to participate without dominating proceedings. Having said that I know that many kids around 10-13 can be great to have in an adult oriented group, and cope fine. but with a mixed group of people I don't know well, I would prefer to concentrate my attention on delivering to adults, if I have younger children around that means I would need to incorporate other activities slanted towards a different audience - harder to manage, and I'm committed to doing this weekend really well, delivering a quality course where people can take something of value away with them, within my capabilities as a teacher. hope that clarifies, and how old are your kids? I'm really up for developing a similar weekend for families with children for the future....

[boisdevie1]

all meals from friday night to sunday lunch, fuel for cooking and camping pitch is included in the price. yes you're right we all have to make a living, and researching, designing and publicising a weekend like this I estimate conservatively as being a good 10 working days of activity. that's even before I've turned up and delivered the course. Plus, Knowledge and expertise has a value, something that many small business people routinely undervalue. My position is that my subject matter may be free, but I've worked for several years on the content: hence its value. fwiw I'll be surprised if I can turn a profit after 1 weekend course. If I can run it another 3 times, I should be in the black with it. and I know you only meant it as an expression, but knowledge
/expertise 'thrown in' is definitely NOT what I do in my work.

[cab]

Well, regarding value... I spent about 45 minutes foraging at lunchtime today. Got back to work with over 5kg of mushrooms* and ample salad to keep us going until I go out and pick some more. In fact, with a few home grown plants and a knowledge of wild greens I have not bought a green in years, and I stare on in wonderment that you can even buy mushrooms. If Wildfoodies course emphasises the importance of learning a few good wild species and instils a sense of confidence in picking wild foods then you'd pay back the fee in no time at all.




*some for us, some for some chaps who shoot and are quite generous with their excesses; much of this was chicken of the woods, with some other spring shrooms too. Didn't even put a noticeable dent in the mass of COTW you can pick in these parts at the moment; you could have your own body mass, easily.
One month, years ago, I tried to estimate the cash value of what I regularly forage. Scared me too much. Never again.

[cab]

Not as easy everywhere for fungi, but I rekon that everywhere I've been in the British Isles (except perhaps for some of the more bleak city centres), at every time of the year when the ground isn't covered in snow, an enterprising forager could fill a basket with good, tasty fare.

[Jamanda]

Not as easy everywhere for fungi, but I rekon that everywhere I've been in the British Isles (except perhaps for some of the more bleak city centres), at every time of the year when the ground isn't covered in snow, an enterprising forager could fill a basket with good, tasty fare.