Going Nuts Fall Weekend

Come to Iowisota for a laid-back weekend exploring nature and nuts (literally). Three nut/tree workshops will be offered: Nutcracker Sweet, Acorns!, and Barking up the Right Tree. Attend any or all of them. Cost for the workshops is free-will donation. Lodging is available on-site, but you don’t need to stay here to participate in the workshops.

Programming:

• Overnight guests arrive any time on Friday afternoon. Dinner on your own.

• Nutcracker sweet. Friday Nov 6, 6:00-8:00 pm. Learn about different ways to crack and prepare black walnuts and other tree nuts. We will also make maple-candied black walnuts.

• Saturday morning breakfast provided to overnight guests. Probably wild blueberry pancakes with Iowisota maple syrup.

• Acorns! Saturday Nov 7, 9:00- 11:30. Learn to make acorn flour and acorn crackers.

• (Lunch: Iowisota will provide a sandwich bar, suggested donation $10/person)

• Barking up the Right Tree. Saturday Nov 7, 1:30-4:00. Nature hike to learn tree identification without leaves.

• Saturday evening. Overnight guests dinner on your own, then hang out in the gathering room or have a campfire, depending on the weather.

• Sunday morning. Breakfast provided to overnight guests. Probably steel-cut oats with hickory nuts, dried fruits, and other toppings.  Then free time to take another hike or process more nuts or other activities to be determined. If requested, we could repeat the Nutcracker Sweet session.

Location: on-site at “Iowisota”, 2472 IA-26, Lansing, Iowa.

Overnight “B&B” stay: Starting at $75/person/night.  Two or more people in a room is $100/room/night. Lodging taxes will be added.

• The sleeping rooms are a delightful blend of historic, rustic, and modern. Look at the lodging tab on the website to see the spaces. There are 4 guest bedrooms and 2 guest bathrooms in the main house, plus 2 bedrooms and a bathroom in the cabin.

• Breakfasts are included. There are multiple options for other meals you might need, including BYO to warm in the full kitchen, BYO to grill on-site, or go out to local restaurants. There is a refrigerator available, and all cooking equipment and essentials.

• The “gathering room” with its stone fireplace, expansive windows, and comfortable seating provides a place to hang out and chat with the hosts and other guests. The gathering room and a full kitchen are common spaces for all guests (plus there is a kitchenette and small living room in the cabin).

• The setting of Iowisota includes nearly 200 acres of private forest and many trails to hike and explore.

• To reserve a space, fill out the Registration form. Then we will communicate via email to find out your specific needs before we send an invoice.

About your hosts: Your hosts are foresters and foragers. Linda and Dennis Haugen both retired from careers as forest health specialists with the US Forest Service. Linda grew up on the Iowisota property, moving here with her parents in 1968. Dennis and Linda built the new residence/retreat center and moved back to northeast Iowa in 2023. They have a wealth of knowledge about natural resources in general, and about the Iowisota property specifically.   They live downstairs in their own private space (the guest spaces have a separate entrance on the 2^nd floor).

How to sign up: Click the link to RSVP, and then fill out the registration form. This is how you will choose which workshops you want to attend, and whether you want to request lodging. Once you have completed the form, if you have lodging cost, we will email you an invoice that you can pay by check, credit card, or PayPal. Cost for the workshops is free-will donation at the time of the workshop.