Welcome!

Thank you to everyone who made HG2015 such a huge success!

We'd like to thank Darian Bacon for all of his help co-ordinating Harvest Gathering for the last five years. It was Darian's vision that got our community off the ground, and we wish him all the best in his future projects.

New to Harvest Gathering? Click on the "ABOUT" tab above for a great video overview of who we are and what we do.

Interested in a leadership role for HG2016? Please let us know. We need strong volunteer leaders/helpers throughout the year for this event to work.

"I had such a great time. and deep inside my soul, I felt the village spirit, and it felt GOOD." ~Steve Leckman

"Harvest Gathering is a community based event that builds on each individuals attributes and skill sets to form a rich and diverse network of Nature/Traditional Skills Enthusiasts" ~ Mission Statement

Key Things To Know

We come together to share skills that keep us rooted in the natural rhythms of nature and to engage in stewardship/caretaking projects as a way of giving back to the land that supports us. We gather in the fall, in large numbers for the Harvest Gathering. It is a weekend of workshops, story telling, trading goods, sharing knowledge, and celebrating life.

The gathering's emphasis is on both the traditional, and more modern earth-based skills that help us build deep relationships with nature while learning about its cycles and ecosystems through direct interaction. No prior experience is required, just a desire to learn more about the natural world around us, or to share your skills with others.

Who:

Harvest Gathering is run by a volunteer committee, committed to bringing friends, naturalists, and earth based skills workers together to celebrate the changing seasons, and to spend time learning from each other.

A family oriented weekend of learning new things, socializing with like-minded people, and enjoying nature at it's best. A full spectrum of 1-2 hour workshops will be offered over the weekend all run by participants.

Where:

Harvest Gathering is hosted in the beautiful Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario, about 90 minutes North East of Toronto. The land owners have been very gracious in letting us use their land for many years now, which lets us see first hand the results of our stewardship activities. Full directions to our event site, located just outside of Lindsay, Ontario, can be found by clicking here.

When:

The gathering will start in the evening on a Friday, However, we can always use help setting up, so people arriving early are a wonderful benefit (we ask no one arrive before 2pm though). Events run until Sunday evening, and anyone who can is asked to stick around until Monday afternoon to help with site cleanup. The opening fire starts promptly on Friday at 6:30pm. We highly recommend trying to make the entire weekend and being there by Friday night at the latest. This really helps us all come together as a unified village, however if this is not possible for you, then we understand.

Why:

Very similar in design to our friends at the Headwaters Gathering, the Harvest Gathering was created to allow those who are in Central East/Eastern Ontario to be stewards in their own area, and without having to travel.

Harvest gathering recognizes the need for us to connect with nature during our changing seasons, and that there are not many outlets for us to share our traditional information and skill sets with each other. This is why the word "community" is so often applied to this organization. We are fostering those connections, and as a result, we are all stronger and more empowered because of it.

As a community, we learn and grow together, throughout the year; and we bring the skills and knowledge we've gained with us to share and strengthen us all.

How to Register:

Tickets can be purchased from the link above
Starting in 2014, all registrations are being done solely online. This saves the hassle of trying to register people in the middle of the outdoors.

Registration is important for insurance liability, ensuring allergies/medical info is kept accessible, and to get an accurate count of participants.

Cost:

There are always opportunities to barter and trade at Harvest Gathering, so bringing a little extra money is always a good idea (though bringing something to trade is even better).

We require the proceeds from ticket sales to purchase and maintain group equipment, including insurance, water tanks, shelters, firewood, use of land, supplies for stewardship projects, etc. Your food, shelter, and personal comforts are not included.

Special pricing for families and children have been added this year

We also ask participants to contribute towards our pot luck dinner by bringing a dish to serve on Saturday.

Some workshops may have a cost to cover materials; such workshop costs will be specified on the schedule.

If you are able bodied, you are also expected to help with camp chores such as: camp clean up, splitting firewood, setting up washing stations, cleaning outhouses, etc. You will be signing up for a work crew upon arrival.