Timber Frame Workshop for FLINTA

Register for Timber Framing Workshop

Timber Framing for FLINTA at Wolf Ridge Farm

Timber framing is the craft of joining wooden posts and beams together without the use of nails or metal fasteners. Timber frames are simple, strong, and elegant, and have stood for centuries around the world. In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of timber framing, from the use of hand and power tools, to the layout and cutting of mortise and tenon joinery. On the final day of the course, students will work together to raise the completed frame, and will go home with the knowledge and skills to continue their timber framing practice and build structures of their own.  

Students will be housed on site at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in dormitory-style accommodations with meals provided at the on-site dining hall. 

The structure being built during this course will serve as a covered tool and equipment space for Wolf Ridge Farm. Wolf Ridge Farm grows 10,000 pounds of produce seasonally, which is utilized in the Wolf Ridge dining hall and distributed to the surrounding community through farmers market, food shelf and farm-to-school programming.

Course instructor Jenna Pollard has taught timber frame courses in Minnesota, Washington, Missouri, New Hampshire, Vermont and Arizona, and has been timber framing since 2010. She has built over a dozen timber frames, from her own small cabin to large pavilions for community gatherings. Her passion for teaching has led her to offer women’s and FLINTA timber framing courses as a way to elevate underrepresented communities in the trades, and provide a safe, welcoming and supportive learning environment. 

What is FLINTA?!

Originating from Germany, the acronym FLINTA has gained recognition and use, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community, for its inclusivity, acknowledging and respecting identities often overlooked in society. The acronym translates to Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Nonbinary, Transgender, and Agender. Each of these ultimately represents an array of non-cis and/or non-male gender identities:

• F – Female: Individuals who identify as women.
• L – Lesbian: Female-identifying individuals attracted to other female- or non-male-identifying individuals.
• I – Intersex: Individuals born with physical sex characteristics that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies.
• N – Nonbinary: Individuals who do not identify strictly as a man or a woman. It’s a spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine.
• T – Transgender: Individuals whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned to them at birth.
• A – Agender: Individuals who do not identify with any gender.

The traditional binary understanding of gender, considering only (cisgender) male or female, is significantly limited. It fails to acknowledge the vast diversity of human experiences and identities. FLINTA, on the other hand, represents a broader range of gender identities, challenging and expanding upon traditional gender norms. By acknowledging and naming these identities, FLINTA brings visibility, recognition, and respect to the spectrum of nonbinary and cisgender presentations, genders, and orientations. In turn, this reduces stigma and creates a safer space for these gender identities to be expressed.

$750 Tuition & Lunches only