Weekend event: Food Camp this Saturday

If you’re looking for a new food-related hobby, the second annual Madison Food Camp on Saturday, April 13 is an ideal starting place. Learn how to make bacon, cheese, nut milk, yogurt, and maple syrup. Or find out how to raise chickens in the city, keep bees, and grown an indoor hydroponic garden.

Jeff Augustine explains how to tap a maple tree at last year's Food Camp.

FoodCamp is a day-long event, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Goodman Center with 37 do-it-yourself workshops. Presenters are Madison locals, coming to share knowledge with neighbors about their edible pastimes. Besides teaching you how to make or grow food, some sessions cover related topics, like knife upkeep and yoga for gardeners.

Food Camp Organizer Phil Crawford said this year’s food camp is similar to last year’s event but with ten sessions added, including more fermentation-focused sessions.  The number of participants registered for this year's Food Camp already surpassed last year's attendance of 110.

Registration is capped at 200 participants. Fifty spaces remain for those interested in registering, and particiaption costs $15. The presentation format is highly interactive, with presenters essentially holding a conversation while offering demonstrations.

Read our story about last year's Food Camp.