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Roll up your sleeves at Crabtree Farms in Chattanooga and learn sourdough from starter to bake in a two-hour, hands-on workshop led by Sarah. Bring a mixing bowl and jar, pay a small materials fee, and leave with your own starter and a plan to keep baking.
Roll up your sleeves at Crabtree Farms in Chattanooga and learn sourdough from starter to bake in a two-hour, hands-on workshop led by Sarah. Bring a mixing bowl and jar, pay a small materials fee, and leave with your own starter and a plan to keep baking.
Book with Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga
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Operated by Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga · Chattanooga, Tennessee
On a summer afternoon at Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga (1000 E 30th Street, Chattanooga, TN), the Simple Art of Sourdough class turns flour and water into a small communal ritual. In Sarah’s two-hour workshop you’ll learn to feed and tend a starter, mix, fold, shape, and bake a loaf alongside a group of curious hands. The setting is practical and plant-forward: a greenhouse workbench, nearby native-plant beds, and the warm, yeasty scent that hangs over the farm.
This is not a one-way demo. Instructor Sarah—Crabtree Farms’ sourdough enthusiast and greenhouse assistant—guides each step, sharing techniques for hydration, bulk fermentation, and the tension-building “stretch and fold” that gives crumb structure. The class supplies a fresh sourdough starter, flour, and a banneton basket; students bring a mixing bowl and a jar to take starter home. There’s also a $10 materials fee paid directly to the facilitator to cover consumables.
What makes the experience stand out is how breadmaking is woven into the farm’s broader mission. Crabtree Farms serves as a hands-on education hub in Chattanooga, led in part by Executive Director Liz Simmons; the farm’s greenhouse and native-plant demonstrations provide a living classroom that connects fermentation to local ecology. Sarah’s other projects—her herbal meads and plant remedies—bleed into the session, offering small lessons about seasonality and sustainable ingredient use.
Practicalities are straightforward: the workshop lasts about two hours and is open to ages 12 and up. The meeting point is the farm at the address above; for questions, contact Chloe Watts at 423-493-9155 or [email protected]. Refunds can be requested up to seven days before the class with a 10% cancellation fee. Expect hands-on kneading, an on-site bake, and a tasting of sourdough varieties during the session.
Bring comfortable clothes you don’t mind dusting with flour, a large mixing bowl, and a jar for your starter. The class rewards curiosity more than culinary experience; beginners leave confident, while experienced bakers will pick up fermentation refinements. Beyond loaf-building, the workshop offers a slow, practical way to connect urban life to soil, plants, and regional food craft—a focused, tactile break from screens and recipes. If you’re in Chattanooga and want to learn bread at a place rooted in education and ecology, this is a workshop that turns simple ingredients into a new habit.
Parking and arrival are simple: street and limited on-site parking at Crabtree Farms; arrive fifteen minutes early to settle in and sign the mandatory waiver. The facilitator will explain how to maintain your starter at home and how to schedule follow-up sessions. This class is as much about skill transfer as it is about community; take your loaf, starter, and new techniques back into your kitchen and share loaves with neighbors often.
easy.
2 hours.
Low; this workshop is primarily standing and light kneading suitable for most people in normal health
Participants must be at least 12 years old to join this workshop.
Yes; there is a $10 materials fee paid directly to the facilitator to cover breadmaking supplies.
Refunds can be requested up to seven days before the class start date; a 10% cancellation fee applies.
Bring a large mixing bowl and a jar for your starter; comfortable clothes and an apron are recommended.
Check in at Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga, 1000 E 30th Street, Chattanooga, TN; the workshop takes place at the greenhouse workbench area.
Please contact Chloe Watts at 423-493-9155 or [email protected] with any questions about the workshop.
Crabtree Farms operates as a community education farm in Chattanooga and focuses on agricultural skills, native plants, and food access programs.
Classes emphasize seasonal cooking and sustainable ingredient use; participants are encouraged to reduce waste, share starters, and reuse jars to lower environmental impact.
Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga operates a 22-acre urban farm and community center in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The farm cultivates seasonal produce, sustainable flower crops, beekeeping projects, and educational programming that connects urban residents to local food systems. Crabtree Farms offers guided group tours, volunteer opportunities, and hands-on workshops covering topics such as sourdough breadmaking, kombucha brewing, herbal remedies, fire cider making, cool-season cut flowers, and introductory beekeeping. Workshops are led by local instructors and visiting experts and often include a take-home project, such as a sourdough starter, a bottle of kombucha, or a jar of herbal preparation. The Evelyn Center is an on-site rustic-modern event venue with high beam ceilings, an open layout, and seamless indoor-outdoor flow. The venue hosts small and large private events, and rental fees support Crabtree Farms’ mission. Volunteer groups and community participants engage in stewardship projects that support farm operations while learning about composting, organic growing practices, and seasonal planting. Group tours can be tailored by age and interest and focus on gardening, local eating, and environmental stewardship. Crabtree Farms partners with educators and community organizations to expand accessibility and learning opportunities across Chattanooga. Visitors can reserve public workshops, schedule private tours, or book the Evelyn Center online or by contacting the farm directly to confirm availability and pricing.
Book with Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga