Note: This event is a soft opening of the Berbo Homestead, and is open to previous workshop participants (or anyone who Erin knows personally). Future events open to a wider audience will be announced soon.

Join us for an Autumn Retreat at the Berbo Homestead—forty acres of land on the edge of the high desert and mountains in California's Eastern Sierra. Enjoy two nights of camping, guided natural dyeing and herbal salve and oil making workshops—all with plants we’ll forage on the property—led by Erin of Berbo Studio, and seasonal dinners from Kylie of Kitchen Sink. Stargazing will be optimal this weekend, as it falls on the first new moon of autumn. Between our creative and connective planned activities, you'll have time to wander the property’s nature trails, soak in cowboy tubs under the expansive desert sky, and relax around the campfire.

All you’ll need to enjoy this weekend are your own basic camping supplies, food for breakfast and lunch (Chef Kylie will cook our dinners), and a sense of wonder and adventure. More details will be sent to participants upon signing up.

About the Homestead
On forty acres in California’s Eastern Sierra, on the edge of the Great Basin and Mojave Deserts and at the feet of the great Sierra Nevada, sits a swath of wild, open land—with gentle rolling hills, springs and ravines, seasonal arroyos, sagebrush scrub, Joshua trees, and spring wildflowers—and the home of Berbo Studio.

Less than three hours from Los Angeles, yet in an entirely different world, the Homestead’s closest neighbors are countless rabbits, coveys of quail, solitary nighthawks and owls, and distant coyotes. The quaint but vibrant town of Lone Pine is twenty-five miles to the north, and trails to some of the Sierra’s most scenic mountains, lakes, rivers, and meadows are within a short drive.

Accommodations & Amenities
You are invited to tent camp in one of our many comfortable sites surrounded by sagebrush and within a short walk to the Lodge, our spacious work studio. (If it is windy or unseasonably cold, the Lodge is available for sleeping indoors in a communal setting.) 

The Lodge is outfitted as the Berbo Studio workspace, with a library of natural dye materials, equipment, literature, samples, and more. With high ceilings, a wood-burning stove, French doors, Persian rugs, and rustic leather furniture, it is a comfortable and inspiring space to learn and create. 

Other property features include a seasonal six-person cowboy tub, one-person soaking tub, nature trails, scenic outdoor seating areas, a fire pit, camp “kitchen,” and more.

Activities
Throughout the weekend, Erin will guide you in foraging dye and medicinal plants on the property, which we’ll use to create potent dyes, herbal salves, and medicinal oils.

Together we’ll brew color from seasonal high desert dyes—sagebrush, rabbitbrush, creosote—which we’ll use to tint a variety of pieces of your choice (silk scarves or scrunchies, cotton bandanas or socks, and more). Some of these same plants will be brewed into our collectively formulated herbal salves and oils, along with others which will lend their scents and medicine to our creations.

Depending on availability, we may also harvest plants for herbal tea—fresh or dried into a take-home blend—either from the garden or from the land.

Meals
Chef Kylie of Kitchen Sink will create delicious, thoughtful, seasonal dinners for us to enjoy on Friday and Saturday night. Both dinners will be plant-based (vegan). 

On Saturday and Sunday morning, coffee and herbal tea will be served. Drinking water and light snacks will be available. You’ll bring your own breakfasts, lunches, and substantial snacks.

What to Bring
You’ll need your own camping setup for the weekend—tent, sleeping pad, bedding—and other outdoor basics like a camping chair and flashlight or headlamp are recommended. A complete list of suggested supplies will be sent to all participants upon signing up.

Questions about the Retreat? Reach out via our Contact page.

We’re looking forward to seeing you at the Homestead.