Back to Basics

If you’ve forgotten everything your Home Economics teacher taught you, we’ve got the classes, instructors, and books you need to master life’s self-sustaining skills

Skill set

Let’s admit it. Some of us are hard-pressed to hem a pair of pants, bake a pie, keep a tomato plant alive, or build a basic shelf. At some point, between computer programming classes and advanced placement science, home economics and shop class became the wallflowers of high school education. Cooking, sewing, canning, gardening, and even woodworking, were suddenly viewed as unnecessary skills in this tech-driven world.

Fortunately, here in WNC, where we pride ourselves on protecting traditions, these basic skills haven’t been forgotten. There are many who still embrace a simple truth: Anything made from scratch, be it a home-cooked meal, a handmade dress, a freshly canned jar of raspberry jam, or a sturdy toy box, should be cherished and appreciated.

And there is a movement afoot to reintroduce many more to a sustainable way of life that allows creativity and a greater sense of accomplishment. Here, we offer advice from a few of the leaders in this homegrown initiative—talented cooks and canners, sewing whizzes, and a woodworking guru—who can get you back on track. It’s time to enroll and start creating.

SEWING On your mark, get set, sew!		COOKING Learn your way around the kitchen
GARDENING Nurture a green thumb		WORKSHOP Wood shop rocks with the right tools