Introduction to Scythes, with New Roots

About this event

Learn the basics of using a scythe to mow your lawn, including adjusting the scythe to your body, honing, and scything with proper form. Despite their seemingly old timey appearance, scythes remain useful tools to modern homeowners and gardeners. A well-maintained scythe is capable of mowing a conventional lawn faster than a reel mower or weed whacker, handles thicker and more varied material than a gas powered mower, is more precise than a weed whacker, requires no fossil fuels or electricity to run, and is almost completely silent in use. To this day in parts of Europe the scythe remains the default tool for cutting vegetation of all kinds around the house or garden, and with good reason. Scything enthusiast Eric Dynarski will lead the workshop, which will consist of some instruction and extensive practice so participants can get as much hands on time with a scythe as possible. Participants will learn about: • Adjusting the scythe to your body and objectives • Mowing lawn grass with a scythe • Honing the scythe blade This workshop is run by the Cville Tool Library in partnership with the IRC in Charlottesville's New Roots Farm. We will meet in the first parking lot at Azalea Park and walk together to our scything site. Please arrive a few minutes early to allow time for parking and walking to the site. In case of rain, the workshop will be moved to a different date, with options to receive a refund of the workshop fee. What to bring/wear to this class: • Closed toe shoes • Garden gloves (if you have them, there will be gloves to borrow) • Water bottle and anything else you may need to be outside for two hours.