Description

Winter has settled in and it is a time of creating and trying new crafts.  Balsam Moon Preserve (BMP) is offering Broom Making 101 using traditional materials of broomcorn, twine, and wood. Broom Maker Mark Smith of Nisswa will teach and guide students in creating a whisk broom and show other styles of brooms that are possible for future projects. The class is Saturday, February 8, 1-5pm at Balsam Moon Preserve located 10 miles west and south of Pine River out County Road 2 to CR25 to 3148 Bungo Creek Ln SW.  Participants may sign up for demo only, learning by observation ($15 fee), or with hands-on making your own traditional whisk broom to take home ($45 fee includes materials).

The broom makers craft is an old one which is not too common these days, but the joy of assembling a novel creation after sitting down with some string, a stick and a bit of broomcorn is enough to keep anyone going through even the coldest Minnesota winters.   It’s just more fun to sweep up a mess or clean up a corner if the tools you are using have character and charm. 

The brooms are made of harvested or downed branches or saplings and storm-felled split logs (pine, birch, oak and ash). The processed broomcorn used, which is actually sorgham rather than corn, is a traditional material identical to that produced in bulk in the Midwest USA in the late 19^th century as raw material for the thriving cottage industry of broom making long before anyone had a Hoover or a Dyson for routine household cleaning.  Colored nylon twine is used in tying the broomcorn and attaching it to the handle or just cinching the processed broomcorn when making smaller whisks or hearth brooms.   Occasionally the broomcorn is hand dyed to add more vivid color than the natural tones of the raw wood and fiber.

Mark Smith is a newcomer to the small cadre of broom makers in the US.  He was introduced to the craft of broom tying at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais four years ago where he acquired the basic knowledge for assembling utilitarian whisk brooms, novelty brooms, hearth brooms and traditional kitchen sweepers.  He also had an opportunity to participate in a class with Master broomsquire Marlow Gates at the John C Campbell Folk School in North Carolina.  Smith’s years of hobby woodworking along with a bit of an artistic eye added to creating unique handles and sticks upon which to base the broom designs. 

In addition to the functional art that is found in the whisks, the cobweb catchers, hearth sweepers or Shaker style kitchen sweepers, Smith has also made some pieces especially for display.  As an example, a well-crafted traditional wedding broom for a new couple on their special day is truly a fulfilling project well worth the extra effort. 

BMP is a non-profit organization sharing an alternative, sustainable, spiritual place of peace, honoring the earth and all living things. Additional sessions through 2025 include: wooden spoon carving in March; mushroom, wild medicinals, and wild edibles foraging; wattle fence creation; gardening 101; cooking with wild mushrooms; seed saving; and more. They offer trails, tours and demonstrations of solar uses and alternative building methods, gardens, a labyrinth, a children’s story walk along one trail, overnight stays, pizza nights in the summer and opportunities to gather in community sharing our common humanity.

     To sign up for a class or for more information about Balsam Moon Preserve visit the website at: https://balsammoonpreserve.wixsite.com/balsam or FB, email BalsamMoon3148@gmail.com or call 218-587-3808.