The One Scythe Revolution

  The easiest and best way to learn how to use a scythe, is to attend a workshop, taught by an good instructor. I've been asked for years to travel to different areas of the country, to teach scythe workshops. I would love to, but the logistics of leaving my farm for that long, and the expense of traveling, has never made it very feasible. Instead, I decided to implement a scythe instructor training program, modeled somewhat on the Austrian Scythe Instructor training program. At 1SR, however, we teach Peter Vido style mowing, my variation on Vido-style honing, and my style of free-hand peening with a narrow scythe anvil. My goal is to eventually have 1SR Certified Scythe Instructors, within driving distance of everyone in the USA.
  I've been teaching scythe workshops since 2006. My teaching experience has given me a greater understanding of the fundamental building blocks that people need in order to develop the skill for high-performance mowing. If you are serious about becoming proficient with a scythe, these 1SR instructors will help you get there. If you want to become an instructor yourself, you can enroll in my 1SR Scythe Instructor program, and become an instructor in your area eventually. Scythe instructor workshops are taught in conjunction with my Advanced Scythe Workshops. To facilitate travel and attendance, they are taught on the Sundays of every Memorial and Labor Day weekend each year. Most people need to take my Basic Workshop at least once, and my Advanced Workshops at least twice, plus do a lot of mowing on their own in between, before they can show mastery of the skills necessary to be a 1SR Basic Instructor. They can also work with me individually on my farm.
                                                                                                                                                           -  Botan Anderson

Blacksmith Larry Cooper has taken to the scythe like a duck to water. His 20+ years as a blacksmith, pretty much made him an instant expert on free-hand peening. He humors me when I tell him he's cleared as an Adv. Peening Instructor. To mow with a scythe blade that Larry has peened is a beautiful thing. Whenever he co-teaches a peening workshop with me, participants get a much greater in-depth understanding of peening, from the parallax of our perspectives. I explain peening with line diagrams, Larry teaches with clay. Larry is particularly interested in oxen, and mowing fresh green feed and making hay with a scythe for them.

March 3-4, 2012, UNC- Ashville N.C. 4B: Small-Scale Grass Management Using the Austrian Scythe with 1SR Adv. Instructor Larry Cooper. Learn how to choose the right scythe and use it in conjunction with companion hand tools for management of grass on the homestead. We’ll discuss mowing technique, sharpening, grain and hay harvesting, and various uses for your scythe-cut grasses. See http://www.organicgrowersschool.org/ to register.

Mary Montes is a veteran of my 2 Day Haying workshop in Viroqua, plus has worked with me individually at my farm. One of her interests is mowing mulch lines on contour for water conservation, for gardening in arid areas.