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Workshop: The Sussex Trug - From Boat Design to Garden Gatherer with Jon Swanson

  • Minnesota Marine Art Museum 800 Riverview Drive Winona United States (map)

Saturday, May 17 | 9a - 3p

Tuition:  $150 [Member Rate: $140] 


About the workshop

Trug comes from the old English word "trog", meaning boat-like. The "modern" trug gardening basket was developed sometime around 1850 in the small town of Herstmonceux in East Sussex, UK. To this day, Sussex trugs are made entirely by hand. In this workshop, you will build a trug made of two hoops of steamed ash wood for the frame, filled with overlapping thin strips of ash secured with clenched copper nails, in the same manner as clinker built or lapstrake wooden boats. You have the option of building either a shallow trug for gathering flowers and herbs, or a deep trug for collecting fruits and vegetables. Trugs are simple, beautiful, functional, light weight, and long lasting, some are still in use after 100 years. Wonderful for cut flowers or your garden produce and lovely for indoor use and for special gift baskets as well.


Example of the deep trug option

About the Instructor

Jon Swanson, Curator of Collections & Exhibitions at MMAM has been with us since our opening in 2006. A man of many interests, Jon is a particularly talented organic gardener and woodworker. His passion for growing spicy peppers and fresh produce grew into his side hustle, Blue Truck Hot Sauce.


Support Comes From

AmericInn by Wyndham


Upcoming MMAM Workshops

Earlier Event: May 15
Free Student Thursday
Later Event: May 18
Annual Report to the Community