Teaching women and nonbinary folks the art of woodworking
Teaching women and nonbinary folks the art of woodworking
“My Economy” tells the story of the new economic normal through the eyes of people trying to make it, because we know the only numbers that really matter are the ones in your economy.
Jess Hirsch is the owner and operator of Fireweed Community Woodshop, a business in Minneapolis that teaches the craft of woodworking.
Hirsch was inspired to start the business for several reasons, in particular when she taught a young girl at a women’s shelter how to use power tools. “That was definitely the moment I decided to recommit to teaching, specifically women and nonbinary people, how to use tools in order to build confidence.”
Since starting the business, Hirsch has seen demand for classes continue to grow. “We have waitlists that are, like, 40 people deep and not enough instructors to teach,” they said.
Hirsch has also had some challenges sourcing wood in addition to meeting demand.
“Our table instructor is driving 40 minutes south to buy from a guy that mills his own wood, and that’s because there’s not a lot of nice walnut lumber available in Minneapolis, and it’s also doubled in price.”
In the next two years, Hirsch and the Fireweed team plan on creating an outdoor classroom near their pollinator garden.
“We can create a little mulch circle where people can spoon carve or do ax work outside in the summertime,” she said.
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