Moon Pie’s Opening Day

Apr
25

Saturdays are busy days. I have workshops here almost every Saturday all the way through to early December. Most workshops include goat or cow milking. This past Saturday was a Taste of Sassafras Farm, which includes cow milking, cheesemaking, soapmaking, grain grinding and breadbaking, and candlemaking. It was Moon Pie’s first performance before an audience! She’s still a milker in training, and part of the training here means learning to handle being hand-milked by multiple people and calmly tolerating multiple people in the milking parlor.

The day starts with breakfast in the studio then down to the barnyard to milk.

Everyone enjoys visiting with the animals on the way.

Then we’re on to the milking parlor. I was proud of Moon Pie–she did great! One of the attendees milking Moon Pie:

Everyone who wanted to milk got to milk. Moon Pie stayed calm and carried on! Sometimes not all attendees want to put their hands on the cow, but most of them want to give it a try. Usually right around the time someone says, “I can’t get anything to come out!” is when they squirt themselves in the face with milk.

I warn people about this phenomenon.

But it still happens.

After milking, there’s time to ramble around the barnyard and visit the animals some more.

I tell everyone to bring “barn boots” before they come.

Back at the studio, I have workshop stations set up outside and divide attendees into groups for cheesemaking.

I love seeing people make cheese for the first time. There’s always a sense of wonder. LOOK, CHEESE!

Cheese IS pretty amazing.

I hand out packages of crackers and they get to eat their fresh warm cheese right away.

Next up is soapmaking (and lunch).

Not to mention a visit from someone special.

Maia, in her tutu and bunny ears, with one of Saturday’s younger attendees.

Back in the studio, everyone makes a loaf of bread with fresh ground soft white wheat.

I make loaves of fresh ground grains (kamut, spelt, hard red spring wheat, and soft white winter wheat) for everyone to sample at supper.

The day rounds out with candlemaking.

Everyone takes home their own loaf of bread, cut bars of their own soap, and their candle.

The previous two Saturdays had been goat workshops, so a cow workshop was a nice change of pace this past Saturday, and there’s an even bigger change of pace coming up this Saturday–it’s the first chicken processing workshop!