Cheese-making

This 4-hour hands-on seasonal course (May-September) will cover the basics of making cheese. After completion, the student should be able to make their own mozzarella or cheddar cheese. Topics include: utensils, kettles, tools needed; terminologies such as whey, rennet, and starter cultures; and samples. $35 per person, maximum 4 people per class.

Food preservation

Learn how to preserve foods by drying, freezing and canning! Using a dehydrator, we like to dry our herbs, tomatoes for eating and cooking, and apples for apple snitz. But there are many other fruits and vegetables you can dry. We like to freeze berries, beans, peas, corn, and peaches. Our favorite foods to "can" include tomatoes, tomato sauces, jams, and beets. This is a seasonal course and varies depending on what fruits and vegetables are available at any time. Price varies from $15 -$30.

Pie-making

To make a great pie, you need a great crust. And to make a great crust, it's important to understand humidity and the barometric pressure. Making a great crust requires knowing what it "feels like" when your hands are working the dough! We teach our grandchildren when they are young!!! Our favorite pies to make include: lemon meringue, apple, berry, rhubarb, strawberry, pumpkin and egg custards. Come join us for some real fun!!! Allow 1.5 hours for the class. $15 per person. To make a pie to take home using our ingredients is another $15.

Gardening for children

Our grandchildren love to help in the garden! Picking berries is one of their favorite things to do!! You know why! Yum!

This seasonal course can be anything you want it to be - identifying bugs, birds and butterflies; picking peas, beans and other vegetables; making rows and planting seeds; hoeing and pulling weeds! It can be 30 minutes or 2 hours, depending on the age of the children. Based on farm activity schedules. Free.

Native Wild Flowers

What would the world be like without flowers? Can't even imagine. There are flowers on our table most of the year. We have planted many native wild flowers on our farm. Why? Because the bees, butterflies and birds love them! And these creatures pollinate our world! You will learn about these flowers and how they benefit our world.

Vegetable gardening

Our series of gardening workshops are available for group sizes of at least 6 and a maximum of 12 people. Each workshop is 1.5 hours. The workshops are offered only in the spring, prior to the start of the garden season. Price varies.

Here is a list of topics that are covered:

Workshop I - Getting Started, An Overview

• • naturally or organically grown

  • herbicides, pesticides and fungicides

  • annuals and perennials

  • understanding seasonality - when to plant

  • understanding environmental "hazards" - weather, insects, weeds, rabbits

  • understanding the earth - earth worms and organic matter

  • Heirlooms - the ups and downs

  • GMO's - what's the buzz!

Workshop II - What, Where, When

• • early spring planting - peas, leafy greens (kale, spinach, chard, beets, etc) , onions, kohlrabi, broccoli and more

  • the sunny side - location, location, location

  • the garden layout - highs and lows

  • preparing the soil - manure, compost, lime, magnesium sulfate

  • late spring planting - beans, corn, okra, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and more

  • tubers - carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, radishes & turnips

  • perennials - asparagus, rhubarb, sunchokes

Workshop III - The Pests

• • what insects eat what plants

  • what do garden insects look like - eggs, larvae and adults

  • damage to the plants

  • what you must do - vigilance, powdered lime, soap, hand picking, pesticides

  • weeds - the good, the bad, and the ugly

  • weed control - cardboard, newspapers, straw, hand pulling, the rototiller, the pitch fork

  • other pests - rabbits, squirrels, ground hogs, you name it!

  • fungus - on tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash

Workshop IV - Daily Care, Maintenance, and Harvest

• • the weather - wet and dry times

  • daily scrutiny - weeding, pest management, documentation

  • when to harvest

  • how to harvest

  • garden clean up - do's and don'ts

  • tying up loose ends

  • questions and answers

Want more information about any of these classes or workshops??