Visit www.winterberryfarm.org for pictures and more information!

November 8

FALL SHEARING, FELTING AND FIBER DAY

A new fall open house at the farm. We’ll shear about 8 sheep (come at 11 to see this- shearing goes pretty quickly!) and have felting, spinning and weaving demonstrations going on all day. Fabulous dyed (and not) fiber for sale, sheep and angora rabbits to admire. Farm will be open between 9 and 4. Fiber sales at other times by appointment.

November 23

SOAPY SUNDAY

Learn to make soap from both animal and vegetable fats in an afternoon. For anyone thirteen or older (we work with lye), we’ll make several batches of wonderful and long-lasting soaps. (All of this started 20 years ago because we wanted to make something useful from the pig fat). You’ll take home samples, and also recipes so you can start right away to make more. The workshop runs from 1:00 until 5:00. $60.

November 29

WEAVE DAY FOR MOMS (OR DADS, GRANDMAS…) AND KIDS

Adults and kids will be able to experiment on hand and floor looms, taking home several pieces of cloth.

We’ll begin at 9:00, break for lunch (included) and end at 4:30. Kids should be at least in third grade (but adults of any age). Limited to 3 adult-child pairs. $90 per pair.

December 6

HALF-DAY WEAVING SAMPLER

Think you might want to learn to weave? Here’s a chance to find out! We’ll have several looms all warped and ready to go…you just come and play! And ask lots of questions to see if maybe weaving is something you’d enjoy. We start at noon with lunch and weaving talk, and go until 5:00. You’ll leave with a sample project, information…and some clarity about your future as a weaver! $70 for session, everything included. Limited to 4 participants.

December 27

FELTED FAMILY FEET

A chance for two or three families to spend a day making a wonderful pair of felt slippers for each participant. We’ll design our creations, card the wool we’ll use, and then we’ll felt away. The final part of the process is a slipper-on-foot massage…lovely. We’ll start at 9:00 and probably finish about 4:00. A farm lunch is included, as are, of course, animal visits. Fee is $90 per adult, $50 per child, including materials.

December 30

LEARN TO SPIN

For anyone 14 or older, you’ll spend the day learning to make yarn. We’ll go over the process—and then make yarn with several different spinning tools. You’ll choose and prepare wool for spinning and you’ll handle a variety of fleeces. You’ll be introduced to other animal fibers, and also some that come from plants. A great farm lunch is included, as well as a chance to meet the fiber-bearing animals here on the farm. Workshop runs 9:00-5:00. $100, including lunch and materials. Limited to 4 participants.

January 3

WET FELT & NEEDLE FELT

Felt is a wonderful material made without any spinning/knitting/weaving/crocheting- fiber turns into finished piece. This beginner felting day will spend the morning on wet felting and the afternoon on dry (needle felting). You’ll get to make a flat piece and a ball or dish; then you can make an animal or vegetable and embellish your morning creations. We’ll have a good farm lunch in between. Jill will teach this one with her artist-daughter Megan. Limited to 8 participants, running from 9:30 until 4:30. $100 includes lunch and all materials.

over for more programs & registration form

February 16-20

THE WINTER FARM….A WEEK FOR KIDS

Farm animals and wild animals, carpentry, spinning and cooking…and a lot of time outside (we hope with lots and lots of snow!) Kids will feed and groom, create and day-dream. Chores everyday, stories everyday, and each day time for a special project. From 8:30 until 4:30 each day. For 2^nd graders and older, who bring a lunch each day. Limited to 8 kids. $280 per child.

March 14

SHEARING DAY

Our annual wool harvest festival. Sheep and fleece and wool in all forms. Great food and music; beautiful wool and angora everywhere! Maybe even a spinner or two- in action. No charge (but farm scholarship donations cheerfully accepted). Come between 10:30 and 2:00 to see the actual shearing of most of the farm’s sheep; come between 9:30 and 4:00 to buy wool, eat and/or talk with the animals or farmers.

April 12

LAMBS’ OPEN HOUSE

Our Easter tradition. Many of the lambs will have been born, so there’ll be lots of frolicking! We’ll also try for baby rabbits and ducklings or goslings (no promises here). We can promise some baby chicks! And of course adult goats and poultry, in addition to the sheep. Come between 2:00 and 4:30 and watch lambs leap! No charge, but donations for Right Sharing of World Resources most welcome.

April 20-24

SHEEP WEEK FOR KIDS

The ewes will have lambed (at least 95% of them)…so this is the week we celebrate sheep. Each child takes care of a ewe and her lamb/s all week, weighing and measuring and just hanging out. We’ll watch our “sheep’s home birth videos”, and learn about feeding and care. We’ll wash wool, dye and spin it into yarn. We’ll weave on small looms. We’ll watch border collies herding sheep and we’ll put up an electric fence. We’ll even taste some sheep milk cheeses! For 2^nd graders and older, who bring a lunch each day. From 8:30 until 4:30 each day. Limited to 8 kids. $280 per child.

Not yet scheduled- but we will again offer inexpensive half-day programs for the whole family on choosing livestock to raise on a small scale, raising chickens, raising and spinning angora, raising ducks and geese, starting with sheep…and other topics by request.

The farm also offers fiber and farming workshops for adults and sells fiber, small numbers of livestock, and poultry & meat, all ready for cooking.

For more information: Jill Horton-Lyons or Jim Lyons (413) 548-3940; e-mail: jill@winterberryfarm.org

Winterberry Farm, PO Box 701, 21 Teawaddle Hill Rd, Leverett, MA 01054

To register, send form below with payment. Make checks payable to Winterberry Farm. Full payment is requested for day programs; a 50% deposit for longer programs. Some scholarship money is available—please ask!

Program 1 Name: ________________________________ Program 1 Date: ___________________

Program 2 Name: ________________________________ Program 2 Date: ___________________

Name(s): _______________________________________ Age (for kids): _____________________

Address: __________________________ City: __________________ State: ______ Zip: ________

Phone: _______________ E-mail___________________________

Contribution to farm scholarship fund: _______ Total enclosed: _______

Questions? Comments?

Winterberry Farm is a small family teaching farm. We raise a lot of our own food and we offer very small programs for families, for kids and for adults; we provide a place where people of different faiths—and people seeking faith—can reflect upon and share their call to care for the earth.