Winterberry Farm

WINTER 2008 PROGRAMS

FOR KIDS, FAMILIES & ADULTS

February 10

YOUR BACKYARD FARM

You’ve got a little land and your kids like animals.  And you’ve always wanted to raise some of your own food.  This afternoon is for talking about possibilities….We’ll talk about the pros and cons of chickens, ducks, turkeys, sheep, goats—even pigs.  Participants will fill out questionnaires ahead of time to help focus information where it’s of most use.  And most of the animals we’ll discuss will be available for visits.  This one’s for the whole family.  We’ll go from 1:30 until 4:30.  $25 per family.

February 18-22

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.  For 2^nd graders and older, who bring a lunch each day.  From 8:30 until 4:30 each day.  Limited to 8 kids. $240 per child.

March 15

SHEARING DAY 

Our annual 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; come between 9:30 and 4:00 to buy wool, eat and/or talk with the animals or farmers.

March 23

LAMBS’ OPEN HOUSE

Our Easter tradition.  Despite Easter’s early date this year at least a couple of the ewes will have lambed, so there’ll be babies bouncing around.  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 poutry, 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.

March 30

ANGORA RABBITS FOR FAMILIES

Another of our “family how-to programs”.  You’ll learn about care, housing and feeding of angora rabbits.  We’ll discuss the ways in which angoras differ from other rabbits (pros and cons).  We’ll practice handling and do a bit of cage construction.  And a little bit of spinning. We’ll go from 1:30 until 4:30.  $25 per family.

April 4, 5, 6, 7 & April 12 and 13

LAMBING DAYS

Many of the 13 bred ewes will deliver during these two weeks…and so we invite one or two families at a time to spend a day and a night watching and waiting with us.  You’re welcome to come as early as 10:00am, and stay until 9:00the next day, and we’ll feed you three good farm meals… when the sheep permit.  You’ll also have plenty of time to spend visiting the other animals, going for walks and reading farm books by the fire.  Births are not guaranteed- but we’ll share some good “barn birth” videos!  $75 per adult, $40 per child.

April 21-25

SHEEP WEEK FOR KIDS

The ewes will have lambed (at least 95% of them)…so this is the week we celebrate sheep.  Each kid 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 even 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. $240 per child.

April 27

BACKYARD POULTRY

Another “how-to” for families.  We’ll talk about raising chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and guineas.  You’ll see many of our housing systems and we’ll talk about food and water and changing needs as they grow.  We’ll also discuss eggs, feathers and slaughter. This will go from 1:30 to 4:30.  $25 per family.

And lots more as the year continues…. The farm also offers fiber and farming workshops for adults and sells fiber, small numbers of livestock, and poultry & meat, all ready for cooking.

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.