Pickings from Sanborn Mills Farm

Farm Pickings

News and Updates from Sanborn Mills Farm

— September 20, 2023 —

Meet Us at the

Fair This Weekend!

Sanborn Mills Farm will promote our fiber workshops this coming weekend at the Common Ground Country Fair in Unity, Me. Sponsored by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), the Fair, which runs Sept. 22-24, is the highlight of the fall season for New England folks interested in traditional approaches to farming, gardening, and craft.

Our booth will be in the Fiber Marketplace at the Fair. Stop by and say hello! We’d love to see you and talk about our extensive program of fiber workshops.

For more information about the Fair and MOFGA, click here.

Pop-Up Lunches Oct. 6, 12, 20; Grist Mill and Sawmill Demo on the 12th

The Farm’s Pop-Up Lunch coming up on Oct. 12 will be preceded by a special tour and demonstration of our historic Grist Mill and Sawmill. These water-powered mills date back to the 1830s and were an integral part of Sanborn Mills Farm when the Farm was an important commercial hub of Loudon. Both have been restored to working order and are used presently at the Farm. Our Sawmill is, we believe, the only water-powered sawmill in the U.S. with both a working rotary saw and an up-and-down saw.

Our Pop-Up Lunches, prepared by head chef Kelly Fahey, offer a delicious array of foods grown right here on the Farm — a true farm-to-table experience. Demonstrations begin at 11:30 a.m. and require check-in at our reception desk in the Main House.

To see the full calendar of upcoming Pop-Up Lunches and to register, click here.

Check Out Our New Map Kiosk

In the past, finding your way around the Farm, with its extensive and various gardens plus a multitude of farm and residential structures, could be a bit challenging. That has changed in a big way with a new, complete map of the Farm created by Bob Braun and Lindsee Pacini.

We’ve printed the map, which pinpoints the locations of all of our gardens and structures, including those at the Merrill Farm at the end of Sanborn Road as well as those at the main farm and at the Red House area, in a handy brochure available in our Reception area.

We’ve also placed a large map in a new Map Kiosk built by Colin Cabot that’s conveniently located adjacent to the Barden Barn and Old Carriage Barn. Planning a tour of the Farm is easy now!

To see the map on our website, click here.

October and November Workshops with Availability

Four workshops coming up in October and November at Sanborn Mills Farm offer unique opportunities to learn new skills. Our workshops typically fill quickly, so now’s the time to register for these classes. Click on the title of each workshop for more information and to register.

Blacksmithing: Tool Making

October 13-15

Instructor: Garry Kalajian

Learn to make the essential tools needed for a blacksmith shop, including tongs, punches and chisels, a forge poker, and a flux spoon. Students will begin with instruction on how to maintain a coal fire and a discussion on basic metallurgy with the application to heat treating operations such as annealing, normalizing, hardening, and tempering tool steel. If time permits, students will be guided in making a bending fixture using machine welding and fabrication. Beginning and intermediate level smiths are welcome, and it is important to have some experience with using a coal fired forge.

Ikat, Shibori & Indigo: New Paths for Ancient Partners

October 18-22

Instructors: Mary Zicafoose and Sara Goodman

This intensive workshop will teach techniques drawing from two honored traditions: Indigo and Ikat. Students will learn how to establish, use, and maintain a natural indigo vat, dipping both yarn and fabric. Some introductory shibori techniques will be taught on commercially woven cloth. Students will also be instructed in the precise and sequential steps to plan, measure, stretch, wrap, dye, unwrap and weave yarn for warp ikat weaving applications. Participants in this five-day workshop will design, wrap, dye, warp and weave a classic indigo blue and white ikat scarf, while learning the basic technique of the shifted warp ikat process.

Mark Making with Handmade Brushes and the Drum Leaf Book Structure

November 4-5

Instructor: Anne McMillan

Explore Mark Making and Book Arts in this two-day class. From the process of making our own brushes using collected items from nature and other found objects and then using them to put mark to paper in free form expression. A focus on the art of the book will emphasize the Japanese Flutter Book and Butterfly Book as well as Drum Leaf binding.The Drum Leaf Book iss a perfect binding for photographers, printmakers and all artist who would like to present their work in a structure that has a full page spread and opens flat.

Felt Area Rugs: Traditional Turkish Rug Beating

November 8-12

Instructor: Jo Hesse

In this five-day workshop students will make their own fully functional felt area rug. Students will learn to “kick” the felt with a dance-like rhythm that can be sustained for days on end. The majority of the workshop will take place on the floor; on the final day, students will hand-finish their rugs on a tabletop. Wool processing and purchasing as well as rug care will be discussed. All experience levels are welcome.

Photo Credits

Top photo and Map Kiosk photos by Steve Bjerklie.

Grist Mill photo by Emily Ostroff.

Workshop photos courtesy the instructors.