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Farm Pickings
News and Updates from Sanborn Mills Farm
— September 11, 2024 —
One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.
~~ Virginia Woolf
Upcoming Events at the Farm
Click on the title of the event for more information and to register.
September 13, 27: Farm to Table Lunch
October 4, 11, 18, 25: Farm to Table Lunch
October 5: Chili Cook-Off
October 13: Sunday Supper
December 7: Winter Market
A Splendid Night!
Our Annual Farm to Table Dinner and Silent Auction, held at the Farm last Saturday, Sept. 7, was a rousing success! A total 85 guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres in our courtyard followed by a sumptuous dinner, prepared by Head Chef Kelly Fahey and Sous Chef Taylor George from ingredients grown and raised on the Farm, in the historic Sanborn Barn. Throughout the evening, Tanjo and Crow (Tanner Bingaman and Allan Combs) serenaded guests with traditional roots and Appalachian tunes.
The event, one of the most popular on the Sanborn Mills Farm calendar, raised close to $10,000 for our Scholarship Fund, which helps students afford our workshops. Attendees watched videos and saw poster displays describing, in scholarship awardees’ own words, what their experiences at the Farm meant to them personally.
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Hungry? Competitive? Don’t Miss the Chili Cook-Off at the Farm, October 5
So you think your chili is something special? Let’s see how it does in a cook-off against neighbors and friends at Sanborn Mills Farm on Saturday, October 5.
The deadline to enter is coming fast, September 28. For those who want to enjoy the offerings in competition (and to vote on favorites) without entering a bowl, a ticket is just $10. Proceeds benefit the Sanborn Mills Farm Scholarship Fund.
Click here for more information and to sign up.
Upcoming Workshops of Interest
We are in the latter stage of Sanborn Mills Farm’s 2024 Workshop Program, but there are still several workshops on the schedule to choose from, going all the way into mid-November. Many of our workshops fill quickly, so if there’s a workshop or two that catches your interest, make a point to register soon. The full schedule of 2024 workshops is posted on our website here.
Here are three upcoming workshops that may be of particular interest to you. Click on the workshop title for more information and to register.
NOTE: Limited space is still available in Cyanotype Printing and Mindful Stitching (Oct. 5-6) and Blacksmithing Basics (Oct. 11-13).
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October 4-6
Instructor: Thomas Boucher
Making a simple chest lock is a great introduction to learning basic traditional locksmithing techniques. Many of the ideas and techniques covered in this workshop will build a good foundation for more advanced projects. This lock is perfect for reactors, restoring an old chest, or making a custom lock for a new wood working project.
Cold work is an important part of traditional locksmithing. Participants will lay out pieces to be made from sheet steel and produce those parts with cold working techniques utilizing various tools (including a couple tools they will make). The rough forged parts will be filed to shape. Filing is a huge part of this type of work. We will cover some files and techniques. Participants in this class should at least be well seasoned beginners that are comfortable in the forge, having taken at least a basic forging class and spent some time practicing those skills. Experience with filing and cold work is a huge plus.
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October 19-20
Instructor: Jo Hesse
Taking shorn wool and recreating the structure that it had when it was attached to the sheep’s body is one of the most edifying experiences in felt-making. It will teach you, very viscerally, what felt is and how it works. This course is an ideal introduction to the craft. And if you already have experience making felt but have worked only with processed wool, this class will offer a deeper understanding of the material. Felt-making is a study of patience, and each step in the process is slow. We will have lots of time to discuss the domestication and evolution of wool-producing animals, the qualities of various sheep breeds’ coats, the history of wool processing technologies, and the nature of felt and other nonwoven fabrics. The fleeces we will use come from the Farm’s Border Leicester sheep. We will produce a small seat pad, but you will leave with skills that can be used to make larger rugs or wall hangings or which can be integrated into other types of felt making projects.
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Draft Animal: Logging with Oxen
October 19-20
Instructors: Ray Ramsey & Tyler Allen
In this workshop, instructors Ray Ramsey and Tyler Allen will demonstrate each piece of equipment, focusing on driver and animal safety and efficiency. Much of the training will be based upon the day-to-day work at Sanborn Mills Farm, in which oxen singles and teams haul fire wood and saw logs from deep in the woods along trails to the main road. The function of a logging forecart, scoot, and go-devil will be explained before heading out to the woods with the animals. Proper use of a peavey for rolling logs and the correct way to hook logs with choker chains – both to a cart and by twitching (ground skidding) – also will be covered. The workshop will move at a pace agreeable for all students. Instructors will take time to work safely and explain each function in detail. Participants are encouraged to bring a team to the farm and should contact Ray Ramsey at least three weeks prior to the workshop start date to discuss this possibility. Out-of-state cattle must have a state health certificate from a veterinarian. (No intact bulls over the age of 8 months are permitted on the Farm.)
Photo Credits
Top photo and Farm to Table Dinner photos by Craig Mabie.
Chili photo: public domain.
Workshop photos courtesy the instructors.
Sanborn Mills Inc. | (603) 435-7314 | info@sanbornmills.org | www.sanbornmills.org
Hands-on education in traditional craft and farming: Inspiring the future with tools from the past.
Sanborn Mills Farm | 7097 Sanborn Road | Loudon, NH 03307 US