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News and Updates from Sanborn Mills Farm
Celebrate Heritage and Handcraft at Open Farm Day
Step back in time and experience the traditions of New England craftsmanship and agriculture at our annual Open Farm Day, happening Saturday, June 14, from 10 AM to 3 PM in Loudon, New Hampshire. This family-friendly event offers visitors the rare opportunity to see traditional skills in action, explore the farm’s historic buildings, and connect with the vibrant community that keeps these time-honored practices alive.
This year’s event will showcase an extraordinary lineup of skilled artisans and demonstrators. Watch Claude Dupuis turn wood into elegant bowls in our woodworking studio, while blacksmiths Garry Kalajian and Ashen Carey fire up the forges in both the teaching studio and the historic Old Blacksmith Shop.
In Sanborn Barn, Nik Beauchemin will be crafting hand-bound books while Jill Hawkins creates delicate bobbin lace and Kristen Lukach expertly shapes natural brooms. Larry Antonuk will demonstrate the intricate art of fly tying, while Patty Williams showcases flax processing. You’ll also see Lisa Almeida’s hand-tapestry weaving and Linda Ruel Flynn preserving floral beauty through the art of flower pressing. Emmett O’Carroll will be demonstrating traditional lime plastering techniques in the Grange. These demonstrations offer a rare, up-close look at the hand skills that once defined daily life in rural New England—and continue to inspire artists and makers today.
In addition to artisan demonstrations, visitors can enjoy oxen demonstrations, explore an antique equipment display, and take a relaxing horse-drawn wagon ride around the scenic property. Both the Grist Mill and Sawmill will be operating throughout the day, and guided garden tours will be offered at 11 AM and 1 PM.
For those looking to bring a bit of the farm home, there will be veggie and plant sales featuring Sanborn Mills Farm’s seasonal offerings. And don’t miss a delicious farm-fresh lunch prepared by Chef Kelly and her staff, available on-site.
Stream Garden
Thank you to everyone who was able to make it to our first community event last Friday. The Stream Garden Tour, led by Head Gardener Helen Westergren, was a great success. The weather was lovely, and the company was equally as pleasant. We look forward to seeing you all at our next community event. A Cultivating Demonstration will take place at 11 AM next Thursday at the Merrill Farm. For more information, please visit our events page on our website.
Farm to Fabric and Spoon Carving
Join a 3-day immersive workshop where you’ll follow the journey of raw wool to finished fiber product, starting with a visit to the SMF flock and an introduction to their unique wool.
Discover the joy of greenwood carving in this hands-on spoon carving workshop, where you’ll learn traditional Swedish slöjd techniques, tool use, and design fundamentals.
Sanborn Mills Farm | www.sanbornmills.org
Sanborn Mills Farm | 7097 Sanborn Road | Loudon, NH 03307 US