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News and Updates from Sanborn Mills Farm
Daily Chores on the Farm
Although the craft programs and events are over for the season here at the farm plenty of work is being done during these cold long winter months. The teamsters at Sanborn Mills Farm are dedicated to keeping the farm running smoothly throughout the year, even during the off-season. Their work goes beyond seasonal tasks, involving daily responsibilities that ensure the well-being of the farm’s animals and the maintenance of essential farm operations.
Each day begins around 7 a.m. where the first stop is to feed Duke, a shorthorn oxen. After ensuring his water is checked and replenished they move up the road to the Grano Barn, where they care for two more pairs of oxen. Chase and Rubbles, a pair of Devon oxen, and Buck and Blaze a pair of Brown Swiss/Holstein crosses. The farm’s nine Australorp laying hens also receive their morning feed and fresh water.
Next, the teamsters visit Joe Merrill’s Farm to tend to the draft horses Pete and Bill. Pete, a European Belgian, and Bill, an American Belgian, are fed and watered. Then Rough and Tough, another pair of Devon oxen receive their care, along with the farm’s flock of Border Leicester sheep.
The teamsters share the responsibility of daily chores, working together to ensure every animal’s needs are met. The animals, in turn, adapt to the challenging winter weather by hunkering down and turning their backs to the wind. Horses, sheep, and oxen have access to run-in sheds and barns, allowing them to be sheltered when necessary.
Sanborn Mills Farm’s teamsters exemplify hard work and dedication. Their daily efforts, even on weekends and in challenging weather, ensure the farm remains a thriving and nurturing environment for the animals.
We are now accepting applications for our 2025 internships. This year we are once again offering internships on the farm and for the first time ever we are offering a hospitality internship that will work closely with the Head Chef and the Head of Housekeeping. The internships at Sanborn Mills Farm offer immersive, hands-on educational experiences with the backdrop of our beautiful historic farm. The Farm internship focuses on teaching the art and skill of traditional New England farming, where interns cultivate produce and meats for the kitchen and CSA customers while honing their abilities in traditional agriculture. Additionally, they collaborate with the Sanborn Mills teamsters to integrate draft animal power into various farming operations. Meanwhile, the Hospitality internship emphasizes the culinary and hospitality industry, with interns working under the guidance of the Head Chef and Head of Housekeeping. Their role involves ensuring guests have a memorable and enjoyable stay by assisting in all aspects of hospitality operations on the farm. Internships run for 13 weeks from June through August. Shared housing is available in the Red House which includes a private room, a shared bath, and a fully equipped kitchen for preparing meals. More information, including how to apply, can be found on our website
Iron As Clay and Spring Herbal Medicine Making
Back by popular demand! The 2024 one-day clinic was so successful that we’re now offering it as a two-day workshop. Iron has surprising plasticity. It can be pushed, twisted, and stretched into beautiful forms, just like clay. This two-day workshop will be an exploration of iron’s ability to transform shape and dimension. We’ll create early Baroque leaves, small dragon heads, and free-form elements. We’ll learn how to view iron as a three-dimensional sculpting material, and boldly forge it as such. This class will make your decorative ironwork pop! Anyone with some experience forging (whether a little or a lot) is welcome. Bring your favorite hammer and a willingness to go bold! All workshops run from 9 AM- 5 PM with an hour for lunch in the middle of the day.
Spring is a time of rebirth and emergence. As flowers begin to bloom and bits of green pop up between sidewalk cracks, the season offers a sense of renewal and excitement. Our bodies crave care in that transition into spring, which the earth provides in the form of wild greens and bitter roots. In this daylong workshop, we will learn the basics of herbal medicine making and spring self-care. We will start with a plant ID walk to get to know the wild and weedy plants of Sanborn Mills Farm, harvesting some to craft tonics to keep us well through the spring season. We will discuss herbal energetics and get to know the plants on an embodied level. Expect to make and take home a nourishing spring vinegar, an herbal bitters blend for digestive support, a gardener’s hand salve.
Sanborn Mills Farm | www.sanbornmills.org
Sanborn Mills Farm | 7097 Sanborn Road | Loudon, NH 03307 US