Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26 at 10 a.m.—WOODSTOCK—It’s time to gather the flock and “herd” on down to the pastures of Billings Farm & Museum, 69 Old River Road, Woodstock. There will be live demonstrations of the processes that transform raw wool to beautiful fiber products.
From fleece to fiber wonders, visitors of all ages will follow the steps of wool processing and collect stamps on their Sheep-to-Yarn Passport along the way. Guests will be guided through interactive stations, from cleaning fleeces at the skirting and washing stations to aligning fibers at the carding station. A colorful display of dyed skeins of yarn will showcase the final transformation of raw wool.
Inside the Historic Events Barn, visitors can explore the creative possibilities of fiber arts. Aker Fiber Farm’s Patty Williams will offer drop spindle and wheel spinning demonstrations, with an opportunity for guests to try their hand at the craft. An array of fiber arts demonstrations will include felting, knitting, crocheting, and weaving on a loom, and guests will have the chance to make a woolen bracelet to take home.
Additionally, the thought-provoking “Portraits of Resilience: Farming in a Changing Climate” exhibition will showcase what farmers in the local area are doing to address climate change.
The timeless art of sheep herding will be highlighted by Morse Brook Farm’s shepherdess Liz Shaw and her team of border collies, alongside their flock of sheep. Guests will learn about the role that dogs play on the farm and watch them expertly work the sheep in live herding demonstration.
As guests explore the site, they can take in the boldly painted patterns of our Barn Quilt Exhibition that adorn our historic barns and buildings. Local sheep’s milk cheeses from Fat Sheep VT will be available to sample on Saturday and guests can visit the Green Mountain Girls Farm Stand for delicious farm-fresh food available for purchase throughout the weekend. Culinary enthusiasts will enjoy learning how to make sheep’s milk ricotta in the Learning Kitchen.
Plus, there will be story time with a sheep and sheep education programs.
The Woodstock Pizza Chef will be serving up slices for purchase throughout the weekend and guests can enjoy a sweet treat of Vermont-made ice cream or savory snacks from the Farmhouse Scoop shop,
Schedule
10:30 a.m. Story Time with a Sheep
11 a.m., 1 p.m. & 3p.m. Border Collie Herding Demonstrations
12 p.m. & 2 p.m. Ricotta Cheese Making Class
2:30 p.m. & 4 p.m. Sheep Education Programs
Volunteer opportunities available! Have fun, get benefits and be part of the action! Shifts available from 9 a.m.– 1 p.m. or 1 p.m.– 5 p.m. on both days.
For more information, visit: billingsfarm.org or call 802-457-2355.
