Monday, January 25th
Presbyterian Church, SOUTH RYEGATE
All classes: $20 – 40 sliding scale. All proceeds benefit Rural Vermont.
Pre-registration is required, and class size is limited. Get in touch TODAY to reserve your spot!
To sign up, call Rural Vermont or email shelby@ruralvermont.org.
On a cold and wintery day in December, thirteen folks from the South Ryegate community gathered at the Presbyterian Church for an afternoon of dairy processing, led by local farmer Maryellen Davis of Foxwell Farm. Some of the products they made and sampled included apricot and herbed chevres and a fruity kefir smoothie. December class participant Carolyn of Morrison’s Feed Bag described the class as a “…great program, educating communities and supporting small farmers!”
After this sold out session in December, Rural Vermont is excited to host an encore class in South Ryegate! Join Maryellen Davis and Rural Vermont for another introductory raw dairy processing class on Monday, January 25th. The class will be held from 1-4 p.m. at the South Ryegate Presbyterian Church. Spend the afternoon learning how to make Chevre and Kefir (a probiotic, fermented milk product similar to yogurt) from delicious, local raw goats’ milk. Maryellen will guide the class through making (and tasting!) these two products. The class will cover dairy processing basics, and will include information about how and where to purchase raw milk in your area. Afterwards, weather permitting, everyone will be invited to Foxwell Farm in Newbury for a tour and to meet the goats!
Foxwell Farm, tucked away in the hills of western Newbury, Vermont, is home to Maryellen Davis, her husband, and their nine Oberhasli dairy goats. Oberhasli goats are a Swiss breed that used to be known as Swiss Alpine. They are a medium sized goat with a red coat and black trim on their heads, legs and underparts. Oberhasli goats are calm, friendly and easy to milk. At Foxwell Farm, they are fed hand-mixed organic grains, vitamins, minerals and freshly ground flax seed meal daily. The goats have access to grass and brush and in the winter are fed the best second cutting hay available. As a result, they happily give their rich, great tasting milk that makes outstanding cheeses full of healthful nutrients.
Pre-registration is required for this class and spaces are limited—please be in touch to reserve your place! The fee for the course is $20-40 sliding scale, and all proceeds will benefit Rural Vermont. For more information or to sign up, give Rural Vermont a call at (802) 223-7222 or email shelby@ruralvermont.org.