Well Holiday Open House has come and gone and it was quite a success. We had many people stop by and enjoy some chestnuts that we were roasting atop of this old pot belly stove that Tim had and it doubled as a way to stay warm especially Saturday, boy was it cold out there! We planned a Victorian theme but my dress did not arrive on time so maybe next year.
We had everyone who attended decorate our little tree that was taken from the top of a Douglas Fir we just had to take down because it was dying. All the ornaments are edible and will be left out for the "wild ones" to enjoy! On the Winter Solstice, since my kids were little, it is tradition here to decorate the back yard for the wildlife as a gift to them.
Many of those who visited over the past couple of days helped to support us by purchasing things in our farmstand. The eggs were a big seller as well as many other items in the store. We sold many hats, gloves, vinegars, soaps, and felting kits.
As you can see we had many bare shelves because a lot of people bought many of the items we had made right here on our farm. We'd like to thank everyone who stopped by and enjoyed chestnuts, made card boxes, talked to me about bee keeping, the Alpacas and Sheep. We hope everyone enjoys the coming holidays as we look toward the year to come!
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| Victorian Farm Christmas |
We will be having a Holiday Open House along with some other area farms:
"Victorian Farm Christmas" will be the theme of Coon Hollow Farm for Holiday Open House. Come and join us as we celebrate the harder but easier times of the Victorian farm people. We will have chestnuts roasting, carols to sing as well as decorations such as strung fruits. Also on hand will be our Alpacas and Sheep, Chickens or just come and talk to Dawn about Beekeeping! Also on hand spinning, make a Holiday Gift Box from old Christmas cards and felting demos. Our shop will be open with many of hoilday gifts, fiber, yarn for knitters, soaps, felting kits, alpaca garments, eggs, etc. We are located at 156 Punkup Rd, Oxford. We will open Sat Nov 27 and Sunday Nov 28 from 10 to 4. Please visit our blog www.CoonHollowFarm.blogspot.com or call 203-881-1986 for more info.
"Alpaca Farm Holidays" will be the theme for Hubbell Farm at French’s Corner in Shelton (White Hills) which is an 1825 farm that retains its original barns and outbuildings, vintage tractors and farm equipment. Visitors can view alpacas, a llama and sheep and purchase herbs, herbal products, sachets, dream pillows, alpaca and sheep raw fiber, yarn, felting kits, soap and more. We will be open Nov 27th and 28th from 9 to 5. Also available is roving in natural colors from the farm’s sheep and alpacas and wool dyed on the farm. Those seeking additional information may call 203-929-2052.
"Christmas on the Farm" at Alpaca Hill Farm, 8 Willow Street in Seymour, CT. Meet our alpacas, Great Pyrenees, Kramer and muscovy ducks. You can shop at our farm store and buy warm alpaca garments, alpaca gifts and ornaments, yarn, roving, felt and other items for the holiday season. Enjoy a warm beverage and take a picture with an alpaca for your Christmas cards. Alpaca hats, socks and gloves are soft, hypoallergenic and toasty warm for the winter. Please celebrate the joy of the season with a visit to our farm. We will be open on Friday and Saturday November 26th and 27th from 10-5. Also Saturdays December 4,11 and 18 from 10-5.
"Log Cabin Prairie Christmas" is the theme for Dream Come True Farm, 82 Freeman Rd Oxford who will celebrate the holiday season November 27th and 28th 11am-4pm. Join in the fun and stop by and help decorate our tree by bringing an ornament and for each ornament we will donate .50 towards a toy for toys for tots. Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus who will arrive 12:30 pm. on Sunday. Educational hands on displays, pictures on the tractor, demos and learn all about our sheep, goats, llamas, ponies and alpacas. Our shop is ready for holiday shopping filled with gift items including alpaca products, glass jewelry, goat soap, wooden treasures and lots of handspun yarns. Truly a knitters dream come true! Visit us at www.pamsfiber.blogspot.com or call for more info 203-736-2630.
"Alpaca Farm Christmas" will take place at Alpacaboose Farm at 12 East St., Oxford. They will be open on Sat Nov 27 from 11 to 4 and Sunday Nov 28 from 11 to 3. The farm features female alpacas and products made from their fiber. Spinning and needle felting demonstrations are planned. Those seeking additional information may call Ron or Rose East, 203-888-4695.
**In the event of bad weather please contact the farms to see if they are open.**
We are busy at work here on the farm getting ready for Victorian Farm Holiday Open House! We will be open Saturday November 27th and Sunday November 28 from 10 to 4. If all goes well Tim and I will be decked out in the Victorian Farm era. We will have traditional Victorian Christmas music as well as a pot belly stove roasting chestnuts. There will be traditional Christmas decorations and
the store will be stocked with many holiday gifts all from our farm. So come by and join us as well as the other local farms that we will post later in the week. Most also will be having a holiday theme!
An interesting phenomenon happens this time of year in the bee hives, the workers expel the drones because they are free loaders and have no purpose in the winter hive. They are dragged out of the hive and left to die in the cold. These are the males of the hive and they only eat and breed, they do no work in the hive at all. New drones are layed by the queen in the Spring so they are expendable at this time of year. In the picture, which is the base of an outer feeder the bees put not only drones but other bees that must have lived out their life cycles. This sign always tells me that winter is here, even if the calender says other wise.
Check out this very cool dying rack that my friend Donna found on the side of the road that someone was throwing out. It appears to be very old and has Columbia Yarn Co printed on it. It is held together at the bottom with old fashioned cotter pins and the side are held together with a clamp like system. I looked it up on line and did some searches but nothing came up. If anyone can date it for me let me know.
So today was a beautiful fall day and I got the dye pots out and went to work dying some white Alpaca that I had spun and double plyed. I reached into the dye box and pulled out turquoise and cherry red. I also dyed some white wool for felting. The new drying rack sure did come in handy!
Well as long as it took us to name "Giles", he quickly went to his new home in Hope, Maine today to continue his legacy as an Olde English "Babydoll" Southdown sheep.
He is such a sweet ram, which he inherited his disposition from his gentle and sweet father.
As soon as he gets to Maine after his 5 hour long road trip, a good meal and a good nights rest he will go to work improving his bloodline and making more "Babydoll" Southdown lambs. We are very pleased that he is from our farm and wish him the best.
He will have such a hard life, eating, sleeping, drinking and breeding, oh poor "Giles" what will you do with all that responsiblity?
We had everyone who attended decorate our little tree that was taken from the top of a Douglas Fir we just had to take down because it was dying. All the ornaments are edible and will be left out for the "wild ones" to enjoy! On the Winter Solstice, since my kids were little, it is tradition here to decorate the back yard for the wildlife as a gift to them.
Many of those who visited over the past couple of days helped to support us by purchasing things in our farmstand. The eggs were a big seller as well as many other items in the store. We sold many hats, gloves, vinegars, soaps, and felting kits.
As you can see we had many bare shelves because a lot of people bought many of the items we had made right here on our farm. We'd like to thank everyone who stopped by and enjoyed chestnuts, made card boxes, talked to me about bee keeping, the Alpacas and Sheep. We hope everyone enjoys the coming holidays as we look toward the year to come!
