From the Earth
Saturday, July 28th,
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Alfred, NY
From the Earth celebrates rural living around the hills of
Alfred, New York. It is a celebration of
our connections to the land in meaningful, creative, sustainable, and
educational ways. Visit seven locations
offering talks and workshops on the subjects of farming, gardening, natural
history, bird watching, beekeeping, cheese making, timber framing, solar power,
permaculture, raising sheep, nature poetry, weaving, natural dyeing, and fiber
arts. This eleventh annual will have an
impressive total of fourteen presentations led by knowledgeable experts who
have volunteered their time for this free event. From the Earth is family friendly and created
with a labor of love and respect for the Earth.
Have a “passport” signed at four or more locations and enter to win a
gift basket of goodies donated by From the Earth participants.
A. “Early” Bird
Walk with Betsy Brooks Foster Lake, 5471 Lake Road, Alfred
Bird expert Betsy Brooks will guide a leisurely “Bird Walk”
around Foster Lake from 8:00 - 9:15. You will see and/or hear some of the
special birds that nest in the Adirondack-like habitat around the lake. There will be handouts available about
building nest boxes, as well as about how to create a bird friendly habitat in
your yard. Meet in the Foster Lake parking lot at 8:00 am. (Foster Lake will not
be open all day and all the other locations open at 9:00 am.)
B. Mary Lu Wells’ Gardens
4981 McAndrews Road, Alfred
Vegetable and flower gardens will be open all day.
At 9:30 - 10:15 Master Gardener Mary Lu Wells will give a
talk on “Berries in your Landscape and Garden”.
Take a walk with her to see a dozen examples of how to include berry
bearing trees and shrubs in your landscape, woods, and gardens.
C. Gardens and
Pottery in the Sugar Shed: Linda Huey and David Dronsick1530 Randolph Road, Alfred
Open all day, including a “Treasure Hunt in the Garden”. Twelve small fantasy clay animals made by Linda Huey will be hidden in the garden surrounded by a twig fence. Find one and take it home.
The farm is open all day for tours.
The shop will be open all day for tours.
Open all day, including a “Treasure Hunt in the Garden”. Twelve small fantasy clay animals made by Linda Huey will be hidden in the garden surrounded by a twig fence. Find one and take it home.
At 10:30 Rhebeka Hyland will lead a “Natural History
Keeping” workshop on the edge of the woods.
To know ourselves, to know our own deepest roots, we must have a certain
intimacy with the natural world that exists alongside us. This brief session will introduce how to keep
a naturalist’s notebook, both as a tool for knowledge, and as a practice that
facilitates a deeper caring for the place we are in.
At 1:30 – 2:15 Jessica Hutchison, agriculture instructor at
Alfred State College, will give a “Composting
Talk” that will include the science of composting and how homeowners can
set up their own system. We will meet by
the compost bin near the sugar shed.
At 3:30 - 4:15 participate in a “Poetry in Nature” workshop.
Join us for a fun and creative poetry writing exercise influenced by nature in
a setting at the edge of the woods.
Adults and children are welcome (kids under 12 please bring your
favorite adult). Come and be inspired to
write poetry, or simply play with words, with the expert guidance of Heather
Hallberg Yanda who is the author of the forthcoming collection, Late Summer’s
Origami, and a senior lecturer in English at Alfred University.
D. Sunny Cove Farm: Snyder Family organic dairy
farm
1444 Randolph Road, Alfred The farm is open all day for tours.
At 11:00 – 12:00, Bill Coch will present a “Cheese Making”
workshop that will include how to make ricotta cheese used in many Italian
dishes, and paneer, the cheese used in many Indian dishes. Throughout the demonstration samples for
tasting will be available, along with fresh cheese curd and feta made from
Sunny Cove Farm milk.
At 2:30 – 3:15 Jerry
Snyder will give a “Farmer’s Bookshelf” talk where he will share what books
have helped and encouraged him as a farmer who is passionate about real food
and food freedom. He will explain the
influence of reading to the success of Sunny Cove Farm and the many benefits of
reading for you as a consumer. At 4:15 - 5:00 Tom McDowell will offer his
“Beekeeping Experiences” with the extraction and bottling of honey. Along with
his hands-on demonstration of both processes, he will provide background
information about honey bees, honey production, and beekeeping in general.
E. Woolly Star Farm: Kristin Poppo and Peter Callahan
4723 McAndrews Road, Alfred
The farm and gardens will be open all day.
At 11:30 – 12:15 Kristin Poppo will talk about “Primitive
Sheep Breeds”. While many livestock
breeds are increasingly bred for specific uses, primitive breeds often serve
many functions. This presentation will
introduce participants to a primitive breed of Icelandic sheep. Everyone will have the opportunity to pick,
card, and felt wool. The sheep are a little shy, but will eat grain from one’s
hand.
At 12:30 – 1:15 Peter Callahan will take you on a
“Permaculture Walk”. Permaculture is a
design system for creating sustainable human environments. During this walk, the principles supporting
permaculture will be observed and explored in the landscape. The process of designing an integrated
cultivated food and energy system will be discussed.
F. Hyland Timber Framing Shop
4964 Kenyon Road, AlfredThe shop will be open all day for tours.
At 10:30 – 11:15 and 12:30 – 1:15, Sean Hyland will talk
about “Timber Framing through the Ages”.
From the earliest Neolithic pit dwellings to the wonders of the medieval
cathedral to the ubiquitous barns which still dot our countryside today,
mankind has crafted its structures from the forest. From humble beginnings, it has been elevated
to an art and a science along the way.
Visit a modern timber framing shop and learn the roots of this ancient
craft and how it is being carried into the future.
At 1:30 – 2:15, “Solar Electric Systems” will be discussed
by Sean Kelley, instructor at Alfred State College in the electricians
program. Have you heard of the solar
revolution? Or seen solar panels on a
neighbor’s house? This is your chance to
learn more about it. Topics of
discussion will include: site selection
and mounting options, system configurations, available incentives, and a
detailed financial breakdown.
G. Locustbrae Gardens: Debbie MacCrea
1664 Waterwells Road, Alfred
Gardens open all day.
Southern Tier Fiber Arts Guild demonstrations will occur throughout the
day, including spinning, knitting, felting, simple weaving, etc., with many
items on display. A group needle felting
project will offer a hands-on opportunity.
At 2:30 – 3:15 Master Gardener Debbie MacCrea will give an
explanation of the process of natural dyeing.
“Roots of Color” will involve several natural dye pots that she will be
brewing all day.
Flyers with map can be obtained on or before the event at:
Tinkertown Hardware, 833 State Rt. 244, Alfred Station, NY
Rain or shine!
For more information:
607-587-9877