Goat Cheese - Coming Soon!

The dairy inspectors arrived this morning and stayed for two hours. Everything we had done passed inspection and the final one should be in about two weeks - - waiting on my milking stand to be completed and our new TRUE refrigerator is waiting on parts for repair :( The cheese making should begin in July!

Let Us Recycle Your Egg Cartons!

OK, I'm begging, we are in need of egg cartons and flats (cardboard or styrofoam).

Think of us before you toss!

We sell fresh eggs from our 60 pasture raised hens along with other local foods and gifts in our farm store, which is open 7 days a week.

Buffalo Creek Farm & Creamery, LLC

3255 Buffalo Creek Farm  Road

Germanton, NC 27019

336.969.5698

Hog Day & Got to be NC Fest

30TH ANNUAL HILLSBOROUGH HOG DAY  
Family event featuring two tons of fresh-cooked barbecue, musical entertainment, children's games and inflatables, pony rides, vintage and classic car displays, arts and crafts, food, beer garden, merchandise vendors, Hog Day souvenirs and more. BBQ cooking contest begins May 18th at 6pm. Event runs Friday, May 18, 6 pm - 9 pm and Saturday, May 19, 9 am - 6 pm. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. Free Admission.




GOT TO BE NC FEST
Come enjoy a mix of food, music, carnival rides and games, antique farm equipment and grandstand entertainment. Sample and buy food and wine from dozens of NC companies in the Food Expo, and treat your kids to the petting zoo, pony rides and racing pigs. Check out the fabulous grandstand shows.
Music, vintage crafts, tournaments, car show and daily tractor parade. Admission is FREE.

"Celebrating Historic Herbs" Spring Festival & Pottery Fair at Old Salem

Old Salem Museums & Gardens is hosting its annual Spring Festival, which has a "Celebrating Historic Herbs" theme in combination with a Pottery Fair.

Spring Festival: "Celebrating Historic Herbs"
Saturday May 19, 2012
9:30am - 4:30pm
Old Salem Historic District

Used for medicinal remedies, culinary flavorings, dye materials, and much more, herbs were a very important part of life in the 18th and 19th century. Join us at Old Salem as we explore the many uses of herbs, and their place in our gardens.

Activities include:
- Garden viewings
- Make your own Lavender Sweet Bag
- Medicinal uses for herbs in our apothecary
- Plant your own herb to take home
- Hearth Cooking using herbs
- Dyeing with herbs
- Outside speakers and demonstrations
- Special Presentation: "Savory and Sweet Herbs: Beginnings and Endings for Spectacular Meals" by Katherine K. Schlosser @ 2:00pm in the Single Brothers' Workshop

All activities are included with the purchase of an All-In-One ticket. Purchase a ticket online or at the Visitors Center (900 Old Salem Road)

For more information, please contact (336) 721-7350 or info@oldsalem.org


Pottery Fair on the SquareSaturday, May 19, 2012
10:00am - 5:00pm
Salem Square
(S. Main St at Academy St)

At the 2nd annual Old Salem Pottery Fair on the Square, potters from across North Carolina will sell their utilitarian and art pottery at booths on Salem Square. This event coincides with Old Salem's annual Spring Festival, which has a "Celebrating Historic Herbs" theme this year, and Salem College's 2012 Commencement.

The Pottery Fair on the Square is the only pottery show in Forsyth County. Last year, approximately 35 potters participated. Hand-crafted pottery is an excellent, unique gift for spring graduates and summer brides and grooms.

Admission is FREE to this event. In the event of rain and/or strong wind, the Fair will be relocated to the concourse of the Old Salem Visitor Center, 900 Old Salem Road.



Also, while you're at Old Salem... stop by the Old Salem Cobblestone Farmers Market! 

The market will be from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays though Nov. 19 at the corner of West and Salt streets, next to the Single Brothers' Garden. 

This is the first season for the market which is a partnership between Old Salem Museums & Gardens and Carolina Farm Stewardship Association.  It is a "producers-only farmers market" in which farmers use sustainable farming methods and humane practices in the production of meat products. 

You will see a lot of the same farm's who are at Cobblestone Farmers' Market at Krankies on Tuesdays, along with some new farms. 

We're not able to be away from our new farm store in order to sell at the farmer's market again this year, so you'll have to stop by the farm purchase our goat's milk soap.   Our store is open 7 days a week (9-6 Monday-Saturday, 1-6 Sunday, and by appointment).  In addition to the goat's milk soap we also sell our fresh eggs, farmstead meats (beef, lamb, and chicken), local foods and local gifts.  We'll be adding goat cheese and pasture raised pork, along with agritourism (tours of the farm) soon.  We're only 6 miles North of Winston-Salem, so it's definitely worth the short trip!

Plant & Seed Sale

Plant and seed sale set for Saturday: The Garden Spot of the World Club will hold its annual spring plant and seed sale on Saturday, April 28 from 8 a.m to noon at the Rural Hall Post Office. All proceeds will be used for community beautification projects. There will be vegetable plants, ferns, hanging baskets, annuals, perennials, shrubs, herbs, roses and gardening books and magazines for sale.

Reynolda House Community Day Celebration

Art! Games! Entertainment! Food! FREE! Reynolda House Museum of American Art will host a free Community Day celebration on Saturday, May 5 from noon to 3 p.m. The day will be themed around a Shakespearean pageant, and visitors are invited to enjoy a spring day of poetry, dance, food and games in the spirit of the pageants and outdoor dramas that took place on estates of the Country Place Era, including the Reynolda estate. The historic house will be open for touring, and guests may discover exhibitions in the bedroom galleries as well as "A Genius for Place: American Landscapes of the Country Place Era," on view in the Babcock Wing gallery. Outside, the Winston-Salem Festival Ballet will perform scenes from "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and The Children's Theatre of Winston-Salem will perform vignettes from several plays, including "Romeo and Juliet." In addition to art activities both inside and out, there will be a poetry tree, Elizabethan games and a scavenger hunt. In keeping with the theme of the day, families are invited to visit the Shakespearean Garden of Flowers and Verses planted in front of the historic house. For more information about Community Day and other events, please call 336.758.5150 or visit reynoldahouse.org. (#reynoldalandscape)

2012 Earth Day Fair

2012 Earth Day Fair

Saturday, Apr 28 10:00a

at Dixie Classic Fairgrounds,Winston-Salem, NC

The Piedmont Earth Day Fair is the Triad's largest Earth Day event. It's free and family-friendly with lots to offer, including live music all day, a variety of all-natural food options, hands-on demonstrations and children's activities. In addition, the Fair features 100+ exhibitors demonstrating the sustainable features of their products/services, highlighting local initiatives to protect our environment, and sharing their passion for sustainable solutions to modern day living!

Rabies Clinic

Rabies Vaccination Clinic hosted by Forsyth County Animal Control this Saturday, April 21st, 2012, from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds Barn (Gate 9 on 27th St.). Bring your dogs, cats and ferrets to be vaccinated for only $5.

Walking Food Tours

Walking Food Tours are held in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill/Carrboro, Hillsborough, Greensboro and Winston-Salem every Saturday all year long and are available on weekdays and weeknights by appointment.

WINSTON-SALEM
Thriving business, arts and music communities, amazing architecture, and fantastic restaurants define downtown Winston-Salem. But it`s the friendliness of the residents and a prevailing Southern character that creates a unique urban and independent vibe. On these guided tours, discover how chefs and owners are using locally-sourced ingredients to create masterful contemporary Southern dishes and treats.

Cheesemaking Classes at Sleepy Goat Farm

Sleepy Goat Farm Cheesemaking Classes
7215 Allison Rd
Pelham, NC 27311


Cheesemaking 101:  Join us for a fun-filled day of learning to make cheese in your own home! Stretch your dollar as you discover how easy it is to make fresh, soft cheese and the aging process to produce a lovely, firmer textured cheese.
Each day-long workshop is $125 and includes:
•hands-on instruction on making chevre and aged cheeses
•written instructions and supply lists for home use
•a starter kit for your first batch at home
•a delicious lunch with a sampling of our cheeses
•a copy of our cookbook, What Do I Do With It?
•the cheese you create!
Upcoming classes: May 12, June 2, June 16

Private Classes: A group (or single person) to make cheese of their choice for total $300.00 without lunch (with lunch $15.00/person). Offerings: chevre, feta, Cassatt, cheddar, washed curd (like Gouda), raw milk Cezanne, blue. We have some flexibility as to the timing and direction of the class, so call first to discuss your options.

Private Cheese Making: You are basically 'renting' the state-certified cheese making facilities (and the cheese maker) for the day and buying about 30-40 lbs of cheese depending on the make. One of our cheese makers will be present to direct the operation (conducted as a class for the novice but if you are experienced, that may not be needed). Because of the need for pressing,drying, and brining, the cheese must be picked up at a prearranged time a couple days later. The group can decide whether they want it waxed (an extra charge) or if they prefer to do the affinage (aging) themselves. Please call or email for details or ideas. It is a wonderful way for friends to have a profitable get together...a lot of fun and fellowship. You can make your goat (or cow/goat milk mixed) cheese for about 1/2 the price paid at farmers markets.
Chevre is a little different because it is a 3 day process: we can make it and hang it and one or more from your group can come and pack it (flavor it if you like) and take away to divide amoung yourselves. Please call or email for details or ideas. It is a wonderful way for friends to have a profitable get together...a lot of fun/ fellowship.
Upcoming classes: May 9-10, May 14-15, May 30-31, June 5-6, June 13-14, June 18-19

Fiber Faire

 

Fiber Faire 2012

First Annual Fiber Faire High Point Museum Sponsored by the High Point Historical Society Join us for a Journey into the History of the Crafts Saturday April 28, 2012 A Day of Fun for the Entire Family Bring the Kids to the Historical Park and introduce them to time-honored crafts of early High Point Demonstrations Spinning, Weaving Knitting, Crocheting Classes Knitting, Crocheting Felting, Nuno Felting Market Place Shopping Area Vendors Lots of Yarns, Looms and Wheels

Access to Museum & Park

FREE Admission

Market Place Admission
Cost $6.00 per person

FREE for High Point Historial Society Members

Historic Latta Plantation

Historic Latta Plantation
 5225 Sample Road , Huntersville NC 28078

Family Farm Day April 14th, 2012 (10am-4pm)

Bring the family out for a fun day on the farm! Meet the farm animals and enjoy numerous animal presentations throughout the day, make a craft, explore the plantation, and learn about honeybees. Children can visit the Farm Chores area and milk the cow, gather eggs, try the water bucket relay, and more! Free with regular site admission.

Spring Homeschool Day April 18, 2012 (10am-4pm)

Join us for this special event set aside for homeschoolers! The Great Wagon Road was a series of Native American pathways, used by settlers to travel between South Carolina and Pennsylvania. Prepare for an interactive journey as you travel as an immigrant from Pennsylvania, to your new homestead in North Carolina. This journey will take you all around the plantation grounds and teach you about the difficulties of 18th and 19th century travel, home remedies on the trail, hunting and gathering for food, and much more! Will you make it all the way to North Carolina? Come and see for yourself!
Cost is $6 per person, children 4 and under and members are free!
No Pre-registration Necessary

Latta Plantation Open Golf Tournament April 23, 2012

Support Latta Plantation as you enjoy a day of golf at The Point! Golf Tournament will be held at the Point Lake and Golf Club in Mooresville, NC and all proceeds will benefit Latta Place, Inc! Foursomes and Sponsorships are available. Click here for more information!

Civil War Soldier For a Day April 28, 2012 (10am-4pm)

Boys and girls ages 8-12 will be mustered into the Northern and Southern armies for a day! This one day version of our popular summer Civil War Soldier Camp will take children back in time for a Civil War experience they will never forget! After learning about soldier life, they will drill, battle, and end the day with a graduation ceremony. Children will receive a Civil War kepi (hat) to keep and other equipment will be loaned to them for the day. The cost is $40 per camper and pre-registration is required. Contact Matthew Waisner at 704-875-2312, ext. 305 or mwaisner@lattaplantation.org for more information. Click here for registration form!

World War II Reenactment May 5 -6 (10am-4pm), 2012

Remember the sacrifices of Americans who fought in World War II. The battle each day at 2:00pm will take place in 1945 Germany. Demonstrations throughout the weekend will include, On the Front Line, On Patrol, Weapons Training, Knowing Your Enemy, POW Interrogation, and a Mortar Demo. Explore the grounds and visit the Allied and Axis camps and learn about the USSO in the plantation house. Admission is $7 per person, ages 5 and under free. World War II Veterans admitted free. Other veterans receive $1 discount.

Easter Goodies

We have lots of Easter ideas for your loved ones. Goat's milk soap bunny wash cloths, Easter themed goat's milk soap gift sets, glass candles with peeps, bunnies and goat kids on them and more . . .

Goodies for your loved of all ages!

Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
3255 Buffalo Creek Farm Road
Germanton, NC 27019

336.969.5698

Have You "Signed" Yet?

A quick reminder for you to sign the peitition to "Save St. Philips," the oldest historic church here in Germanton, NC

It just take a minute to type in your name and "sign" it!

http://www.change.org/petitions/help-keep-st-philip-s-in-germanton

You can learn more about the church and why it might be moved on http://www.savestphilips.org

Rabies Clinic

IMPORTANT: There will a rabies clinic, Saturday, Aril 14 at Mount Olive Elementary School from 9 - Noon. $8.00 cash only. 

You do not have to live in Stokes County to get your dog vaccinated at this event!

2012 Piedmont Farm Tour

2012 Piedmont Farm Tour: America's Biggest Sustainable Farm Tour!

Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29
Farms open from 1-5pm
Come learn about the Triangle's local and organic farm & food scene.
Meet local farmers & tour their farms!

To Take the Tour:Load up a car with your friends and family, choose the farms on the map you'd like to visit and get out in the countryside! The tour is self-guided and farms and sites are located throughout the Triangle in Alamance, Chatham, Durham, Orange, and Person counties. Visit any farm in any order.

And, don't forget to take a cooler so that you can take home some of the farm fresh products for sale at many farms!

Farm Tour Brochure (.pdf) - Read about the farms, lots of maps, & more!

Interactive Map - Read about the farms, plan your stops and get driving directions!

Buy Your Tickets
1. Advance tickets are $25 per car for ALL farms, ALL weekend.





Buy your Farm Tour Button!

Buy your Combo Farm Tour Button and CFSA Membership!

Buy your Combo Farm Tour Button and CFSA Donation!

> You can now purchase your tickets at our tour co-sponsor, Weaver Street Market, at their locations in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough, and at Chatham Marketplace in Pittsboro, and Harmony Farms in Raleigh.

2. DAY OF THE TOUR TICKETS are $30 for all farms, $10 per farm (Buy buttons at the first farm you visit.)


To Volunteer:
Volunteer one afternoon and attend the whole tour for FREE! Volunteers get an insider
view of farms, have lots of fun and get a free T-shirt!

Email Fred to volunteer!

Special Tour for Young and Beginning FarmersIf you are a beginning farmer (less than 10 years experience), you can take our VIP minibus tour for just $3!
This gets you a ride with special guest experts, materials, a button for taking the farm tour the other day, snacks, and prizes.
We will meet at Fifth Season Gardening in Carrboro at 12:45, back by 5 PM.
This is a very limited offer and will sell out soon.
Buy your ticket now!
Saturday's Horticulture Tour: We'll focus on horticulture at Turtle Run Farm, Millarckee Farm and Harland's Creek Farm. Eric Soderholm, CFSA's Organic Transition Coordinator, will be your host.
Sunday's Livestock Tour: We'll focus on livestock at Hogan's Magnolia View Farm (not on the regular tour), Coon Rock Farm and Walters Unlimited at Carls-Beth Farm. Tim Holmes, Lead Certifier for Animal Welfare Approved, and Amy Saltmarsh of NCSU, will be your hosts.
Note that this will be a technical training event and is not open to children or non-farmers. One tour event max per person. Many thanks to our sponsor the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture and grant partner the National Center for Appropriate Technology.
Questions: Contact the CFSA office at 919-542-2402 or email Fred.

> Check out this excellent video by the Interfaith Food Shuttle's Mitra Sticklen about their Young Farmer Training Program Apprentice Tour during the 2011 Piedmont Farm Tour!

Questions?The tour is both an educational event and a fundraiser for CFSA, a 33-year old a non-profit organization that helps people in the Carolinas grow and eat local, organic food by advocating for fair farm and food policies, building the systems that family farmers need to thrive and educating communities about local, organic farming. Weaver Street Market has been an essential partner in building the Piedmont Farm Tour into a Triangle institution.

Questions? Call CFSA 919.542.2402.

Proudly sponsored by:

Celebrate St Phiip's Church

Join Friends of St. Philip's of Germanton, NC at a celebration on May 5th for a tour of the historic church. While you're in town stop by Germanton Gallery & Winery and our store too!

The details from Save St Philip's Church website...

Come out to learn more about who St. Philip was and the history of St. Philip's Church in Germanton. The Friends of St. Philip's of Germanton is hosting its first event, which will be a program and walking tour.

The event is held in conjunction with Painting North Carolina and Stokesarts Plein Air, where artists from all over the country will be painting scenes from Germanton and Stokes County before moving on to an afternoon of painting and a live auction at Moon Lake Retreat. Many of the artists have expressed interest in painting St. Philip's. An auction of those paintings will be held to benefit the Friends of St. Philip's at a later date in Germanton.
Join us at 10 am at Germanton United Methodist Church for a short program before conducting a walking tour of Germanton.

Many thanks to our sponsors - Preserve Historic Forsyth, Germanton Gallery and the Stokes County Arts Council.

NC State University's College of Veterinary Medicine Open House

Open House 2012...We're Back!!

Participate in one of the events celebrating NC State University's 125th anniversary and learn how transforming animal health is a tradition at the College of Veterinary Medicine. The 2012 Open House will provide an insider’s view into one of the nation’s top-ranked veterinary programs as the College of Veterinary Medicine opens its doors from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 31.
The Open House will feature exhibits, opportunities to get up close with various animals large and small, special demonstrations, and chances to talk with faculty and students. Fun and informative tour stops explain the connection between animal and human health, advances in veterinary medicine, best care practices for the family pet, and what it takes to become a veterinarian.

Tour stops popular with younger visitors

• The Teddy Bear Suture Clinic, where children are encouraged to bring injured stuffed animals for appropriate attention by the CVM student surgery club;
• Anatomy lab, where the skeletons of various animals, birds, and reptiles can be examined;
• “Up Close” stop with rabbits, hamsters, snakes, birds, turtles, lizards, insects and other animals;
• Mare and foal in the Teaching Animal Unit corral;
• Tour stop where children can try their hand at milking a cow;
• Open House Carnival for young children (child needs to be accompanied by a parent or guardian).

Terry Center added to the Open House

The Open House is an opportunity to tour portions of the new 110,000-square-foot Randall B. Terry, Jr. Companion Animal Veterinary Medical Center. The annual Open House has been on hiatus during construction of the Terry Center , one of the most advanced veterinary hospitals in the nation. (See video).
Also: the Veterinary Health and Wellness Center presents exhibits including Nutrition, Rehabilitation and Mobility Service, Behavior Medicine, Small Animal Blood Bank, and Exotic Animal Medicine.

Outdoor attractions

The Open House flows over to external attractions including Sage, a canine hero from 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and Iraq; the CVM Mobile Surgery Unit -- a veterinary clinic on wheels; the Wake County Sheriff's Department K9 Unit; booths staffed by representatives of 19 breed and shelter rescue groups; and the Open House Carnival where young visitors may play games organized by DVM students. (Inclement weather may change outdoor activities).
Food and refreshments will be available for purchase.

Note:

Do not bring pets to the Open House and please do not attend if you have traveled overseas after March 23.
Questions? Call 919.513.6662.

NC State College of Veterinary Medicine: transforming animal health and wellbeingPortions of the new Randall B. Terry, Jr. Companion Animal Veterinary Medical Center, one of the nation's most advanced veterinary hospitals, will be a part of the 2012 CVM Open House.

Why Don't Goat Dairies Milk Year-Round?

Gothberg Farms of Bow, Washington explain why many farmstead goat dairies don't milk year-round like cow dairies. The post is a good read for those who know little about dairy goats and a fine illustration of a quality dairy who values its goats, products and customers.

Rural Hall Museum offers glimpse into the past

Rural Hall Museum offers glimpse into the past

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People tour the Rural Hall Historical Society Museum during an open house (Submitted Photo)

Meghann Evans, Managing Editor
Located in the heart of Rural Hall is a treasure trove of history. Though the Rural Hall Historical Society Museum only encompasses four or five rooms, a person could spend hours, maybe even days, studying the various items of historical significance on display.
The Rural Hall Historical Society is composed of around 20 members, and it operates a museum in the old town hall, located at 145 Bethania Street. The museum was established several years ago to preserve the town’s history.
Near the end of February, the society held an open house for the museum, as it has done a few times in the past, to generate interest in the museum.
“The turnout was pretty good,” noted Miranda Griffin, vice president, who said around 40 people signed in. “There were several that had not been here (before).”
She is hoping many of those people will come back to explore the museum further, where the purpose is “to preserve Rural Hall history for the future.”
Mary Lee Smith, society treasurer, said she hopes people will support and visit the museum “for the historical value, and in some cases, it’s their heritage.”
Located in the museum are hundreds of items from the early days of Rural Hall, some dating back to the mid 1800s. Over the years various groups and individuals have donated or loaned items to the museum.
When browsing through, people might stumble across World War II uniforms and memorabilia, 1800s clothing, a ca. 1835 window from the Bitting House, newspaper clippings from the turn of the century, books and documents pertaining to family lineages, old diaries, photos of Rural Hall’s early days, Lions Club and Boy Scout memorabilia, a made-to-scale model of the town by Durward Smith, and much more.
“We get so much in, we can’t keep up,” noted Griffin. But the society does have a few specific items it is looking for, such as a picture of the old E.L. Kiser’s Store.
In the McCoy-Helsabeck Family Histories Room, people can look through old documents, books and newspapers to try to research their family history. The society always welcomes more information about families from the area so it can expand its information.
Smith said, “I’d love to see a lot of people in Rural Hall come in and share their family history.”
The former town manager office has been set up as the Business/Association Room and will house artifacts and displays from businesses and associations from Rural Hall and the surrounding area.
Griffin said she does not think most people in the town are aware of just how many items are in the museum. Her favorite items are the old window from the Bitting House and a picture of the oldest house in town, because they are the oldest items she can connect to.
Smith is proud of the model of the town, because her husband created it over a span of 10 to 15 years. She said, “I’m just real proud of what he did.”
The society would like to get more shelving and do a formal inventory of items in the future. There are more items in the basement, such as old tintype photos, that have yet to be displayed.
The museum is open each Wednesday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone is welcome to stop by and enjoy snacks and chat with volunteers while browsing through the collection.
For those interested in helping preserve the town’s history, the cost to join the Rural Hall Historical Society is $10 for individuals annually, $15 for families, and $150 for a lifetime membership. For more information, visit rh-historicalsociety.org or email Griffin at miranda.griffin@rh-historicalsociety.org.

This article appeared in the March 16 edition of The Weekly Independent.

Read more: Rural Hall Weekly Independent Newspaper