PA Farm Show 2022

 

First I do want to apologize for not doing a New Years' day post. I always do one and I completely forgot. This will be that post.

Today was our trip to the PA Farm Show. Normally we go on Wednesday for the sheep to shawl. Due to schedules we just could not work it for that to happen. We had to do a bit of math to figure out when was the last time we attended. That was 2019, last year it was canceled no one went. The year before, 2020 e had car trouble and didn't want to chance it. For us, it has been three years since we had been there.

For those of you that are not aware, this is the largest agricultural show in the country. The state has built its own complex to hold it in. There is no midway like other state and country fares just ag. With that said, when we arrive in the late morning we end up parking in the outer lots. That is all that is available. Today we go to park in the front lot. That is how dead it was this year as far as attendance.

With the crowds just not there it was very easy to move around. With the lack of attendance, there was also a lack of vendors and animals as well. We figured it was about half full. All of my fiber-related friends didn't show this year. It would have been nice to see them, I get it. Also on the other side of the spectrum, you have to praise the ones that did come out.

We had a really good time despite the lesser amount of things to see. We still made some wonderful connections. In the end, we only spent half the time we normally do when we attend the show. We look forward to next year being back to normal.

The end of another year

Each and everyone can conclude how this year was for them. In the beginning, there was still some apprehension,. Which then diminished with the advent of the vaccine. Still, in some areas, you have to be vaccinated to enter others not. Then with all the variants, people are still getting sick. Yet again even with some alleviation of restrictions. At the end of this year in some places, they are being put back. And for some no changes at all. A very hard year for many.

For us, we were able to provide food to many homes. We were able to attend the Homesteaders of America conference. We learned so much from and would like to go back to. I was held up a lot this year with car problems. In the second half of the year, the car was in the garage more than not. It is time for this year to end and for us to start a new one.

For our health, may we prosper.

For our homes, may they be safe and secure.

For our prosperity, may it grow.

For ourselves. may we find peace.

May the new year bring us this and more, many blessings to all.

See you next year.

Dye Adventures

Something I haven't done for a while and love doing is natural dyeing. I didn't check there was a class I took years ago with a bunch of friends. I may have posted that when the class was. Since that, I have not done any dyeing. 

This time I did an experiment similar to that class. I took five dyes and dyed white wool, grey wool, and cotton. All three of those fibers would result in different colors. Cotton being the weakest of color absorption for the most part. It is very difficult to get good color on cotton. Still, that is the fun of experimentation. 

I dyed enough yarns to go even further. I took one of each color and dyed them in an indigo vat. I did this three-time with three different multi-colored hanks. Each one in the vat for five minutes more than the last starting at five minutes. This, of course, changed the color even further.

The indigo vat and the grey wool both are considered overdyeing. With the case of the grey wool, that was overdyed twice. I got the idea from the class that I mentioned earlier. The difference is I didn't use mixed dyes; I used straight colors. From that class, I believe that when all was said and done, I came home with over 200 different colors of wool. In that class, we didn't dye any cotton. This time I only got 72.

The dyes I made are Brazilwood, Madder, Weld, Annatto, Logwood. With the Indigoover dye, I also dyed with the undyed yarns as well. That is how I got 72, including the undyed yarn. It was a fun and enlightening experiment. Which I hope to continue doing more of later.

Colors from the white wool, from left to right Brazilwood, Woad, Madder, Annatto, Logwwod.

The Indigo is in the same order on the left side hank with the original starting color first.

Grey wool in the same order as above.

Cotton, Also in the same order as above.

The star of the show or conference

I'm not sure if I ever shared our furry son. His name is Chewy. We rescued him three years ago, a couple divorced, and neither one wanted him.  A friend of ours hooked us up. It was a bit of a rough start. Over time he became very comfortable and safe with us. 

We believe we were never told the whole truth about him. When we got him, they told us he was about five. Which would make him eight this year. We believe he is a bit older. He is starting to go blind in one eye. Still manages to get around very easily with only a little helo when needed.

Back to the star, you are more than happy to bring your dogs along at this conference. Which was perfect. Chewy was able to attend the conference with us. Let me put it to you this way. People remembered us because they knew Chewy. He is a very handsome Chihuahua, isn't he? 

Everyone just loved him and many thought he was a puppy. There were several people that came back several times to say hello. The children loved him as well. He was the star of the weekend.

This is the last post for the conference. I am working on a project that I hope to have finished in the next week. Which I will post about. Until then, Enjoy!

Shopping

As with all good conferences, there was quite a bit of shopping that could be had. I have mentioned a couple of things I got. The first is Stacy's Cooking with a Smile Cookbook. This was put out by Stacy from Doug and Stacy, and if you refer back to the fermenting post, you get their website and youtube page. Stacy being part Armenian has several Armenian recipes and many, many others. The fermented ketchup is actually in this book. An excellent piece to have.

The next book is the dye book from Janet Garmen. Natural Dyes on Wool with Timber Creek Farm, a journaling workbook. She had three types of dyes in the book Kitchen, Foraged, Garden. Which gives you a full range of posable dye options. Some I have tried on my own. Just doing some experimentation. Some I have not, but some I will just to see what results I get. If you are interested in dying, it's a fun little book to have.

There was a stand selling a couple of books and a lot of aromatherapy. The Beeyoutiful stand was run by a wonderful couple that we actually got to chat with a couple of times. I was able to pick up a copy of The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy. Not only did we make new friends, but I was also able to help them out with a purchase.

One of the things Ed found was a Company that helps you manage an Online Farmers Market. They allow farmers to sell their items online and not only produce. If you make things, you can add them as well. A customer can place an order online. Then there can be a pickup or delivery. That is, of course, up to the farmer. Something interesting to check out. Especially if you want to purchase locally.

Yesterday I talked about Rory Feek. Rory's sister Marcy and wife Jo opened up their own restaurant. Which they would share a recipe from their restaurant on their show. Interestingly enough, Marcy Jo's was at the conference. And Marcy herself with friends worked the weekend and did very well. We stopped there for some coffee, and while we were there, Rory stopped to talk to his sister. Which was very cool.

I was able to pick up some wonderful young ginger roots. When I first saw it, I was under the impression that I could plant it when I got home and have ginger next year. That is incorrect; the babies needed to be planted immediately after the mother had been removed. I actually didn't get it. Then after I thought about it, I should have fo the ferments I was making.  I was able to get what was left the next day. Peace & Harmony Farm Also makes syrups, fire ciders, sells roots and plants. She was a wonderful person to talk with and again a new friend.

While walking the vendor area, we came across a woodworker's hand carving kitchen utensils. We found out he was at the conference in 2019. He decided to double what he brought last time because he sold out. He sold out again, which shows how good a product he has and how many people were there. Riverwood Trading Co is a wonderful place to get some well-priced hand-carved wood pieces. If you are so inclined.

Another fun place was the mushroom tent. Not only were they selling dried mushrooms also mushroom kits and plugs. We picked up one of their kits and some pink oyster mushrooms. They are supposed to taste like bacon when they are fried. Windermere Farms is a fun place to get your mushroom growing supplies.

After learning about elderberries, I wanted to get at least one bush. Well, wouldn't you know there were none to be had. As I mentioned in the post, for elderberries, you can propagate them from cuttings. Walking around, I found a nice southern lady selling clippings. For cheaper than purchasing a bush, I was able to get five cuttings. Which are planted, and I can't wait till spring to see how they took. 

There was another family that we picked up soap from. They actually farm on two-tenths of an acre. They make soap, body products, kimchi and sell the produce they grow as well. Really nice people and fun soap. Rootbound Farm has made you realize you can sustain yourself on very little land.

My last vendor to talk about is John Moody. He is the gentleman who presented the lecture on elderberries. He has written a book on that subject. Plus one on sourdough, weeds, and frugal homesteading. They were an excellent find.

We had a fabulous time shopping, meeting wonderful people, and getting some great bargains. You would think that this would be the last post on the HOA topic. I actually have one more, till then.

Apple Jack update

I thought it would be fun to share an update on my applejack. I am sure you remember that layers of sugar and fruit in that order are all it is. You fill it up tight with the layers, cover it, and let it sit for 10 months before consuming it.

It has been a week since I did the first one. Plus, I made another one of just sugar apples and raisins a couple of days ago. I thought it would be an excellent comparison to see what actually goes on. The original one I started is three-quarters full of juice, and the fruit has shrunk about a quarter from the top.

The new one is only about a quarter full of liquid and has no shrinkage that I can see at this time. Personally, I find these to be really cool. Seeing a jar just filled with fruit and a little bit of sugar fill up with liquid. With no assistance from human hands is fascinating to me. But then that is me.

This will be the most minor update until I bottle, which won't be until next summer. While I was at it, the sauerkraut and carrot stick was ready last night. I let Ed taste it. He liked both the kraut is nothing like you get in the store. The carrots were nice and crunchy. We added some garlic which gave some excellent flavor. Thinking about it, if we had dill, that would have been good too. 

The fermenting experiments are going very well.

End of the day

The last event at the conference was a performance by Rory Feek. Rory is a storyteller, songwriter, and singer/performer. When CMT created the first country version of American Ideal. Rory and his wife Jo were contestants. They won third and since that had a television show on RDTV. 

Seven years ago, they were blessed with their first child. A little girl with down syndrome. Shortly after having her, Jo was diagnosed with cancer. Soon after their daughter Indiana turned two, Jo lost that fight. For the last five years, besides raising his daughter to help him cope with the loss of his wife. Rory has continued to appear on RDTV with a new show that records his day-to-day. It reminds me very much of a video blog and helps him come to terms with his loss.

Back in 2019, Rory and his daughter attended that year's HOA Conference. He enjoyed it so much he was going to return last year. We all know why that didn't happen. This year he attended and performed. It was a lot of fun seeing him live after seeing him only on Tv.

The performance was a lot of fun. He told stories, sang songs, and even shared some new music from his first solo album. We, unfortunately, did not have the chance to talk to him. We did see him around the conference besides at the performance. It was a wonderful experience.

That was the end of all the events of the conference. Do not worry; I still have a little more to share with you all. Until next time.