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Events, Updates

Discover the Heart of the Islands, 10th Annual tour, July 9 & 10

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The Champlain Islands Open Farm and Studio Tour is celebrating its 10th year! July 9 & 10, artists and farms will open their doors from 10-4 to give visitors a chance to view the varied talents, crafts, animals, and food that the Islands have to offer. Art demonstrations and sales, farm tours, wine tastings, farmer’s market, music, and more are yours to be discovered. Come explore the Heart of the Islands at this family friendly weekend event!

Join us at Grand Isle Art Works – #12 on the OFAST map!  You will find several artists here ready to show you their art work!

Arlene Baird_Bass
Arlene Baird, Bass
Jim Holzschuh, yarn bowl
Jim Holzschuh, yarn bowl
James Hutchines & Bonnie Ricker, sage handbag
James Hutchines & Bonnie Ricker, sage handbag
Polly Wellford, pottery
Polly Wellford, pottery

 

Maps available throughout the islands and at www.openfarmandstudio.com

Classes

Hand Spinning with a Drop Spindle

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spinning with a drop spindle

Hand Spinning with a Drop Spindle
Date: Tuesday, July 12, 4:30-6:30 pm

Description: Learn how to use a drop spindle to create beautiful hand spun yarns. Jim will demonstrate both spinning and plying. Participants will need to bring a drop spindle or can borrow and/or purchase one of Jim’s hand turned spindles.
Who: All ages, 8 and above! Limit: 8
Instructor: Jim Holzschuh
Cost: $20.00. Materials fee payable to instructor: $10; optional spindle: $35.00





Gallery Goats

Yes, we have goats

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Yes, we have gallery goats!

Grand Isle Art Works is summer camp for several of our Angora goats! Currently Luigi, Montague, Liebfraumilch, Thunder, and Banjo are enjoying their new digs!

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Luigi, our first born! Now 10 years old – the old man at Yellow Dog Farm.

We have had 3 kids born so far this year.  Twins to Sappy – Satchmo and Ella.  Ella was rejected so became our first bottle baby.  Everyone fell in love with her.  Ella passed away on April 11th.  We did not see it coming.  Satchmo continues to do well.  He and his mom will head up to the gallery this weekend.

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We had a single birth to Chianti on April 18th – a little boy kid that we named Bix.  Again, the mom, Chianti – rejected her kid.  Bix is now helping us to heal after losing Ella.  He has a great personality and can be seen at the gallery most days that we are open.  A bit tricky with the cafe in operation – but we are working around and with all the animal rules!

Bix
Bix

Come on out and see for yourself – Angora goats are very social and love people.  They also produce great fiber for yarn!

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Ella is a crowd pleaser!

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Oh, that Ella!  She brings smiles to everyone that meets her.  On Tuesday, April 5th, Ella made a return visit to the Essex Town School District Central Office.  She was first spotted by our mail person before she even got out of the car!  From there she had the lay of the land…office that is!

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Ella knows her way around the office.  And she definitely knows who her “mama” is. Any time she was out of my sight, she began calling and calling.  It is exactly what the baby kids do in our field.  The mama calls back.  I did my very best!

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Bottle Baby

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Ella’s mom did not change her mind.  She is not mean about it – but just will not let Ella nurse.  Jim researched feeding schedules and headed out to Milton to purchase powdered goat milk.  And our bottle baby duties began in earnest on March 9th, 2016.

This became quite complicated quickly.  Jim needed to open the gallery and still feed Ella.  Being a guy, he figured she would just wait for him ’til the end of the day.  Ellen, being a mom, thought no way!  A road trip was in the making for Ellen and two of her employees, Jane and Arik, from the Essex Town School District.  This seemed worthy of a group supported event – since this was all new to everyone.

M&M and the other girls are all interested!
M&M and the other girls are all interested!
Tansy and Daisy check things out!
Tansy and Daisy check things out!
These ladies are Sappy's daughters. They will have babies soon.
These ladies are Sappy’s daughters. They will have babies soon.

Who knew that Jane would solve the “how do we get Ella to drink out of a bottle?” dilemma by using her Minnesota farm girl wisdom?  Way to go Jane!

Jane shows Arik and I how bottle feeding works with 1 day old Ella!