Our vision for the future…an agri-arts homestead and folk arts school. Each day we move a little bit forward. Some days we slip backward. The family has moved on. Blue Hen sits empty. It’s a sad site and the memories bring tears. But, you won’t get anywhere if you live in the past. Jan 2018 – We’ve turned the page and begun a new chapter.
The ‘Lost Arts House’…I like the name. We’ll start with the Teddy Bear project. We’ll get sewing machines and fabric, notions, and patterns, etc. We’ll research lost arts on YouTube and create resource packages and kits for making. Making the backpacks for the Teddy Bears that will hold the marketing materials for our other programs will be a great “Learn to Sew” project. Of course you can “learn to sew” at Joanne’s for $35 a lesson. Let’s see if we can sweeten the pot for the sew-crafters, like offering our homemade herb teas, kombucha, canned meats, “Stay the Day, and Take Home Your Supper”…a General Store with all the stuff we make here on the farm. A barter system. Remember green stamps? You get the idea.
No grant money yet, so the budget is shoestring, to say the least. We’re still cleaning up the downed trees from Hurricane Irma. That’s a slow process, but at least we have lots of stumps for goat play structures and oak for the fireplace. The running track is started. We’ll be fixing up the Workshop into a ‘tiny house’ space. Not sure what the space use will be yet. Maybe music.
Fam-Farm-Cations…Professional Development, learn new skills, and bring the family! We’ll have a Squirt Garden, Cardboard Construction, Spinning and Weaving classes, an Internship program, “Tales from the Farm” Book Art for primaries and parents…and a JUNK BAND!! I intend to spend my ‘End-of-Program’ years creating book art, spinning my own fibers (Angora Rabbits and Goat fibers), making art yarns, weaving, and conducting a musical ensemble…playing my own music, of course! Gosh I sound busy!
I’ve got some “before” pictures of Blue Hen Farm, but my computer is not cooperating at the moment, of course. As my granddaughter recently reminded me…”Be patient, be patient, don’t be in such a hurry. Remember, remember that you don’t need to worry…” and we both forgot the rest of the ditty that I used to sing to her when she was little. That’s okay. We’ll get there.
Happy Homesteading,
T.
