Farm Classes

Hands-on classes at the farm. Pick a highlighted day on the calendar; use the arrows to see later months.

1 hour · $65.00 per person · 120 Birchwood Dr, Lowell, Vermont

Next available · Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 12:30 PM · 3 spots left

Choose a highlighted day on the calendar to book. Use the arrows to see later months.

Saturday, October 3, 2026
  • 12:30 PM
    3 spots left

    Optional add-ons

Do you love the idea of home made cheese, but you don't have lots of time... or a cheese press... or a place to age it?

30 Minute Mozzarella is the answer. It is so quick and easy, it whips up while you are getting dinner ready. People will wonder if your Italian grandmother made it.

Fresh mozzarella is like feathery clouds of soft cheesey goodness. Slice it with tomatoes, fresh basil, balsamic vinegar and olive oil for a caprese salad that will blow your mind. Or tuck it into any recipe where you want gooey, stringy yumminess.

In this class you will learn how to transform a gallon of farm fresh, raw milk into a pound of delicious mozzarella! All ingredients and equipment are provided.

You probably have most of the items in your kitchen at home needed to make mozzarella, so once you learn how to make it with me, you can start making your own at home right away. No cheese press, cheese cloth, or cheese cave required. (The one thing most people don't already have is rennet, which will be explained in the class.)

This class is held in my cozy log cabin and takes about an hour. Class size is small (only 3 batches can be made per class), which means that you get lots of personal attention. Classes start at 12:30.

If you have a spouse or friend who wants to join you but not make their own batch, the cost is an additional $25 each. If you are with people who want to make their own batches, please purchase the $65 option for them, up to three batches per class.

Requirements

No prior cheese-making experience is needed.

Bring slippers or house shoes to change into.

You should be comfortable standing at a pot, stirring, and stretching warm curd with gloved hands. Children are allowed with close supervision.

Please tell us ahead of time about any dairy allergy — this class uses fresh raw milk.

Preparation / arrival

Class meets at the farm: 120 Birchwood Dr, Lowell, Vermont. Because parking at the house is limited, please park in the farm store parking lot across from the red building at the bottom of the hill IF you are comfortable walking up the hill to the house. If walking up the hill is hard for you, then please park at the house.

Please arrive about 10 minutes early so we can start on time. Once the milk is on the stove, the process moves quickly.

We provide 1 gallon of fresh raw milk per batch, plus rennet, gloves, and all utensils. You will leave with your own handmade fresh mozzarella.

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2 hours · $35.00 per person · 120 Birchwood Dr, Lowell, Vermont

Rolling class · Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat · 7:00 AM & 6:00 PM · book up to 4 months ahead

You may cancel and book another time with one hour's notice.

Choose a highlighted day on the calendar, then book morning or evening.

Have you ever wanted to milk a cow? Come to the farm and join me for milking!

Milking happens at 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. every day and lasts for about 2 hours.

You will help bring in the cows, see me prepping equipment, have a chance to try hand milking a cow, and sample fresh squeezed milk.

Cows are shy creatures, they are not used to rowdy kids (or adults). If anyone in your group scares my cows, I will have to ask them to leave. Your safety is important, and scared cows are not safe.

Milking starts at 7 a.m. or 6 p.m. sharp! I will start without you if you aren't here.

Please understand, no refunds if you show up late or are asked to leave because someone in your group is scaring my cows.

Requirements

Wear boots and clothes you do not mind getting dirty. The barn is muddy, and the Northeast Kingdom gets cold in the winter.

You should be comfortable around large animals. Cows are gentle when they feel safe — we move slowly and speak quietly.

Children are welcome with close adult supervision.

Please tell us ahead of time about any dairy allergy if you plan to taste milk.

Preparation / arrival

We meet at the farm: 120 Birchwood Dr, Lowell, Vermont.

Please arrive by 6:50 AM for a morning slot, or 5:50 PM for an evening slot so we can start milking on time. Park just beyond the log cabin where the driveway branches to the right to the red dairy building.

Dress in layers in cold weather. Wear boots. We will spend about 2 hours with the cows.

If we cancel a session

You may cancel and book another time with one hour's notice.

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2 hours · $135.00 per person · 120 Birchwood Dr, Lowell, Vermont

Next available · Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 12:30 PM · 3 spots left

Choose a highlighted day on the calendar to book. Use the arrows to see later months.

Saturday, September 12, 2026
  • 12:30 PM
    3 spots left

    Optional add-ons

You want to eliminate chemicals from your family's routine. Replace the nasty stuff with home made, natural products. You want to make your own soap so that you can dial in the ingredients to target your family's specific needs.

But making soap is kind of scary... where do you start?

I have over 15 years of experience making soap, and I will guide you through the process so that you have the knowledge and experience you need to make it on your own!

In this farmstead soap making class, each participant designs, measures, and mixes their own 2.5 lb batch of soap. We use only natural ingredients, including farm fresh raw milk and pasture raised lard (please tell me if you require a vegetarian option). You get to choose up to three custom add-ins to personalize your soap, such as your choice of essential oils, oat flour, rose clay, activated charcoal powder, sea salt, and more. We go over the process of designing a new recipe, and important information about handling lye safely.

You will make your soap in my log cabin. The class takes about 2 hours. All materials and ingredients are provided, and you get to take home your soap in your new mold. I will email you instructions after class to help you remember what you learned.

My focus in soap making is on natural, wholesome ingredients with therapeutic qualities, not on fancy colors or shapes.

If the times available on the calendar don't work for you, please contact me and we can schedule a custom date.

If you have a spouse or friends who want to join the class but not make a batch of soap, the cost is an additional $25 per person. Each person who wants to make a batch of soap costs $135, up to three batches per session.

Soap class participants have the option of taking home a free package of back fat to be rendered into lard to make your own real lard soap at home! I will explain how to easily render the fat to lard in your kitchen.

Requirements

Lye is caustic. You assume the risk of your own safety around handling this chemical.

Wear closed-toe shoes and clothes you do not mind getting oily. We provide safety glasses and gloves. Consider bringing house shoes or slippers to change into.

The recipe uses frozen farm milk. Please tell us ahead of time about any dairy allergy.

Preparation / arrival

Class meets at the farm: 120 Birchwood Dr, Lowell, Vermont.

Please arrive about 10 minutes early. The class runs about 2 hours.

We provide lard, farm milk, lye, molds, and safety gear. You will leave with a batch of soap to cure at home.

Because parking at the house is limited, please park in the parking lot down at the farm store (the red building before the big hill) IF you are comfortable walking up the big hill on the driveway to the house. If you are not comfortable walking up a big hill, then please park at the house.

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4 hours · $200.00 per person · 120 Birchwood Dr, Lowell, Vermont

Next available · Saturday, September 19, 2026 at 10:00 AM · 1 spot left

Choose a highlighted day on the calendar to book. Use the arrows to see later months.

Saturday, September 19, 2026
  • 10:00 AM
    1 spot left

    Optional add-ons

Who doesn't melt at the thought of home made cheese?

But making good aged cheese isn't as easy as you might think. I can't count the number of wheels I fed to the dogs because they were a disaster.

I make consistently delicious cheese now because I've learned from so many mistakes! You can save yourself a lot of wasted time and milk by letting me teach you what to do, and what not to do, in cheese making.

In this class you will make alpine tomme cheese. Almost all of the principles you will learn from making alpine tomme can apply to other hard cheeses, like cheddar or Swiss. In my opinion, alpine tomme is easier to make than other hard cheeses and has superior flavor.

This class takes 4 hours. While we are making the cheese we will discuss factors that affect cheese making such as milk type, rennet, starter, acidity, salt, cheese presses, and aging.

The price of the class includes 4 gallons of my raw grass fed milk.

If you have a cheese press, you are encouraged to bring it. If you use my cheese press, you will need to come back the next day to pick up your wheel of cheese after it has pressed overnight. If you are in Vermont on vacation you can take this class, but be aware that you will have a wheel of cheese to take care of during the rest of your visit!

You will take your cheese home to age it. If you have a basement that is cooler than the rest of the house, it's easy to create an aging place for your cheese. Another option that many people use is a second refrigerator that is kept warmer than a typical fridge, around 55F. Or, you can vacuum seal your cheese and age it in your regular cold refrigerator where it will age a bit slower, not grow the molds on the rind that contribute artisan flavor, but still be delicious.

This class is one on one, not a group. I only have equipment to make one alpine cheese at a time. If you wish to bring a friend, the price is $25 per additional person. The participants will share the wheel of cheese that we make.

Requirements

No prior cheese-making experience is required, though this is a longer, more involved class than fresh mozzarella.

Bring slippers or house shoes to change into. You should be comfortable standing for an extended time, stirring, and handling warm curd.

Please tell us ahead of time about any dairy allergy — this class uses fresh raw milk.

Preparation / arrival

Class meets at the farm: 120 Birchwood Dr, Lowell, Vermont.

The class runs about 4 hours.

We provide 4 gallons of fresh raw milk and all equipment. The cheese needs to be in a press overnight. If you have a cheese press, bring it and you can take home your cheese the day of class. If you need to use my press, you will come back the following day to bring your cheese home.

Park at the house which is the log cabin on Birchwood Drive.

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2 hours · $75.00 per person · 120 Birchwood Dr, Lowell, Vermont

  • Friday, November 27, 2026 at 10:00 AM
    4 spots left
  • Saturday, November 28, 2026 at 10:00 AM
    4 spots left
Do you raise animals because you want to have control over how your meat is produced? Would you love to be able to take the animals you've given so much care into that final important step, butchering, but you just don't know where to begin?

Join me for a 2 day on-farm home butchery course Black Friday weekend, November 27th and 28th, 2026!

Save money by learning how to process meat yourself and stop worrying about butcher wait lists.

Day 1 we will start with a freshly shot hog and have hands-on instruction on gutting, skinning, and splitting the carcass. I will teach a technique of mixing the steps of gutting and skinning that streamline the process nicely.

Day 2 we break it down into primals, turn primals into cuts of meat, and package them for the freezer. We will discuss tips that are of interest to you such as grinding, rendering, and nitrate free curing.

There will be emphasis on processing an animal with basic tools that a homesteader is likely to have or can easily purchase and how that affects the final cuts of meat.

Cost is PER DAY. You may attend one or both days, but purchase both if you want to attend both days. We start at 10:00 both Friday and Saturday.

I will provide tools, but feel free to bring your own clean, sharp knife. Dress for the weather! I recommend lightweight, preferably fingerless gloves with dishwashing gloves over them to keep your hands warm.

If your significant other wishes to join, they may do so free of charge. If there are very many paying participants, the free attendee may not be able to participate hands-on.

Requirements

This is an intense hands on course where participants use sharp knives and saws to cut up an animal. There is risk of injury.

Dress for the weather. Day 1 is held outside. Day 2 is mostly inside.

Young people who are mature are welcome to attend, but no horsing around is permitted.

I will use a gun to shoot the pig, but participants will not be handling guns.

This class is physically demanding and can be exhausting.

Preparation / arrival

Because parking is limited, please park in the parking lot down at the farm store, the red building before the big hill.

We will start at 10:00 whether you are there or not!

Dress for the weather. I suggest a pair of fingerless gloves under dishwashing gloves to keep your fingers warm on Day 1.

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3 hours · $50.00 per person · 120 Birchwood Dr, Lowell, Vermont

  • Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 10:00 AM
    4 spots left
Have you ever wondered why it's so hard to find cured meats that aren't filled with chemicals like nitrates and sodium erythorbate?

Learn how to make your own chemical free cured meats at home!

In this class I will show you how to make:

-bacon

-cappicola (old world style dry cure)

-smoked hocks

-cider cured ham

-and bonus, lard rendering!

After this hands on learning, you will be empowered to go home and make your own cured meats. And you will sample meats that I have cured in the past so you can see for yourself how yummy they are.

Come see how easy it is to cure your own meat. No more compromising on ingredients so you can enjoy some bacon!

Requirements

We will be handling raw pork, using sharp knives, using digital scales and doing simple math.

The key preservative is salt. Please take note if you are on a low sodium diet.

Preparation / arrival

Because parking at the house is limited, please park in the parking lot at the farm store which is the red building before the big hill IF you are comfortable walking up the big hill to the house. If you are not comfortable walking up a big hill, then please park at the house.

Please arrive 10 minutes early.

Consider bringing slippers or house shoes to change into.

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2 hours · $85.00 per person · 120 Birchwood Dr, Lowell, Vermont

  • Saturday, August 7, 2027 at 12:30 PM
    6 spots left
Making sauerkraut is a traditional technique that transforms raw cabbage into a powerhouse of probiotics and enzymes that heal your gut and keep it healthy. Fermentation creates an acidic environment that safely preserves your harvest for the lean winter months.

In this class I will teach you what to do -- and what NOT to do -- to make delicious, crunchy, tangy kraut that boosts gut health, enhances nutrient absorbtion, and provides you with needed lacto bacteria.

Each participant will make their own jar of kraut to bring home to ferment.

I will share my secrets on how to successfully ferment other vegetables, how to maximize the shelf life of your ferments, and how to keep your food safe from botulism.

Requirements

You need to be able to safely handle a sharp knife for cutting cabbage.

We will be using salt. If you are on a low sodium diet, take note.

We will use digital scales to measure ingredients.

Please consider bring slippers or house shoes to change into.

Preparation / arrival

Please arrive 10 minutes early.

Because parking at the house is limited, please park at the farm store which is the red building before the big hill IF you are comfortable walking up a big hill. If you are not comfortable walking up a big hill, then please park at the house.

You will leave with a quart jar of salted cabbage ready to take home to ferment into sauerkraut.

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1 hour · $50.00 per person

120 Birchwood Dr, Lowell, Vermont

Not available at this time.

If you are excited to raise your own pastured pork but don't know where to start, join my class and learn the easy way (rather than the hard way, like I did) how to:

-fence in your pigs so they don't escape

-rotate pasture

-how much grain to feed, and what to feed in the winter

-shelter requirements

-water needs summer and winter

-what breeds work the best on pasture

This is not a prescheduled class. When you arrange to pick up your piglets we will plan enough time (about one to two hours) to go over everything you need to know.

Requirements

You need to be comfortable walking over uneven terrain. Wear boots and weather appropriate clothing.

We will be walking among large pigs.

Preparation / arrival

Come with an idea of your set up for pigs so I can answer specific questions.

Drive past the house and take the right fork of the driveway, park in front of the red dairy building.

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