OakMoon Farm & Creamery

 We will be planning the next workshops for winter or spring of 2010.  If you are interested in being notified about these workshops, please email and we'll put you on our email list.

OakMoon Basic Goat Husbandry Workshop will be held on Saturday, October 24, from 9:00am until 4:30-5:00pm. We are scheduling this workshop a little earlier in the fall to hopefully avoid cold weather, and will be spending most of the day outside with the goats.  Details for registration below.

Workshop topics will include:

• Determining your goatkeeping goals
• Preparing the homeplace: fencing, housing, other animals
  
• Shopping for the right stock
• Body conditioning and determining health
  
• Feeding techniques
• Vaccinations, parasite control
• Basic breeding and kidding
  
• Culling and other sales 
• And more!

OakMoon Basic Cheesemaking Workshops are scheduled in the fall and winter.  Our workshop is best described as an intensive with several hours of supervised hands-on cheesemaking, plus discussion and plenty of question/answer time. If you would like to be put on a list for information about future workshops, please call or email.

Milk Handling and Cheese Making topics usually include:

• Clean milk, milk flavor, and composition
• Milking strategies--where to get milk for cheesemaking
• Care and sanitation of utensils and equipment
• Bare-bones cheese making equipment
• How to make simple chevre, feta, mozzarella, pressed farmer cheese
• Use of rennets and cultures for beginners
• Moulding, draining, aging
• Kefir and other fermented dairy

Only 12 spaces per workshop will be offered, so if you are interested, please inquire immediately to be put on the email list for more information. 

Cost for the course will be $100 per person per workshop, which will include coffee/tea and snacks in the morning, lunch on each full day of workshop, and materials. A $50 deposit is required to hold your spot for the workshop.  Deadlines for registration are October 16 for the goat husbandry workshop and October 30 for the cheesemaking workshop.

 Presenters will be Dwain Swing and Cynthia Sharpe, who have over 35 years of combined experience in the fields.

 The workshop will be held at the farm and creamery located in Bakersville, NC.

Email or call for details, oakmoonfarm@verizon.net , 828-688-4683.