School of Country Wisdom Fact Sheet
WHAT: A "School Without Walls," the School of Country Wisdom is
a new program that offers courses highlighting the country living skills
practiced daily in Upstate New York’s Schoharie County – from growing great
tomatoes and cooking with herbs to crazy quilting and caring for llamas.
WHERE: Schoharie County, located between Albany and Cooperstown, is
deeply rooted in agriculture. Nicknamed "The Breadbasket of the American
Revolution" for supplying wheat to the troops of Gen. George Washington, today
the county overflows with a wide variety of fresh meats, produce and garden
products. With more than 500 farms, agriculture is the county’s leading industry
WHY: Courses are designed to help people reconnect with the land by
turning Schoharie County’s 600-square-miles of working landscapes into a
learning center for all who visit. School of Country Wisdom courses are
based on skills and traditions that have been passed down through generations.
: The School of Country Wisdom is a joint effort of the
Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce and its Agri-Business Committee, the
Schoharie County Planning and Development Agency, the Schoharie County Farm
Bureau, SUNY Cobleskill and the Schoharie County Cooperative Extension, in
cooperation with Storey Publishing of North Adams, MA.
WHEN: Courses are scheduled for March 19 and 20, April 30, May 21 and
22, June 18 and 19, July 16 and 17, Aug. 20 and 21 Sept. 17 and 18 and Oct. 1.
The 2005 catalog of courses continues to be developed with the initial School
of Country Wisdom events (3/19 & 20) coinciding with New York State’s Maple
Weekend – a celebration of the first crop of the year. Registration is required
for all courses and fees vary.
EVENTS: The School of Country Wisdom will sponsor four major
events in Schoharie County in 2005:
The 40th Annual Schoharie County
Maple Festival on April 30 at the Cobleskill Fairgrounds.
The 1st
Schoharie County Corn Roast on July 16 at the Iroquois Indian Museum in Howes
Cave.
Our Barn Doors are Wide Open Day on
July 16, with farms throughout the county offering the opportunity to visit
animals up close and to see where fruits and vegetables are grown.
The 6th Annual Schoharie
County Harvest Festival on Oct. 1 at New York Power Authority Blenheim-Gilboa
Visitors Center complex in North Blenheim.
FUNDING:The School of Country Wisdom is made possible, in part,
by a $77,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission for agri-tourism
planning and development.
NAME: Derived from the Country Wisdom Series of books and bulletins
produced by Storey Publishing, which has made content from this popular series
available to Schoharie County classroom leaders as a means to teach and to
reinforce the hands-on learning.
MORE INFO: Visit
www.schoolofcountrywisdom.com
or contact the Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-41-VISIT.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Kathy Condon * Condon Communications
PH: 518-436-1103 * E-MAIL: kcondon@netheaven.com 2005
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A "School Without Walls," the School of Country Wisdom offers courses highlighting country living skills – from
growing great tomatoes and cooking with herbs to crazy quilting and basket weaving.
