PLEASE NOTE: The schedule of courses is enclosed.
SCHOHARIE, N.Y. – Turning its 600-square-miles of working landscapes into a
"School Without Walls," Schoharie County has launched a full season of
programming for its School of Country Wisdom, dedicated to preserving and
spreading the agricultural skills practiced daily in this rural area in Upstate
New York.
"The course offerings for 2005 show the depth and variety of skills Schoharie
County residents can share with those who wish to be reconnected with the land
by visiting with our farmers, chefs and artisans," said Richard Ball, owner of
Schoharie Valley Farms and chairman of the Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce
Agri-Business Committee which oversees the School of Country Wisdom.
With agriculture Schoharie County’s leading industry, course offerings in the
school’s 2005 catalog begin on March 19 and 20, coinciding with New York State’s
Maple Weekend – a celebration of the first crop of the year. Additional courses
are scheduled for 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. Other dates are being added and
scheduling of new classes is ongoing. Registration is required for all courses
and fees vary.
Other 2005 course offerings include: Creating a Wildflower Garden, Caring for
Llamas, Growing the Best Tomatoes and Garlic, Creating Old-Fashioned Tonics,
Grilling with Herbs, How to Buy a Country Home and Making Grandma’s Apple Kuchen.
In addition to its catalog of courses, 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 with a baking contest, parade, entertainment and the
crowning of the Maple Queen and King.
The 1st Schoharie County Corn Roast on July 16 at the Iroquois
Indian Museum in Howes Cave, celebrating one of the three sisters of the
Iroquois people with entertainment and local sweet corn to enjoy.
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.
Featuring foods of the county’s harvest, crafters and entertainment; plus a
special Crazy Quilt Lecture and Trunk Show, presented by award-winning textile
artist and instructor Betty Pillsbury.
Initiated by the Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce and its Agricultural
Committee in 2003, the School of Country Wisdom seeks to turn the entire
county into a learning center, with knowledgeable farmers and practitioners of
rural skills leading the hands-on learning experiences.
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.
The School of Country Wisdom derives its name from the Country Wisdom
Series of books and bulletins produced by Storey Publishing. The company 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.
The School of Country Wisdom offered its first catalog of courses in
2004 and has greatly expanded the offerings in 2005. This year, the Schoharie
County Chamber of Commerce received a $77,000 grant from the Appalachian
Regional Commission for agri-tourism planning and development for the School
of Country Wisdom.
For more information about the School of Country Wisdom, visit the
website
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.
