Open Farm Day

Three agricultural centers in New Gloucester will be participating in the statewide Open Farm Day on Sunday, July 24. Plan to visit the following three for a fun-filled day:

• Pineland Farms

15 Farm View Drive on the Pineland Campus

Diversified Livestock Farm/Vegetables, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Pineland Farms consists of several farms with several thousand acres of land. The Hill Farm and Valley Farm will be the center of Open Farm Day, and will feature the 1-acre garden between the farms with over 2,000 perennials and 4,000 annuals, a fruit tree orchard, herb and vegetable gardens. The farms are home to a wide variety of animals including registered Holsteins, Dutch Warmblood horses and free-range organic chickens. Handicapped Accessible.

• Queen’s Land Farm Alpacas

74B Penney Road

Alpaca Fiber Farm,

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Owned by Matt and Kate Tufts, Queen’s Land Farm will showcase various aspects of alpaca farming, as well as the different end products available to the consumer. Whether you are interested in starting a breeding herd, having a few fiber animals, or just want a pair of alpaca socks, the Tufts family welcomes your visit and your questions.

• Sabbathday Lake ?Shaker Village

707 Shaker Road, New Gloucester

Diversified, Noon to 4:30 p.m.

Narrated tractor-drawn hay wagon rides touring Shaker Village, its grounds and orchard will be offered at no charge. Other free attractions include tours of the farm, barns, livestock, herb and vegetable gardens, as well as the 1821 Sister’s Shop (Herb Department). Both past and present agricultural practices are emphasized. The Museum Reception Center and Shaker gift store will be open. Barbecue meals will be available for purchase. Restroom facilities are available, and the event is capable of handling bus or group tours. For more information, call 926-4597 or email usshakers@aol.com.

Shaker demos ?and workshops

Learn how to make a Cherokee style reed storage basket at a workshop to be held Saturday, July 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pre-registration is required, and the fee is $40 (materials included).

A beginner’s woodcarving workshop will be held on Saturday, July 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn the basics and go home with a carved Scottie dog. Pre-registration is required, and the fee is $25 (cost of knife is additional).

Marjie Thompson, well-known Maine weaver, will demonstrate her considerable skills on Saturday, July 23 beginning at 10 a.m. The demonstration is free and open to the public.

Experienced carvers will enjoy the intermediate woodcarving workshop to be held on Saturday, July 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants should bring their own knives and gauges to produce a Father Christmas from a blank that will be provided. Pre-registration is required, and the fee is $35.

A Lamb to Loom Crafts Demonstration will be presented on Saturday, July 30 beginning at 10 a.m. A six-step process beginning with shearing and finishing at weaving will be shown throughout the day, which is bound to be interesting to all craftspeople and the general public including kids. The demonstration is free and open to the public.

All events take place at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, just off Route 26, New Gloucester. For more information, call 926-4597 or e-mail usshakers@aol.com.

Fun at the ?Valley Farm

Pineland Farms is sponsoring children’s educational programs at the Valley Farm every week through Tuesday, Aug. 30 from 10-11:30 a.m. The programs are Milking Mondays, Farm Tour Tuesdays, Friday on the Farm, and Saturday Summer Farmyard Fun.

The cost is $5 per person (backpack babies free), and pre-registration is not required. Please pay at the Market and Welcome Center, 15 Farm View Drive, New Gloucester and meet at The Smokehouse located next to the white silo. For more information, call 688-4800, ext. 15 or visit www.PinelandFarms.org.

Maine-made automobiles

A new television show “Maine-Made Automobiles” will be telecast at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 15-17 and July 22-24 on local access Channel 3. The program was taped at a New Gloucester Historical Society meeting that occurred several years ago, presented by car expert Richard Fraser.

People who do not subscribe to cable TV can access DVD copies of the program at the New Gloucester Public Library.

New Gloucester native Matt Szemela warms up his six-string
electro-acoustic violin in preparation for his improvisation on
Shaker hymns at a July 9 concert held in the 1794 Shaker Meeting
House. His riveting performance at the Maine Festival of American
Music enthralled the spellbound audience. (Photo by Patti
Mikkelsen)