Sunday evening, sometime after 8:30pm in Ireland
Let's see what I can get you up to speed on since my arrival only days ago.
I honestly cannot believe that I have only been here for 3 days.
These people get more accomplished in 1 day than I do in a work week, I swear to a god.
Friday, the 5th, I arrived at Harmony Farm, the home of Judit & Patrick after being scooped up by Patrick at the Boyle rail station around 10:30am. It was and has been around mid 40's, windy and usually raining, and I do not think they are even phased by it, while my fingers have been blue since my arrival. Judit greeted me with arms open wide and immediately brought me on her morning animal feedings for the day, which she postponed in order for me to accompany her .
We fed their goats, sheep, ewes, chickens, turkeys, quail, a rabbit, a kitten, a dog, a hedgehog I have never seen, and 2 horses.
That afternoon, they met with a consultant to go over email newsletters, marketing, etc, which is something I felt like I could help with, since it was not overly complicated stuff that they were unfamiliar with. Finally felt like I could possibly help them with something not foreign to me and to not stare and listen to wide eyed at.
After dinner (which they usually eat after 8pm on an early day), we proceeded to make feta cheese, ricotta cheese, and yogurt- all out of goats's milk. AMAZING! I honestly plan to start making some back home after learning all the benefits of raw milk and it not jacking up my belly, not to mention how delicious they are.
Saturday morning (I slept for over 11 hours after being up for 37 hours) Judit and I cut 4 loads of bramble from the woods for the goats to eat the heck up in preparation for milking class the following day and tagged a few goats as well. That afternoon we then went to the super market in town to get snacks for Zoli (son 12) after his Kung-Fu class, as he was having some mates over for Mind-craft and Nerf Gun wars. That evening we prepared for the 12 people arriving for a class on goats Sunday morning. This consisted of prepping a TON of food such as 4 loaves of bread, mini breads, and scones for the breakfast. For the next day's lunch "we" prepped some goat sausages, boiled quail eggs, cooked rack of goat, carrots, made salad, and various stages of cheese making for show until the students made their own. Somewhere in there Judit made insanely yummy meals for lunch and dinner. The dishwasher in never off, and clean up is a NEVER ending task. We change clothes each time we come in after farm work, and vice versa, so they never, ever, ever, ever sit down...until well after I go to bed (Judit never goes to bed before midnight, WTF)
Harmony Farm has a classroom to teach various topics, and Sunday's was a class to teach all about goat farming/care/foods to make, etc. It ran from 10 until 5:30ish, and they provide breakfast, lunch and all materials, etc.
This class had 12 students that wanted to start farming with goats, I believe all were all married and some drove over 3 hours to attend. They arrived to breads, scones, jams, coffee and tea to get them started for learning all about goats, which meant I got to learn as well! Lunch was goat sausages, rack of goat, salad, and carrots, all provided by the farm and ended with a (goat)cheese cake with sliced kiwi.
Quite the gourmet skills to be learned and admired, I have got to say, and have eaten more bread in these past few days then I honestly have in the past 5 years. I never even purchase bread, so eating THIS AMAZE BALLS bread that Judit provides is pushing me over the edge. Put that with fresh eggs, meat, and veggies, dear god. I am going to need to purchase new clothes to wear to Madrid on the 17th so I have some that fit after this lovely stay.
This evening they are doing paperwork in preparation for a farm inspection tomorrow morning, and Judit is Skyping with her parents in a small town outside of Budapest. I cannot figure out how they manage so little sleep, because they do so much before I wake up and after I go to sleep, it is shocking.
I am so so lucky to have them as my WWOOF host family, and I have no doubt that they will continue to be a part of my life after this. They instantly made me feel apart of their family, are generous beyond words, patient with their teaching methods and are positive in every aspect of lives.
More adventures and I eating to come!
Let's see what I can get you up to speed on since my arrival only days ago.
I honestly cannot believe that I have only been here for 3 days.
These people get more accomplished in 1 day than I do in a work week, I swear to a god.
Friday, the 5th, I arrived at Harmony Farm, the home of Judit & Patrick after being scooped up by Patrick at the Boyle rail station around 10:30am. It was and has been around mid 40's, windy and usually raining, and I do not think they are even phased by it, while my fingers have been blue since my arrival. Judit greeted me with arms open wide and immediately brought me on her morning animal feedings for the day, which she postponed in order for me to accompany her .
We fed their goats, sheep, ewes, chickens, turkeys, quail, a rabbit, a kitten, a dog, a hedgehog I have never seen, and 2 horses.
That afternoon, they met with a consultant to go over email newsletters, marketing, etc, which is something I felt like I could help with, since it was not overly complicated stuff that they were unfamiliar with. Finally felt like I could possibly help them with something not foreign to me and to not stare and listen to wide eyed at.
After dinner (which they usually eat after 8pm on an early day), we proceeded to make feta cheese, ricotta cheese, and yogurt- all out of goats's milk. AMAZING! I honestly plan to start making some back home after learning all the benefits of raw milk and it not jacking up my belly, not to mention how delicious they are.
Saturday morning (I slept for over 11 hours after being up for 37 hours) Judit and I cut 4 loads of bramble from the woods for the goats to eat the heck up in preparation for milking class the following day and tagged a few goats as well. That afternoon we then went to the super market in town to get snacks for Zoli (son 12) after his Kung-Fu class, as he was having some mates over for Mind-craft and Nerf Gun wars. That evening we prepared for the 12 people arriving for a class on goats Sunday morning. This consisted of prepping a TON of food such as 4 loaves of bread, mini breads, and scones for the breakfast. For the next day's lunch "we" prepped some goat sausages, boiled quail eggs, cooked rack of goat, carrots, made salad, and various stages of cheese making for show until the students made their own. Somewhere in there Judit made insanely yummy meals for lunch and dinner. The dishwasher in never off, and clean up is a NEVER ending task. We change clothes each time we come in after farm work, and vice versa, so they never, ever, ever, ever sit down...until well after I go to bed (Judit never goes to bed before midnight, WTF)
Harmony Farm has a classroom to teach various topics, and Sunday's was a class to teach all about goat farming/care/foods to make, etc. It ran from 10 until 5:30ish, and they provide breakfast, lunch and all materials, etc.
This class had 12 students that wanted to start farming with goats, I believe all were all married and some drove over 3 hours to attend. They arrived to breads, scones, jams, coffee and tea to get them started for learning all about goats, which meant I got to learn as well! Lunch was goat sausages, rack of goat, salad, and carrots, all provided by the farm and ended with a (goat)cheese cake with sliced kiwi.
Quite the gourmet skills to be learned and admired, I have got to say, and have eaten more bread in these past few days then I honestly have in the past 5 years. I never even purchase bread, so eating THIS AMAZE BALLS bread that Judit provides is pushing me over the edge. Put that with fresh eggs, meat, and veggies, dear god. I am going to need to purchase new clothes to wear to Madrid on the 17th so I have some that fit after this lovely stay.
This evening they are doing paperwork in preparation for a farm inspection tomorrow morning, and Judit is Skyping with her parents in a small town outside of Budapest. I cannot figure out how they manage so little sleep, because they do so much before I wake up and after I go to sleep, it is shocking.
I am so so lucky to have them as my WWOOF host family, and I have no doubt that they will continue to be a part of my life after this. They instantly made me feel apart of their family, are generous beyond words, patient with their teaching methods and are positive in every aspect of lives.
More adventures and I eating to come!