come out to the fields!
I'd like to invite anyone interested in a CAF meetup, to join me and Gibson at the Merck Forest Sheepdog Trial in Vermont the weekend of July 10th. It's my birthday, and high summer in New England, and a fine excuse for a weekend away. The sheepdog trial is wonderful. It's a two day festival put on by Merck, complete with food, shearing demos, farm tours, hikes, and maple syrup, wool, and other farm goods will be on sale. Merck Forest raises sheep, heritage pork, chickens, and creates some of its own energy with windmills and solar panels. It's a hell of a place to steep yourself in modern, diversified, grass-based agriculture. I never miss this weekend. You show up early and feel like you're in Scotland for a few hours. Last year (I swear) a bagpiper played while the dogs ran. There are heavy horse cart rides from the parking lots to the trial fields (shuttle service!) and everyone's happy to be there. There are tents with shade and seating. You can buy border collie t-shirts and listen to club members gossip and cheer. Come be a part of my world for a weekend.
I'll be there to watch and probably volunteer somewhere. But I thought we could all sit together, picnic, gab, knit, watch the trial, talk farm stuff, etc. It's informal, but should be fun and if enough people want to get together we can hit a local restaurant for a Cold Antler dinner. (Nothing fancy.)
RSVP if you can. Details can be found at www.merckforest.com
posted by Jenna at 8:10 AM
14 Comments:
Oh, I ache to be there but Wisconsin is a little far away. I will get my sheep dog trials fix at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival in September. But one can never really get enough of these trials and these incredible dogs. Enjoy the day for us.
Jenna, I am with Barb.. I am in Wisconsin and will be attending the Jefferson Sheep and Wool festival... I'd love to your's as well... All my vacation is used up for this year.... sad face.... Maybe next year! Wool festivals are a fun place to spend a day or a weekend. Lots to learn and see and do... and buy if your so inclined...
oh, this isn't an all out wool fest, the only wool is what the farm center sells, but the trials are a fun, main, event
you'll be there in spirit!
What kind of accommodations are there? I could probably schedule work around it but we are 5 and 1/2 hours away so we would have to camp out or get a hotel. Sounds like lots of fun though. We have been looking for a little vacation getaway so I this sounds pretty cool. Is Gibson going to be in the contests?
I'd love to be there, but I suspect the trip (and it's associated border crossing) have it a bit out of reach for the time being. Hope you have a grand time, though!
I would LOVE to come, but I live in California, and it's too far! OK, now I'm whining...
Hi Jenna, sounds like a great experience--my boys would love the sheep, the dogs, the everything, I'm certain. We are living in Dubai right now, HOWEVER, we will be visiting family in MA in July! If the jet-lag is not too bad and no other family functions are planned, perhaps we'll make the trip (about 3 hours). We would love to meet you! Any tips for finding you in the crowd?!?! Hope to see you then. . .
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I'm almost positive I'd be able to go. My 5 1/2 year old goes bonkers for dogs. That would be so much fun. I just need to grab my calendar to check that nothing is already happening. I really hope not, because it sounds awesome!
Gee, since I was a kid Merck has changed. Well that was 50 or so years ago. Enjoy it. I get my Sheepdog activity fix at the Blue Hill Fair or the Common Ground Fair.
I could've come, and would have, if it was a couple of weeks later. I'll be visiting from Australia, and my daughter and 4 grandkids are driving to Canada. I looked you up on the map, it looks like you're on the route we'll be taking....or near enough.
We've been planning our road trip, are there good things to see in your area, we're taking a few days to travel, stopping early in different places, looking around, staying the night, heading off the next day.
Don't suppose you'd fancy a visit from some nice Aussies ??
oh man I wish I could go!
Please, please take lots of pictures, of everything and everybody.
I would so be there if I only could!
So...much...want...:) I even started checking flights from Texas up thataways. Alas, unless I hit oil in the next few weeks, it's a no-go. But my heart will be right there with the sheep, the dogs, the hills, the bagpipes, and all of it. Please post pictures for all of us wanna-gos.
Jenna,
We may be there. We were actually planning on making the drive up from Cape Cod to the Brattleboro FM on that Saturday.....But Merck sounds like a ton of fun.
Alison
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