crystal gets a letter
AHA! Nita! now we have you on the Motherhouse website, please click HERE to go to the homepage and watch the new slide show!
Love from Crystal, Margaret and Debra
Wish list
If you feel like helping make any of the following wishes come true:
Please Contact:
Debra Tyler – Motherhouse Director
PO Box 184
Cornwall, CT 06753
(860) 672-0229
for the overall good of Motherhouse:
*PR Person to work with newspapers, radio, etc. to announce upcoming events as well as reporting on past ones.
*a 2011 brochure design and funds to print it
*Willing Web Tutor/assistant who is familiar with WordPress and HTML
*Farm Apprentice to work closely with MH director and workshop instructors to plan, prepare, and produce fruits, vegetables, herbs, beeswax, livestock, dairy products, etc. for workshops.
for Motherhouse Market:
* Motherhouse Rep at the West Cornwall Farmers Market to offer MHMarket goods for sale, Bantam Bread, and Sprout Creek Cheese; to record sales; and to promote our workshops and other events.
*Bread Order Taker and Pick-up Personnel to take orders by phone and pick up bread Friday night for Saturday morning farmers market.
*Shop Keeper to set out items for sale at our 2nd Saturday Old Style Life-Skills Series workshops, handle and record sales, re-consolidate and put away items after each workshop.
*Creative Problem Solver to help transform our former market website/now blog collection into an easily navigated part of Motherhouse.us
for our classroom at Local Farm:
*Roll-up barn curtain wall(s) to close off workshop area during cold weather.
*2 sets of Weather-tight French window doors.
*Insulated flooring
*Materials and instructor’s fees for a workshop on plastering walls.
*Volunteer plastering instructor
*Overhead lighting and wiring
for our Oxen project:
*Vol. Driver with trailer and truck to haul cattle to demonstrations, workshops, fairs, and shows.
*Walk-behind, animal drawn plow, disk, and cultivator in good condition
*Cart wheels, stone boat, yokes…
*Contact with other area teamsters
for our Feb. 26 Family Cow Forum:
*past and present Family Cow Keeper panelists to share their experiences
Bread
To order bread from Bantam Bakery for Saturday morning pick-up at the Wish House in West Cornwall, CT, please email your orders to: info@Motherhouse.us or call Debra at 860-672-0229. Orders MUST be in to Debra by noon on Wednesday for the following Saturday pick-up. Prices and ingredient list follows:
OUR PRICE LIST & BANTAM BREAD INGREDIENTS
WE USE ORGANIC FLOURS, NATURAL/ORGANIC GRAINS, SEEDS & FRUITS
LOCAL LOAF $6.50 (short batard rolled in polenta) – 100% locally grown and milled (Dutchess County, NY), light whole wheat flour (90% extraction), water, local wheat sourdough, yeast, sea salt (V)
MULTI GRAIN $6.50 (free form or pan loaf coated w/rolled oats, sunflower and sesame seeds) -65% organic white flour, 25% organic whole wheat, 10% oat flour, water, sourdough, yeast, sea salt, grain mix (rolled oats, millet, flax, corn grits, oat bran, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds) (V)
CARAWAY RYE $5.50 (pan loaf w or w/o sea salt crystals) – 65% organic white flour, 35% organic whole rye, rye chops, water, sourdough, yeast, vital wheat gluten, caraway seeds, sea salt *
HOLIDAY BREAD $6.50 (boule) – 65 % organic white flour, 35% organic whole rye, water, walnuts, raisins, sour cherries, sourdough, rye chops, caraway seeds, yeast, sea salt (V)
SEMOLINA $4.50 (batard w or w/o sesame seeds) – 50% organic white flour, 50% durum flour, water, sourdough, yeast, sea salt (V)
CALAMATA OLIVE SOURDOUGH $7.00 (oval) – 70% organic white flour, 30% organic whole wheat flour, water, Greek olives, sourdough, extra virgin olive oil, Rosemary, cracked pepper, sea salt*
SUNFLOWER AND FLAX SOURDOUGH $6.50 (oval or pan loaf) – 70% organic white flour, 30% organic whole wheat, water, sourdough, sunflower and flax seeds, sea salt *(oval is V)
SPELT LOAF $7.00 (pan loaf) – 100% whole grain spelt flour, water, sea salt, spelt sourdough (V)
CINNAMON RAISIN (pan loaf plain or brown sugar and cinnamon) – 100% organic white flour, water, sourdough, raisins, sea salt, cinnamon, yeast (baked Thursday and Saturday) *$7.00 plain $7.75 Caramel Swirl
CHALLAH $6.50 (pan loaf) – organic white flour, whole eggs, clover honey, canola oil, water, salt, yeast (baked on Friday)
FRENCH WHITE $5.50 (pan loaf) – 100% organic white flour, water, dry milk, butter, yeast, sourdough, sugar, sea salt (not available on Friday)
BAKERS WHITE $5.50 (oval or pan loaf) – 100% organic white flour, water, sourdough, yeast, sea salt (V)(peasant)
~ OUR SOURS: SPELT, WHOLE WHEAT, AND LOCAL WHEAT ~
WE USE ONLY FILTERED WATER
*MAY CONTAIN EGG WHITES (MADE WITHOUT UPON REQUEST)
(V) VEGAN
Farmers Market
For information about ordering Bantam Bakery bread please click HERE
In 2006 Motherhouse Board member Jessica Marshall organized a service called Motherhouse Delivers. One could order foods from a list of local producers and have them delivered to one’s door every Friday afternoon. Included in the pick-up were breads from Bantam Bakery, meat from Whippoorwill Farm in Salisbury. and fresh fruit from Starberry Farm in Washington. Both book-keeping and finding a willing delivery person proved too challenging for us and we considered closing up shop.
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When Bianca Griggs started to organize a farmers market in West Cornwall, it seemed an ideal fit for this fledgling enterprise. So under the wing of Motherhouse employee Amy Jarvis, we continued taking orders to be picked up at the market. To “flesh out” the market’s offerings, we sold milk and vegetables for Stonewall Dairy Farm, flowers for Margaret Tulley, cheese from Sprout Creek Farm in Poughkeepsie, honey from Local Farm, goat meat from Birds-Eye and Tanner Brook Farm and a variety of goods from Motherhouse Market. These included pottery by Bianca LaPorta, stainless baking sheets by Terry Bell, chestnut candle holders by Jean Boutellier, our own homemade candles, note cards, wreaths, and soap, and yarn from Perry Hill Farm.
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During the spring of 2008 at Lisa Nicholson’s studio, Wyatt Whiteman prepared a hearth-cooked meal of locally produced foods as part of a brainstorming gathering for the following year’s Farmer’s Market. Tom Levine was there with his new son Jamie as well as Mary-Lee and Terry Bell. Tom was talking about possibly having blueberries for sale during the upcoming season. Later that spring Mary-Lee would volunteer to take over Amy’s vacated position as far as tending the market.
As more and more farmers and producers got involved in bringing their goods to sell, Mary-Lee streamlined our participation to basically bread, cheese, and Harry Colly’s Cloverdale products. During the winter seasons; she, her husband Terry, and Wish House owner Bianca Griggs continued with bread deliveries using the Wish House as a pick-up station. By last summer with two babies in tow, Mary-Lee and Terry continued taking bread orders, driving to Bantam each week and delivering the bread to Tom Levine to sell on the side with his Long Meadow Farm products. (His vague blueberry offer has blossomed into a booming egg, chicken, lamb, canned and baked goods business!)
We are infinitely grateful to ALL who have kept our presence going at the West Cornwall Farmers Market! And we hope to find new volunteers to give Mary-Lee a much-needed break and keep the bread-wagon wheels rolling. Please contact Debra@Motherouse.us if you’d like to be on next season’s bread list OR if you’d like to take over Mary-Lee’s amazing work.
During the summer of 2009, Motherhouse ran a “Name Your Cornwall Neighbor” Contest at the WC Farmers Market. Out of 43 locals pictured in a poster featuring photos from our events, Bianca Griggs correctly identified 37. Here she is examining her prize: an organic cotton Motherhouse market bag filled with items representing that year’s workshops. Included were eggs for Eggs-perience Chickens, beeswax candles for Bee-ginning with Bees, essential oil hand sanitizer and an herbal eye-pillow for Scent-sible Gifts, an apron for A Stitchin’ Time, dried basil for Peas and Cukes of Organic Gardening, dilly beans for Yes We CAN Can, and yogurt for Keeping a Family Cow.
still the homegrown band
Evolving out of a weekly jam session, Still the Homegrown Band now boasts seven regular members:
Kathy Lyon on guitar, Mike Prentice on bass (glorified wash-tub or regular stand-up), Shaila Chowdhury on bodhran, Debra Tyler on keyboard, Jane Prentice and Rachel Gall on fiddle, and Jim Prentice on concertina. Join them from 7:00 until 10:00 every first Saturday of the month at the Cornwall, CT Town Hall at 24 Pine St. where they generously donate their time and talents to create an evening of music and fun for the whole family.
     Jim on concertina Kathy on guitar Mike on bass Jane on fiddle Debra on keyboard |
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Shaila on bodhran Rachel on fiddle
Each dance is taught and led by a “caller,” who explains how the dance flows and helps the dancers “walk through” the dance before the music starts. S/he continues “calling” instructions throughout the dance. Dancers of all ages and levels of ability are welcome to join in this everybody-wins team sport. To help pay the caller, we suggest a $3/child and $5/adult donation.
Call Jim or Jane Prentice 860-672-6101 for more info.
Callers scheduled for 2012 are:
January 7 – Bob Livingston July 7 – Eric Hollman
February 4 – Jeff Walker August 4 – Anne Banks
March 3 – Paul Rosenberg September 1 – Peter Stix
April 7 – Patricia Campbell October 6 – David Kaynor
May 5 – Bill Fischer November 3 - Paul Rosenberg Darwin on fiddle
June 2 – to be announced December 3 – Fern Bradley
2010 Presenters
Brigitte Ruthman, Chuck Duncan, and Angela Greco all contributed to our Family Cow Forum in February.
Brigitte, who is starting her own raw milk dairy in Sandisfield, MA, spoke about building a small barn.
Chuck has been working with Local Farm oxen Jigger and Jolly and gave a video presentation on oxen and live demonstration with his boys.
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Angela, a natural-care vet, talked about home health care for cows and what to look for before calling a vet so as to be most efficient in assessing the problem
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Heidi Lindberg assisted in leading Bee-ginning with Bees in March. An enthusiastic pet-sitter and beekeeper, Heidi kept us buzzing with wonder and appreciation for the honeybee.
Jean Tyler helped at our April Stitchin’ Time as an example of patience and perseverance in ironing and measuring seams.
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In May, Vicki Harkness brought seedlings from her Perry Hill Farm nursery business and manure-based planting pots from Freund’s Family Farm to broaden our “Peas and Cukes” of Organic Gardening.
Once again, Margaret Hopkins did an inspirational job teaching participants to dress out chickens at our June Eggs-perience Chickens workshop.
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Not only did Brent Prindle and Joanne Wojtusiak lead a wonderfully informative Jelly and Jam Session in July, but they supplied ALL the fruit, jars, sugar, and supplies for the workshop!
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In response to the devastatinging oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, percussionist Diane Herald led a moving drumming circle on the banks of the Housatonic River. Using rhythms to unite our intentions, we sent healing vibrations downstream to the Gulf.
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In August, Wyatt Whiteman taught us all about hot water baths and pressure canning techniques while we worked together putting up a slew of preserved produce during Yes, We CAN Can! His DVD, “A Visual Guide to Canning” can be purchased through Motherhouse Market for $12.
September’s Cornwall Ag Fair found Wyatt back in town selling roasted sweet corn with Sally O’Shaughnessy as Something Corny in Cornwall. Chuck and the oxen were on hand as well as Rhonda Jaacks with a spinning demo and fine display of our Motherhouse Market Goods.
Alicia North lent a hand and her superb organizational skills during October’s Pi = ? workshop.
…and in November’s Serious Dough, Margaret Hopkins provided much-kneaded assistance in demonstrating the art of making bread.
This Longest Night…
This longest night,
Your candles light.
Keep watch o’er all the earth.
Welcome hope and cheer,
As dawn draws near
And rejoice!
Rejoice in the sun’s rebirth!
HAPPY SOLSTICE! We learned this cheery round from Laurel Green. Our next sing will be on March 18 at the Hunt Memorial Library in West Cornwall, CT. Check our calendar for other opportunities to sing rounds together as a group.
Of What Avail…
Of what avail
this restless, hurrying activity?
This heavy weight of earthly cares?
God’s purposes stand firm,
And you, her little one,
Need one thing alone:
Trust in her power, and will,
to meet your need.
Your burden rests safe on her,
And you, her little one,
May play securely at her side.
This is the sum and substance
of it all;
God is,
God loves you.
God bears all your care.