Saint Regis Mountain from the Barnum Brook Trail

The Adirondack Rural Skills & Homesteading Festival
Saturday, 29 September 2012

Adirondack Rural Skills and Homesteading Festival: Demonstration by the Paul Smith's College Draft Horse Club (29 September 2012)Adirondack Rural Skills and Homesteading Festival (29 September 2012):
Demonstration by the Paul Smith's College Draft Horse Club

This celebration of rural skills showcased the talents of a bygone era with a distinctly Adirondack flair. Exhibitions included logging and farming with draft horses sponsored by the Paul Smith's College Draft Horse Club and a demonstration of competitive lumberjack sports by the Paul Smith's College Woodsmen's Team . Workshops appealed to a wide range of interests and include topics such as local and seasonal cooking, cider making, cheese making, pack basket construction, renewable energy, fall gardening, heating with firewood and primitive skills.

The festivities took place from 9 AM to 5 PM. $5/person or $10/carload.

Workshop Titles and Presenters
9 AM - 4 PM Cider Pressing: PSC Sustainability Office
9 AM - 4 PM Butter Making: PSC Sustainability Office
10:30 AM, 2:30 PM, & 4:30 PM Paul Smith's College Woodsmen's Team Exhibitions
10 AM & 3:30 PM Fire Without Matches: Hal  Beck (Adirondack Leadership Expeditions)
10 AM & 12 PM Make Your Own Sauerkraut: The Basics of Fermentation (TBA)
10:00 AM - 4 PM Horses & Hand Tools: Low Impact Logging (Paul Smith's College Draft Horse Club)
10:30 AM The Backyard Mycologist: A Field Walk -- Adirondack Mycology Club
11 AM & 2 PM Canning 101: Elizabeth Harper
12:00 PM - 4 PM Horses on the Homestead: The Original Tractor (Paul Smith's College Draft Horse Club)
12:00 PM on From Tree to Tool: Traditional Longbow Construction -- Craig Milewski
12:30 PM Fly Tying 101: Randall Swanson
1:00 PM The Great Carhartt Giveaway -- Sponsored by TRiO SSS and Student Activities
1:00 - 2:00 PM Featured Presenter: Rob Roy- “Pay as you go” The key to a sustainable life (a financial literacy lesson from a cordwood builder) Sponsored by TRiO Student Support Services
2:00 PM Backyard Chickens Part 1: From Chicks to Eggs -- David Patrick
2:00 PM Mountain Music JAM: Cary & Curt Stager
2:15 PM Q&A Session: PSC Natural Resources Program -- Walking the Talk (NRMP, NRSS)
2:30 PM Backyard Chickens Part 2: The Meat Bird -- Joe Orefice
9 AM - 4 PM Wood Chopping 101: Secrets of Successful Splitting- Paul Smith’s Forestry Club
3:00 PM Firewood Science: Getting the most BTU’s from your woodlot -- Joe Orefice
3:30 PM ANCA Cleaner, Greener Communities: Creating a More Sustainable Adirondack-North Country
4:00 PM Antique/farm tractor operation, safety and maintenance -- Joe Orefice
Ongoing Local Food Culinary Arts Demonstration
Ongoing Birchbark Baskets & Primitive Skills (Bethany Garrison, Adirondack Leadership Expeditions, Future Generations, TRiO)
Ongoing Cleaner Greener Communities (ANCA and Conservation Design: Green Communities)
Ongoing Adirondack Farmers’ Market
Ongoing Museum Exhibit: Hippie Homes & Homesteads: Presented by TAUNY
Ongoing Saranac Lake Artworks Artist at Work Tour
Ongoing Beef cattle for the small farm: Joe Orefice
Ongoing Cordwood Construction: Rob Roy
Ongoing The Homestead Goat: From Milk to Soap (Adirondack Goat Club)
Ongoing Firewood Giveaway -- 11 AM, 2 PM, 4 PM

 

Adirondack Rural Skills & Homesteading Festival Poster: Click for larger image

 

Explore the VIC

The Paul Smiths VIC offers a wide variety of programs throughout the year to educate and inform Adirondack Park residents and visitors about the natural wonders of the Adirondack Mountains. You can help support these programs by joining the Friends of the VIC. More information on Friends of the VIC memberships

Explore the Trails

The VIC trails are free and open to the public, from dawn to dusk, spring through fall. In winter, the trails are open to cross-country skiers and snowshoers for a fee. Day or season passes may be purchased.