Calendar

New Pond Farm
Connecting People to the Land that Enriches and Sustains Us All

SPRING PROGRAM CALENDAR 2008

Park at the Indoor Learning Center
Dress for the out-of-doors!
One week cancellation required for refund.

Pre-payment and pre-registration required for all programs except MayFair.

Family Programs

Sat., 5/3 11:00 – 4:00 PM 13^th Annual Frog Frolic held at the Redding Community Center. Come visit New Pond Farm’s display at Mark Twain Library’s annual celebration. We will have a wide variety of live frogs, toads and other amphibians from Redding. You can also enjoy outdoor amusements, crafts and games.

Sun., 5/4 11:00 – 12:30 PM New Members Day - For those of you who have recently joined, come along for a tour of the farm, property and buildings. Light refreshments will be served; feel free to bring a brown bag picnic. Free!

Sat. 5/10 3:00 – 4:00 PM Spring Farm Chores - The barn is full of new life! Come and help Farmer Chris care for the calves, piglets, chicks and lambs.Fee: $8/member family, $10/non-member family.

Sat., 5/17 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM (rain date 5/18 1:00 – 4:00 PM) 24^thAnnual Founders’ May Fair Please join us for a wonderful family day on the farm. In addition to enjoying the beauty of the spring pastures and gardens, we will have sheep sheering, cow judging, horse drawn hayrides, bee keeping, contemporary and traditional Celtic and Americana music with Lisa Furman and the BlueFlies, Morris Dancing, and delicious food. This year our special guests will be award winning children’s author and artist Billy Steers and his 1948 Farmall cub “Tractor Mac,” who is the main character in many of Steer’s popular books. Billy will share readings and personalized drawings, he will also involve guests in the illustration process which details step by step the work involved in the development of a story. A wonderful day for one and all.
Fee: $4/member ($16 max/member family), $5/non-member ($20 max./non-member family).
3 and under free! Please leave your dogs at home.

Sun., 6/1 3:00 – 4:00 PM Spring Farm Chores - The farm is full of young animals! Come and help Farmer Travis care for the calves, piglets, chicks and lambs. Fee: $8/member family, $10/non-member family.

Sat., 6/14 5:30 – 9:00 PM Potluck Supper and Barn Dance - We hope you will join us in the pasture for a lively Potluck Supper and Barn Dance! Bill Fischer and The Wild Notes will teach and call traditional dances, like contras and squares, for all ages. 5:30 – Potluck supper, 6:30 – 9:00 PM dancing for all. Fee: Members: $10/person ($40 maximum per family)
Non-members: $12/person ($50 maximum per family).

4-5 Year Olds (with an adult)

All programs are $6/member child, $8/non-member child and
meet from 1:00 – 1:45 PM.

Wed., 5/7 Habitat Hunt - We will visit three different habitats on the farm and learn why they make good homes for different types of plants and animals.

Thurs., 5/15 Salamander Search - We will search the leaves, logs and rocks for this amazing amphibian. Dress for the woodlands.

Mon., 5/19 Busy Bees - After observing the farm’s beehive we will head inside for a closer look at our indoor observation hive and the story of how bees make sweet honey.

Tues., 5/27 Discovery Hike - Explore the woodlands and the marsh and search for amphibians, birds, butterflies and wildflowers. Wear your boots!

Fri., 6/6 Spring Stories - Bring a snack and blanket and enjoy several spring stories under the old oak tree.

6-12 Year Olds
All Programs Meet From 4:00 – 5:00 PM and are
$8/member child, $10/non-member child unless noted

Thurs., 5/15 Marsh Life - After discussing why marshes are such important habitats, we will explore our marsh and see how many animal and plant species we can find and identify. Nets and containers provided.

Wed., 5/21, 5/28, 6/4, 6/11 and 6/18 Watch Your Garden Grow - During this 5 week series you will work your own garden plot from start to harvest. Classes will include soil prep and fertilizing, planting, weeding and care. Rain or shine. $50/member, $65/non-members. Harvest will begin in June and continue after the last class meets.

Fri., 5/30 Pizza Box - We will plant tomatoes, basil and oregano for you to take home and care for. Before you know it you can harvest delicious herbs and fruit and make your own pizza!

Mon., 6/9 Bluebirds - Learn the fascinating natural history of this once locally endangered songbird, observe their activity around our nesting box trail, and take home blueprints to make a nesting box of your own.

Sat., 6/14 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Huck Finn Day - In honor of Mark Twain Library’s 100^th anniversary we will celebrate Huck Finn with a morning of pioneering activities. Join us for fishing, miniature raft building and more.

Adults

Thurs., 5/1 7:00 – 8:30 PM Farms in Art - Drawing from her extensive collection of images, popular art historian Virginia Bush, will give us a taste of the beautiful and entertaining ways that farms and farm animals have been represented in art over many centuries and up to the present day. Light refreshments will be served. Fee: $10/member, $12/non-member.

Fri., 5/2 11:15 AM – 12:30 PM Wildflower Ramble - Join us for a relaxing afternoon on the farm. Bring a brown bag picnic lunch to enjoy on Astronomy Hill followed by a tour of our early spring gardens, nesting songbirds, and wildflowers at the edge of the woodlands. Fee: $10/member, $12/non-member.

Sat., 5/3 6:00 – 7:30 AM Morning Bird Walk - Start your day off right with an early morning bird walk with amateur bird enthusiast James Good. Binoculars and sturdy shoes are recommended. Meet in front of the Indoor Learning Center. Rain cancels.

Thurs., 5/22 7:00 – 8:30 PM The Art of Bountiful Planters - Planters are a great way to add color and excitement to a porch or terrace, and to welcome the season. Join New Pond Farm gardener and landscape designer Mary Jane Guffey, of Boxwood Landscape Design, for a hands-on workshop on outdoor planters. Get expert tips on winning combinations and create your own stunning display in a terra cotta pot. Fee: $40 members, $45/non-members.

Thurs., 5/29 7:00 – 8:30 PM Yale Sustainable Food Project - The Sustainable Food Project directs a sustainable dining program at Yale, manages an organic farm on campus, and runs diverse programs that support exploration and academic inquiry related to food and agriculture. Join Laura Hess and Josh Viertal for an interactive discussion on this wonderful program. Fee: $10/member, $12/non-member.

Wed., 6/4 7:00 – 8:30 PM and Wed., 6/11 1:00 – 2:30 PM
The Lure of Stone and the Walls Made from Them by Local Historian Dan Cruson - This program on stone walls will consist of two parts, an evening lecture presentation followed by a walking tour of the stone features of New Pond Farm. The evening program will introduce the reasons why and how stone walls were built, dispelling some of the common myths such as their construction by slaves, and the notion that stone was the predominant material for marking boundaries. Some attention will also be given to the reason that New England has so many rocks and the causes for the disappearance of the town’s ancient stone walls. This presentation will focus on traditional functional stone walls such as those of New Pond Farm, and will not deal with modern decorative and eccentric walls that are being seen more and more frequently around Redding.
The second part of this program will be a field session where the actual structure of old farm walls can be seen and experienced. Some of the glacial features of the Farm will also be pointed out. This session will involve a modest hike around the grounds of New Pond Farm with some moderately steep hill climbing. Fee: $10/members, $12/non-member, per program.

Thurs., 6/5 7:00 – 8:30 PM Container Garden for Culinary Herbs - Create a beautiful and healthful container that you will enjoy throughout the spring and summer. All materials will be provided, bring gardening gloves if desired. Fee: $25/member, $30/non-member.

Junior Staff

This program will provide students ages 9-18 a chance to work on the farm and learn about the natural world. This program meets SIX Tuesday afternoons from 4:00 -5:00 PM beginning on May 6^th. Staffers must come dressed in work clothes and sturdy shoes. Fee: $50.00 - Family Members only!

Summer Shakespeare

This engaging hands-on theatre program with director Nancy Ponturo will incorporate acting, dance, and voice. Students will become more familiar with the intricacies of the Shakespearean language, garner a sound knowledge of the text, and get a glimpse into life in Elizabethan times, as they prepare for their performances. We aim to stimulate the students' imaginations through an innovative approach to classical material.
Dates: June 30th - July 19^th
Time: 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (longer rehearsals during week #3)
Tuition: $600/Family Member, $675/non-member. Spaces are limited.
Evening Performances: 7/17 at Meadow Ridge; 7/18 and 7/19 at New Pond Farm

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