This past weekend, the three main agricultural businesses on our mesa held a wine, cheese, and mutton tasting. Our farm had slow-cooked mutton shoulder roasts and two Welsh cheeses to taste. Terror Creek Winery brought lovely fondue to go with their Swiss-style wines. Stone Cottage Cellars had a selection of cheeses paired with their wines, plus a fruit and chocolate fondue for their Alpine dessert wine.
We didn’t advertise this event much, but it still got between 30-40 attendees. Most of them had never been to our farm or either of the wineries. We set up signs on all the pens with what sheep were in there, plus notes about our farm and farming philosophy. It was well-received, and we hope to do it again next year.
Next, we’re gearing up for the big Paonia Harvest Festival that starts this weekend. Friday is the Chili Cookoff and the Pie Contest. Last year, Ken was a judge! He hasn’t been asked to judge this year yet, but I’m still hopeful. It made deciding what food to buy much simpler.
On Saturday, we’ll be open all day for self-guided Farm and Winery tours. It often gets pretty crazy! In years past, we’ve had as many as 10-15 people show up at a time, all wanting to learn about our sheep. On Sunday, we’ll be back in town for the last farmers’ market of the year.