The Farm Report 2024

Farm Report 2024

Reflection

What a wonderful and busy year this has been for Gray Hill School Farm. From a sunny Spring through this chilly Fall, we have heard from some experts and learned some new skills. It started with our spring seed swaps, compost and plant give-a-ways, garden classes, willow chapel project, continued with summer canning classes, and sewing classes that lasted through the fall. Winding up the year, we heard from Danial Lawton, who talked and consulted on earthworks projects, and our sewing class took on a volunteer service project of sewing pajamas for our local homeless shelter called Branches of Hope. You can read more about it in this blog post HERE.

Thanks to YOU

A very heartfelt thank you for all of 2024 – to all the participants, volunteers, teachers, and supporters who donated time, talent, materials, and funding. You made everything come to life. We especially thank WoodmenLife and the Long Cane Methodist Outreach for partnering with us and letting us use their facility for our classes and lectures.

Photos

Here are a few photos from our November and December events 2024 (when we remembered to take pictures).

About Gray Hill School Farm

Gray Hill School Farm is a catalyst for community abundance and self-sustainability across generations. We organize classes and resources to create working and thriving infrastructure for clean healthy living. Some of these topics are permaculture techniques, gardening, organic practices, cheese-making, sewing, food preservation through canning and dehydration, rotational grazing, foraging, seed-saving, greenhouse techniques, and more. Most of our workshops are free to whoever wants to learn. Community involvement is enhanced by giving a voice to generational information that has been handed down. Skills are also taught that would otherwise be lost. In our workshops we often distribute materials, seeds, plants, and even compost for free.

Gray Hill School Farm is a 501 (c) (3) non profit charitable organization.

Sewing for a Cause 2024

sewing for a cause 2024

A Local Sewing Bee

This is a volunteer gathering of folks, who enjoy sewing, for the purpose of making items to be donated to Branches of Hope, a homeless shelter/ transitional housing program. Join us for two Monday evenings of sewing with a specific purpose.

What we are making

We will be making pajamas of all sizes to be donated. Branches of Hope is located in LaGrange, GA, and is a part of the Troup County Homeless Coalition. Many factors cause homelessness – a health crisis, a lost job, family violence, or a transition from an institutional setting back into the community. Often, those in need arrive with the clothes on their back and little else. Branches of Hope is a local 20-bed facility that is making a difference in the lives of others.

The specifics for these Sewing Bees are:

Dates: Monday, November 18th, and Monday, November 25th, 2024

Time: 6:30 PM until 8:00 PM

Place: Long Cane Methodist Church Hall (51 Long Cane Road, LaGrange, GA)

Sewing Skill Level: entry level to professional level folks are all welcome to help.

Materials: Fabric and patterns will be provided. We will be using flannel and fleece.

Sewing Machines: Bring your sewing machine if you can. We have a limited number of extra machines available.

What we will make: We will be making pajamas of all sizes that will be donated to our local homeless shelter, Branches of Hope, which is part of the LaGrange-Troup County Homeless Coalition.

Organized by:

‘Sewing for a Cause 2024’ is organized by the GrayHill School Farm and is supported and sponsored by the Long Cane Methodist Outreach, the LaGrange Chapter of WoodmenLife, and the Grayhill Gabbettville Garden Group. Special thanks are extended to Ms. Nora Ayers for spearheading this project.

Let us know

If you are interested in attending and would like to know more, please call 706-518-8869.

Preserving Peaches

Goodness

It is peach season in Georgia! This year’s fruit harvest is looking and tasting fantastic. What “can” you do to keep that sweet flavor and bright peach color for the winter months? We will tell you exactly how at this canning class on Thursday, August 22nd, 2024. The time is 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM at the Long Cane United Methodist Church at 51 Long Cane Road, LaGrange, GA.

Gray Hill School Farm has organized this canning class to give you hands-on experience, in a kitchen, with a seasoned teacher. Ms. Nora Ayers will be teaching how she cans peaches, and we have a LOT of peaches. You may want to bring an apron, and a few canning jars with lids and bands to fill, and take home.

On August 8th we worked on two things. They were pickled okra and strawberry preserves. We did the pickled okra with various levels of hot peppers. The strawberry preserves were also done two different ways. Here are a few photos:

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We will learn by doing. This is a relaxed and fun educational experience, and you are welcome to join us. Will this be our last canning class of the season? We don’t know, but we will be discussing it together on Thursday evening.

Interested in attending?

There is no charge for this class. Please call 706-518-8869 if you are interested in attending.

Our other current summer 2024 class is “Sewing”, read more in this GHSF blog post: https://www.grayhillschoolfarm.org/2024/07/02/classes-still-going-strong/

Special Thanks

Gray Hill School Farm would like to extend a special thank you to our teacher, Ms. Nora Ayers and the Long Cane United Methodist Outreach. Also, thank you to the Grayhill Gabbettville Garden Group for supplying some of the equipment.