‘Eureka’ moment: Learning where food comes from

CORNWALL — It’s called “a magical window into farmlife.” The Camp Eureka summer program provides children and parents with opportunities that are becoming more and more unique.

Camp wrapped up its fifth year at Local Farm on Aug. 25 with the last of two “sampler” days. It was attended by young children and their mothers.

The main goal of the camps, besides outdoor fun, is to offer children the full picture of where food really comes from, said Margaret Hopkins, who runs the camp with her mother, Debra Tyler.

Camp attendees are mostly from Cornwall and area towns. But just because they live in a region where there are still many farms, that doesn’t mean they  are tuned into agriculture.

“Where’s the best place to pet a cow?” Tyler asked the group that assembled in the barn to greet Sherlock and other big, brown-eyed Jerseys.

“At a farm!” said Elden Grace, of Sherman, Conn.

Then it was off to try their hands at milking. It can be pretty daunting the first time.

These kids are no strangers to milk, but many were concerned about getting it on their hands, fresh from the udder. Tyler assured them milk is good for the skin.

They learned the basics. Guesses for the yield for one milking ranged from 1 to 1,000 gallons. The real answer is: an average of 35 gallons, which still seemed like a lot.

The rest of the day included making butter, grinding corn for flour to make cornbread and wandering through a neighbor’s cornfield.

“I love it here,” said Ella Pease, 10. Her mom, Tal Hadani-Pease, teaches at the camp, so Ella gets to spend the summer there.

“I’ve gotten to know the cows really well, and the second week of camp, we saw a calf being born,” she said. “It was really cool. My favorite thing is working in the garden. We cook things that we grow here, and that’s my favorite part, learning how to cook and what goes together, including meat and dairy.”

The small herd at Local Farm is made up of the offspring of “family cows” that live in backyards around the area.

Activities available year round on the farm include the Old Style Life Skills workshops. Up this month is a sauerkraut and lacto-fermented pickle workshop, as well as one on keeping a family cow. For details go to www.motherhouse.us, and look for their “corny” booth at the Cornwall Agricultural Fair on Sept. 12.