CHARLEMONT — Cheese making, basket weaving, mushroom log inoculation and woodworking are just a few of the skills attendees of the Hawlemont, Agriculture and You (HAY) Conference can learn on Saturday.
The event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. at Hawlemont Regional School, with registration starting at 8:45 a.m. The day is divided into three separate blocks of time for a total of 30 workshops run by volunteers, as well as a break for lunch. Each session costs $15, or one can attend all three sessions for $40.
“It shows the power of volunteerism,” said Sheila Litchfield, a volunteer running two different cheese making workshops at the conference. “It’s very, very exciting.”
The HAY Conference is a celebration of everything the school’s HAY program offers. The Hawlemont school website describes the HAY program as an experience where “children develop confidence and purpose as they forge a connection with nature and take on important responsibilities to care for and nurture animals and plants.”
The day’s structure has quick workshops that teach practical skills, as well as get participants excited about new projects they can work on. Litchfield recalled a workshop her husband attended on fruit tree pruning, saying he still uses the skills he learned years ago.
“Adults and children get to learn together,” Litchfield added. The programs are open to all, with specific workshops marked as “kid friendly” or “specifically for children.”
Agriculture Consultant Jean Bruffee and Interim Principal Amber Tulloch started the HAY Conference together in 2016. The event has not been held for the past two years due to the pandemic. There are still health safety precautions being taken this year. Some workshops will take place outside under tents, and there will also be caps on the amount of people able to attend certain workshops.
Litchfield first became involved with the HAY program when she loaned her animals to the school barn. Hawlemont students have learned animal care through the HAY program, although Litchfield continues to be in charge of the animals’ veterinary needs. She also helps run the school’s 4-H program.
“Most people are so impressed how it creates opportunities for the community to be involved in the school,” she said of the HAY program.
Reach Bella Levavi at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.