Calendar of Events
2008
Early in the summer of 2008, the restoration work at Elawa Farm will be finished. For the garden, it means the use of a certified kitchen in which to turn our vegetables and fruits into soups, jams, pestos, breads and sauces. These items will be sold in our new open-air market at the farm which will open slowly in 2008 as our vegetable acre begins production. Also available in the market will be our flowers and our heirloom tomatoes which can be enjoyed at the South Gate Cafe and at Amidei Mercatino in town as well.
KITCHEN WORKSHOPS
June 27, 9-4 pm: Food Preservation
The science and procedures of canning, pickling and jamming will be taught by two instructors from the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension as we roll up our sleeves and don our aprons for the action. Required reading "So Easy to Preserve" before the session is included in the fee; books can be picked up at the farm late in May. This limited class is intended for a committed kitchen crew with which we intend to get off on the right foot!.....................................................................$150
July 19, 2-4 pm: Saavy Soups
Spinach, lettuce or beets? Whatever is in harvest at the time of this session will become a soup! Get the gist of the base and learn the herbal touches that make our soups special- make four, keep two; flower picking afterwards if you wish.........$35
August 23, 2-4 pm: Canning, pickling and jammin'
Get into the rhythms of our new kitchen while the bumper crops are in full swing. We'll make haste and good use of this timely produce to stockpile for the winter. Bring your shufflin' shoes and dance away with some goodies!..........................$35
September 20, 2-4 pm: Angiporto revisited
Do you remember those muffins??? Barbara McCormack, author of the Angiporto recipe portfolio, will anchor the kitchen for this one. We'll fold whatever we can find in the garden into muffins, tea breads and a few "new wrinkles". If our ears are open, we could learn what this clever creator considers the magic touch behind these tasty treats...............................................................................................$35
November 15, 2-4 pm: Holiday Chocolates
With visions of caramel and chocolate, gear up for the holidays with Sarah Bellini, our certified kitchen chef whose specialty is pastry. Make some for home or for gifts and participate in the construction of our holiday chocolate tree!............$40
December 13, 2-4 pm: Gingerbread Houses
Gingerbread house templates await Moms, Dads, Grandparents and surrogate relatives. Please bring your charges and plunge into the array of decor provided by the kitchen to create the house of your whims or wildest artistic expressions. We suggest one child (age 4-9) per adult to keep some order in Santa's kitchen on this very festive occasion...................................................................................... $40
*to register for a class, please call 847-234-1966 for availability; then to secure your reservation please send a check made out to "The Garden at Elawa Farm" and mail to 1401 Middlefork Drive, Lake Forest, IL 60045.
LECTURES
The Gardeners at Elawa Farm, The Wildlife Discovery Center, The Lake County Forest Preserve District and Lake Forest Open Lands Association invite you to a slide presentation.
The History and Ecological Significance of the Middlefork SavannaAn Account of Species found at the Middlefork "BioBlitz"
Saturday, September 13th
2-4 pm: Slide presentations and Q&A in the barn
4-5 pm: Guided walks in the Middlefork Preserve (optional)
Stephen Christy, Landscape Architect and long-time Landscape Consultant for Lake Forest Open Lands, will tell the incredible history of the Middlefork Savanna and how it was saved as a nature preserve.
Ken Klick, Restoration Ecologist for the Lake County Forest Preserve District, will present the reults of the June Bioblitz in the Middlefork Preserve. The BioBlitz was an intensive 24 hour search conducted by scores of regional scientists in an effort to catalogue the diversity of species living in the preserve.
The Middlefork Savanna Preserve is proving itself to be valuable habitat for species of concern such as Meadow-larks, Bobolinks, Henslow's Sparrows, Dickcissels, Harrier Hawks, Sandhill Cranes and even migrating Whooping Cranes. Enjoy beautiful images of this gem of a preserve which is proving what ecological restoration can do.
Upcoming Events
Family Fall Festival
Celebrate the bounty of Elawa Farm
September 21, 2008
We are very excited about this event as it comes at show-off time in the garden when everything is at its peak. We have talked each year about the "garden party" we will have someday so that everybody sees it and now here it is! Additionally, our new open-air market will be officially christened and the new Elawa Farm kitchen will be offering enticing temptations to taste while exploring the activities planned for this inaugural occasion. Announcements will be publicized.
Dahlia Dig Workshop
Late October
Learn how to lift the dahlia tubers from the ground, clean them, divide them and store them properly for the winter. Come help us get some insight into this challenging chore; the dahlias are worth it!
Lifting tubers, a mud fest, 2006!
Dividing dahlia tubers in the barn, 2006
Christmas Market
December 5-7, 2008
10-4 pm
Trees, wreaths, roping and greens will fill the outdoor courtyard at the farm while inside the barn we will have amaryllis and paperwhites, hand made bows, gingerbread houses and holiday foodstuffs made from garden produce. Additionally, we will be making decorative outdoor arrangements in pots to grace your front entrance or back terrace. Proceeds from the Christmas Market will go to the restoration of the garden at Elawa Farm.
December 1st, 2006
Christmas in the barn, 2006
LFHS Men's Club selling trees
847-234-1966 phone Fax 847-234-9212
garden@elawafarm.org