Ovis Hill Farm and Clemson’s Extension Service hosted its ninth annual Farm Festival on Saturday.
Children of all ages, dressed in their festive costumes, painted bird houses made of gourds, ate snow cones and fed lambs and cows. A fiddler played as people square-danced and waited to take a hayride to watch an expertly trained Border Collie herd a flock of sheep in the pasture. There also were hand-knit scarves and handmade jewelry for sale, as well as sheepshearing demonstrations throughout the afternoon.
“The best way to describe it is a cross between an old-time county fair and a fiber arts festival,” said Charlie Caldwell, owner and founder of Ovis Hill Farm.
What started as a church fundraiser for a mission trip to Nicaragua in 2001 evolved into a highly anticipated annual event.
“What we’ve done is look for more ways to engage the public. We really want to tell the story of food and fiber to the average person,” Caldwell said.
The farm store also was open for business with more than 45 kinds of cheeses from Wisconsin and Amish Country, fresh milk from grass-fed cows, organic vegetables, free-range chicken, pork, lamb, eggs and beef.
“One of the unique things about our farm is that we network with other farms in South Carolina to bring the food that we produce directly to families,” Caldwell said.
That network of farms includes: Happily Cow Creamery in Pelzer, Oaklyn Plantation in Darlington County, Wil-Moore Farms in Lugoff, Hill Creek Farm in Hartsville, Dickson Farm of Timmonsville, Bell Honey, Caw Caw Creek Pastured Pork, Lexington, Blizzard Branch farm in Middendorf and others.
“What you notice more than anything else is that everyone is walking around with a grin on their face,” Caldwell said.
The festival also runs today from noon to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit ovishillfarm.com.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement