Sydney’s Corner: Boise Farmer’s Market

Note from Jason: We initially planned to have a separate blog for our daughter called “Sydney’s Adventures.” But it makes more sense to have her write posts and post them on our family blog. So, from now on you will start seeing posts titled “Sydney’s Corner” as well as a new category with the same name where you can read about round-the-world travel from the point of view of an 8-year old girl. We hope you enjoy this new addition and reading posts from Sydney. 

When I grow up, I would like to be a dairy farmer.  Today we went to the Farmer’s Market to learn about farming.  While we were at the Farmer’s Market, we talked to some farmers.

First we talked to a famer who raises elk.  We learned that you can keep elk on a farm.  The elk can jump so high that you need an extra high fence.  We learned that their meat is healthy for you.  The farmer has been raising elk for 6 to 8 years and the elk came from the Oregon coast.  He has 48 elks.  Half the herd is bulls.  The elk loose their antlers and it takes 3 months to grow back.  They grow 2 inches in one day.

Next, we talked to a dairy farmer who raises goats for cheese and sells the cheese.   This is how he makes cheese.  First you get the goat milk by milking.  Then you heat it up to pasteurize it.  Then you add special bacteria that make it curdle to separate the curds from the whey.

We also talked to 2 vegetable farmers.  One of the farmers has a cat.  The cat scares the birds away from the berries.  Both farmers have been farming for a really long time.

Another form of farming we learned about was raising llamas and alpacas.  The farmer raises the llamas and alpacas for their wool.  She sheers the llamas and alpacas in spring.  To make string, first she brushes the wool, dyes it and then spins it into string.  She also knits hats.

My favorite thing was learning about elk, because their fascinating.