Talks, Workshops + Events
Churchtown Dairy was built both to inspire and educate about small-scale organic dairy farming and provide a public platform for exploring healthier alternatives to profit-driven food production and the harm it is doing to our environment. Our doors are open to all -farmers and gardeners, educators, learners, neighbors, artists, and social activists who seek solutions to the critical issues of our time. To those ends, Churchtown Dairy sponsors a variety of social and cultural events, educational workshops, and talks throughout the year. Some are specifically geared toward farmers, cheesemakers, gardeners, and eaters; some for meeting the neighbors and enjoying each other’s company, and others are intended to spark a spirited debate in service to building a healthier, sustainable future. To stay informed about upcoming events, please sign up for our newsletter, follow us on Instagram and Facebook and check our calendar on this website.
Churchtown offers private cheese tastings for groups that would like a bespoke experience at the farm. The perfect gathering for your weekend away with friends or get together for workplace colleagues. Private tastings are held in the Farm House and the offering includes Churchtown cheese with an array of our favorite accompaniments from the Hudson Valley. We also offer wine pairings at an additional cost. Reach out to grace@churchtowndairy.org for more information.
Monthly Handwork Club
Our friend and collaborator Susan Chiappini will lead a monthly handwork get-together on the first Saturday of every month from 10am-12pm. We will work on sewing projects together and troubleshoot new techniques. There will be a Churchtown cheese board for attendees to enjoy as they work.
Participants need to bring their own handwork projects with all necessary tools and materials. Please RSVP for this free event via email: grace@churchtowndairy.org
Quilting Workshop with Susan Chiappini
Spend the day learning how to quilt at the farm this winter. We'll be gathering as a group to learn the necessary skills and strategy from Susan Chiappini of Arrow Maker Quilts. During the workshop, Susan will demonstrate how to assemble an Ohio Star quilt block, provide hands on instruction, and assist with techniques for cutting + piecing fabric. We'll also discuss traditional patterns, project planning, and material sourcing. The event is open to beginners with basic sewing machine knowledge and folks with quilting experience.
At lunchtime, attendees will pause to enjoy a delicious, communal lunch from Talbott and Arding (included in ticket price).
Susan is a self taught quilt artist/educator living and working in the Hudson Valley. A scientist at heart, she studied human physiology and nutrition at the Medical College of Virginia, and Columbia University and is certified as a Master Food Preserver through Cornell Co-operative Extension. She works seasonally as the farm kitchen supervisor at Montgomery Place Orchard in Red Hook, NY in the summer and spends winter stitching quilts for family, friends and retail through Arrow Maker.
Attendees will be asked to bring the below materials:
- Self-healing cutting mat for quilting 24 X 18 (Olfa is a suggested brand)
- Rotary cutter 45mm
- Grid ruler 8.5 X 24 (Creative Grid is a suggested brand)
- Seam ripper
- All purpose thread in neutral color
- Sewing machine in good working order
- 1⁄4” foot attachment for your machine if you have it
- 1.5 yard quilting cotton that will contrast with the provided muslin; this can be one single cut or a collection of scraps each at least 7” x 7”.
- Fabric scissors
Get your tickets HERE.
Monthly Book Club
Book Club meets on the last Wednesday of the month (unless otherwise noted) to discuss topics surrounding land, history, ecology, and community.
January 29th, 7PM: Silent Spring Revolution by Douglas Brinkley:
In Silent Spring Revolution, Douglas Brinkley pays tribute to those who combated the mauling of the natural world in the Long Sixties: Rachel Carson (a marine biologist and author), David Brower (director of the Sierra Club), Barry Commoner (an environmental justice advocate), Coretta Scott King (an antinuclear activist), Stewart Udall (the secretary of the interior), William O. Douglas (Supreme Court justice), Cesar Chavez (a labor organizer), and other crusaders are profiled with verve and insight.
Free tickets to this event are available here.
Please email caitlin@churchtowndairy.org with any Book Club questions or to be added to the Book Club mailing list.
Living Foods: Cheesemaking for Home Cooks
Susan Chiappini, PhD, will lead our group in making yogurt, ricotta and creme fraiche using Churchtown raw milk in our farm kitchen. Attendees can look forward to learning how to make delicious fresh styles of cheese at home and how to best incorporate it into their cooking and lifestyles.
Susan has studied human physiology and nutrition at the Medical College of Virginia, and Columbia University and she is certified as a Master Food Preserver through Cornell Co-operative Extension. Susan is a passionate home cook who loves sharing her kitchen knowledge with others and has taught cooking classes in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and New York State. Susan works seasonally as the farm kitchen supervisor at Montgomery Place Orchards, Red Hook, NY in the summer and spends winter stitching quilts for family, friends and retail.
We will be serving refreshments throughout the afternoon, including a board of Churchtown Dairy cheeses, fresh bread, coffee, and our own herbal tea for the group to enjoy as they learn.
Tickets are available HERE.
Caroling to the Cows
A very special holiday tradition at Churchtown! Join us as we sing carols to the dairy herd from the haylofts above.
There are no more tickets available for this event but if you would like to sign up for the waitlist visit our eventbrite page.
Caroling to the Cows
A very special holiday tradition at Churchtown! Join us as we sing carols to the dairy herd from the haylofts above.
There are no more tickets available for this event but if you would like to sign up for the waitlist visit our eventbrite page.
Monthly Cheese Tasting
Please join us for a tasting of our award-winning cheeses as cheesemaker Grace Pullin leads a conversation about the creamery, tasting notes, and pairing suggestions.
Registration is limited (with safe and spacious seating). Register here.
Monthly Book Club
Book Club meets on the last Wednesday of the month (unless otherwise noted) to discuss topics surrounding land, history, ecology, and community.
An Enemy of The People by Henrik Ibsen
Dr. Stockmann has discovered that the new baths built in his town are infected with a deadly disease and instructs the town to repair or close the baths. The Mayor, who is Dr. Stockmann's brother, does not believe the report and refuses to close the baths because it will cause the financial ruin of the town. Dr. Stockmann tries to take his case to the people, but the mayor intercedes and explains to the people how much it will cost to repair the baths. He explains that the Doctor is always filled with wild, fanciful ideas. In a public meeting, he has his brother declared an enemy of the people. The doctor decides to leave the town, but at the last minute comes to the realization that he must stay and fight for the things he believes to be right.
Free tickets to this event are available here.
Please email caitlin@churchtowndairy.org with any Book Club questions or to be added to the Book Club mailing list.
Caroling to the Cows
A very special holiday tradition at Churchtown! Join us as we sing carols to the dairy herd from the haylofts above.
There are no more tickets available for this event but if you would like to sign up for the waitlist visit our eventbrite page.
Holiday Market
Churchtown is celebrating the holiday season with our Annual Holiday Market. Join the festivities and shop for gifts from local makers and farmers in our community. We'll have warm drinks and treats to enjoy while you browse.
Caroling to the Cows
A very special holiday tradition at Churchtown! Join us as we sing carols to the dairy herd from the haylofts above.
There are no more tickets available for this event but if you would like to sign up for the waitlist visit our eventbrite page.
Monthly Handwork Club
Our friend and collaborator Susan Chiappini will lead a monthly handwork get-together on the first Saturday of every month from 10am-12pm. We will work on sewing projects together and troubleshoot new techniques. There will be a Churchtown cheese board for attendees to enjoy as they work.
Participants need to bring their own handwork projects with all necessary tools and materials. Please RSVP for this free event via email: grace@churchtowndairy.org
Monthly Cheese Tasting
Please join us for a tasting of our award-winning cheeses as cheesemaker Grace Pullin leads a conversation about the creamery, tasting notes, and pairing suggestions.
Registration is limited (with safe and spacious seating). Register here.
Monthly Book Club
Book Club meets on the last Wednesday of the month (unless otherwise noted) to discuss topics surrounding land, history, ecology, and community.
Barons : Money, Power, and the Corruption of America's Food Industry by Austin Frerick
Barons is the story of seven corporate titans, their rise to power, and the consequences for everyone else. Take Mike McCloskey, Chairman of Fair Oaks Farms. In a few short decades, he went from managing a modest dairy herd to running the Disneyland of agriculture, where school children ride trams through mechanized warehouses filled with tens of thousands of cows that never see the light of day. What was the key to his success? Hard work and exceptional business savvy? Maybe. But more than anything else, Mike benefitted from deregulation of the American food industry, a phenomenon that has consolidated wealth in the hands of select tycoons, and along the way, hollowed out the nation’s rural towns and local businesses.
Free tickets to this event are available here.
Please email caitlin@churchtowndairy.org with any Book Club questions or to be added to the Book Club mailing list.
Weekly Farm Tour
Tour the farm with our Herd Manager and learn more about our care for the land, our herd management, medicinal gardens, and animal husbandry practices. Meet the cows, calves and pigs, and observe the milking. This free tour occurs every Saturday afternoon at 3:30pm. We will meet in front of the Farm Store! Register HERE.
Weekly Farm Tour
Tour the farm with our Herd Manager and learn more about our care for the land, our herd management, medicinal gardens, and animal husbandry practices. Meet the cows, calves and pigs, and observe the milking. This free tour occurs every Saturday afternoon at 3:30pm. We will meet in front of the Farm Store! Register HERE.
Weekly Farm Tour
Tour the farm with our Herd Manager and learn more about our care for the land, our herd management, medicinal gardens, and animal husbandry practices. Meet the cows, calves and pigs, and observe the milking. This free tour occurs every Saturday afternoon at 3:30pm. We will meet in front of the Farm Store! Register HERE.
Monthly Handwork Club
Our friend and collaborator Susan Chiappini will lead a monthly handwork get-together on the first Saturday of every month from 10am-12pm. We will work on sewing projects together and troubleshoot new techniques. There will be a Churchtown cheese board for attendees to enjoy as they work.
Participants need to bring their own handwork projects with all necessary tools and materials. Please RSVP for this free event via email: grace@churchtowndairy.org
Weekly Farm Tour
Tour the farm with our Herd Manager and learn more about our care for the land, our herd management, medicinal gardens, and animal husbandry practices. Meet the cows, calves and pigs, and observe the milking. This free tour occurs every Saturday afternoon at 3:30pm. We will meet in front of the Farm Store! Register HERE.
Monthly Cheese Tasting
Please join us for a tasting of our award-winning cheeses as cheesemaker Grace Pullin leads a conversation about the creamery, tasting notes, and pairing suggestions.
Registration is limited (with safe and spacious seating). Register here.
Weekly Farm Tour
Tour the farm with our Herd Manager and learn more about our care for the land, our herd management, medicinal gardens, and animal husbandry practices. Meet the cows, calves and pigs, and observe the milking. This free tour occurs every Saturday afternoon at 3:30pm. We will meet in front of the Farm Store! Register HERE.
HRN and Young Farmers “Common Ground” Screening
Join HRN and Young Farmers for a fundraiser and screening of the film Common Ground, followed by a panel discussion featuring:
Leah Penniman (Soul Fire Farm)
Michelle A.T. Hughes (Young Farmers)
Chris Nickell (Finca Seremos)
Event Schedule:
4pm - Doors open: Enjoy a mixer and light refreshments with local farmers and Young Farmers team members. Food trucks will have meals available for purchase.
5pm - Take a seat and enjoy the film!
7pm - Panel discussion
Together, we are building power and shifting policies toward a brighter, more just future for U.S. Agriculture.
Let's come together and celebrate National Farmers Day by supporting the National Young Farmers Coalition and HRN. Seats are limited, get your ticket today!
Harvest Market
Celebrate the harvest season with us on October 12. We'll be gathering in the Round Barn for a community market featuring our favorite local makers and vendors. Participants will offer beautiful beeswax candles, local seasonal baked goods, special antiques and much more.
A sourdough pizza truck will be serving delicious wood fired pies for lunch and we'll have coffee + hot cider to keep you warm as you enjoy the afternoon at the farm.
Biodynamic Cheese and Wine Tasting
We're celebrating the turn of the season by gathering in the barn to enjoy Churchtown cheese paired with exquisite biodynamic wines from around the world. As we taste the selection, attendees will learn about this unqiue spirutal way of farming and the practices used on biodyamic dairies and vineyards. Perfect for cheese connosieurs, folks who are curious about wholistic farming, and those looking for a fun night out.
The seated tasting will include four pairings and assorted local accompaniments. The evening will conclude with a brief farm tour.
Tickets are available here.
Weekly Farm Tour
Tour the farm with our Herd Manager and learn more about our care for the land, our herd management, medicinal gardens, and animal husbandry practices. Meet the cows, calves and pigs, and observe the milking. This free tour occurs every Saturday afternoon at 3:30pm. We will meet in front of the Farm Store! Register HERE.
Monthly Handwork Club
Our friend and collaborator Susan Chiappini will lead a monthly handwork get-together on the first Saturday of every month from 10am-12pm. We will work on sewing projects together and troubleshoot new techniques. There will be a Churchtown cheese board for attendees to enjoy as they work.
Participants need to bring their own handwork projects with all necessary tools and materials. Please RSVP for this free event via email: grace@churchtowndairy.org
Garden Walks with Jean-David Derreumaux
Every Friday at 10 am from May 17 to October 18, 2024.
Enjoy a morning at Churchtown Dairy exploring the Healing Gardens with Jean-David Derreumaux, a biodynamic grower with over 25 years’ experience fostering the medicinal properties of plants and gardens.
The tour is free - donations welcome! Register HERE.
Weekly Farm Tour
Tour the farm with our Herd Manager and learn more about our care for the land, our herd management, medicinal gardens, and animal husbandry practices. Meet the cows, calves and pigs, and observe the milking. This free tour occurs every Saturday afternoon at 3:30pm. We will meet in front of the Farm Store! Register HERE.
Real Organic Project Conference - A World Movement
Join the Real Organic Project for an intimate, day-long gathering that features short, moving talks on the Main Stage from voices of the Organic Movement, as well as two sessions of focused breakout groups, a delicious lunch, and plenty of time to mingle and connect.
Speakers include farmers, journalists, and policy experts, such as: Eliot Coleman, Paul Holmbeck, Emily Oakley, Nora Taleb, Paul Muller, Tim Wise, Linley Dixon and Dave Chapman.
More information and tickets are available here.
Garden Walks with Jean-David Derreumaux
Every Friday at 10 am from May 17 to October 18, 2024.
Enjoy a morning at Churchtown Dairy exploring the Healing Gardens with Jean-David Derreumaux, a biodynamic grower with over 25 years’ experience fostering the medicinal properties of plants and gardens.
The tour is free - donations welcome! Register HERE.
Monthly Book Club
Book Club meets on the last Wednesday of the month (unless otherwise noted) to discuss topics surrounding land, history, ecology, and community.
Eating Tomorrow: Agribusiness, Family Farmers, and the Battle for the Future of Food By Timothy A. Wise
Few challenges are more daunting than feeding a global population projected to reach 9.7 billion in 2050―at a time when climate change is making it increasingly difficult to successfully grow crops. In response, corporate and philanthropic leaders have called for major investments in industrial agriculture, including genetically modified seed technologies. Reporting from Africa, Mexico, India, and the United States, Timothy A. Wise's Eating Tomorrow discovers how in country after country agribusiness and its well-heeled philanthropic promoters have hijacked food policies to feed corporate interests.
Free tickets to this event are available here.
Please email caitlin@churchtowndairy.org with any Book Club questions or to be added to the Book Club mailing list.
Weekly Farm Tour
Tour the farm with our Herd Manager and learn more about our care for the land, our herd management, medicinal gardens, and animal husbandry practices. Meet the cows, calves and pigs, and observe the milking. This free tour occurs every Saturday afternoon at 3:30pm. We will meet in front of the Farm Store! Register HERE.
Living Foods: Jam and Canning Workshop
Join us in the farm kitchen for a fun and informative afternoon as we learn how to make and preserve strawberry jam. Susan Chiappini of Montgomery Place Orchard will lead the group through best practices in selecting and preparing your fruit, using low sugar recipes, gathering necessary kitchen supplies and more. The principles and techniques learned will easily apply to most home canning of other fruit jams as well as tomatoes.
Susan is certified through the Cornell Cooperative Extension to teach home canning and makes thousands of jars of jam yearly in her work as the farm kitchen supervisor at MPO.
Coffee, herbal tea from the gardens and a Churchtown cheese board will be served for attendees to enjoy as we learn.
Tickets are available here.
Garden Walks with Jean-David Derreumaux
Every Friday at 10 am from May 17 to October 18, 2024.
Enjoy a morning at Churchtown Dairy exploring the Healing Gardens with Jean-David Derreumaux, a biodynamic grower with over 25 years’ experience fostering the medicinal properties of plants and gardens.
The tour is free - donations welcome! Register HERE.