GOING WHOLE HOG AT HEYDAY FARM: Island farm offers delicious demos, culinary classes

Published 2:57 pm Thursday, February 19, 2015

There is an art to proper food preparation at every level, from farming to serving — and even in the stages some people would rather not think about.

For instance, the purpose of animal butchery is, ultimately, culinary. So, you shouldn’t be too concerned if you don’t remember all of the names of every fancy cut of beef or pork, and don’t be intimidated by the overall process. If the animal is slaughtered humanely, and if the result is delicious, you’ve done it right.

It’s more like art than surgery.

That’s just one of the tips and tricks that was handed out by Brandon Sheard of Farmstead Meatsmith, a visiting teacher who recently led two workshops at Heyday Farm on whole hog butchery and curing.

Sheard’s demonstrations were some of the most popular yet hosted by the farm, said Alice Skipton, who, along with her husband Craig, has managed and operated the 25-acre farm and its burgeoning educational program since it was first established nearly four years ago.

“We designed this as kind of a holistic business,” she explained. “We have our farm store, we have rooms for stay here and then our classes, so it’s meant to connect people to each other and their food.”

The farm’s educational offerings, Skipton explained, are designed in partnership with Kerrie Sanson, Heyday’s head chef and kitchen manager, who also works to help coordinate guest instructors like Sheard and noted wild food lecturer Langdon Cook.

“For us it’s really celebratory,” Skipton said of the program’s ideals. “When you’re trying to make change in the world, you can fight against something or you can fight for something. For us, it’s [about] gathering around the table and celebrating what we are producing here on the land.”

“That’s kind of the heart of it,” she added.

Three sites on Bainbridge stand as production centers for the farm’s various operations including the Pederson Farm on Old Mill Road NE, the Winney Farm on McDonald Avenue NE and the Farm Store on Lynwood Center Road.

Heyday has hosted tours and school groups as well as traveled to island classrooms to give lectures and presentations about modern small-scale farming, ecology, sustainability and nutrition, all of it done to get people “really thinking about your plate,” Skipton explained.

“[Consider] what you used as a special occasion food versus an everyday food, and how much meat you eat versus vegetables and how to make all of that work on an economical level for your family while not bargain hunting for your food,” she advised.

The recent hog butchery class stood out among the farm’s offerings and earned some skeptical responses, Skipton said.

However, it was also one of the best attended classes, indicating a hunger in the local populace for more knowledge about food and farming in all sorts of capacities.

“We’re new at this so we’re trying to have the farm drive it, too,” Skipton said, discussing Heyday’s own animal harvesting technique and philosophy.

“Everybody on the farm does it,” she said of the seasonal slaughtering of turkeys and chickens. “We all come together — the chef, the people who work in the garden, the people who work with animals — and it’s just a time when we’re all listening to music, we do it over the course of a day [and] we eat a meal together.”

“There’s sort of the old-fashioned farm thing, yet it’s all by regulation,” she added. “We are efficient, but it’s also very joyful, collective work.”

The idea of returning to old-fashioned farm values seemed a popular one among the guests at Sheard’s final demonstration last week, with many attendees either owning small farms or intending to — including at least one guest who came to visit the area from New York and specifically timed his trip so that he could attend the class.

Bainbridge Island is the perfect place for a farm culture resurgence, Skipton said, as it is so much a part of the island’s history.

Sanson agreed, saying that in her role as kitchen manager she endeavors to offer guests varied and interesting takes on locally available fare.

“What we’ve been doing so far is just working seasonally with what’s available,” she explained. “Also trying to fit in opportunities, like our eggs are going to be in high production coming up, so that’s why we’re doing the eggs Benedict class.”

The breakfast-themed class, “Experimental eggs Benedict,” in which guests can learn to harvest and prepare their own unique take on the classic brunch staple, is just one of several upcoming courses Sanson has envisioned to include the farm’s changing offerings throughout the coming year.

“We kind of follow a little bit of a seasonal trend with what’s going on here,” she explained, adding that canning had been a particularly popular produce-related course topic, along with grilling.

Sanson is no stranger to the island’s culinary scene. She’s started and helped set up four professional kitchens and has been a local caterer for more than 20 years. Sanson has also held positions at IslandWood and Restaurant Marche, as well as having received formal training through the Quillisascut Farm School culinary program in Rice, Washington.

People today are more culinary savvy than ever before, Sanson said, and the programs at Heyday are designed to fill that desire for knowledge about food origins, regional availability and preparation.

“There’s a lot of hands-on learning opportunities for everyone,” she said. “There’s so many books and educational opportunities out there and that’s what we want to provide, too. It’s just an opportunity for everyone to feel comfortable here and learn and, mainly, to connect.”

“If they come here I want them to feel like they have a connection to this farm,” she added.

Visit www.heydayfarm.com for a complete list of upcoming classes, workshops and directions to farm facilities, or email info@heydayfarm.com.

Upcoming events at Heyday Farm:

Saturday, Feb. 28 – Farm breakfast and tour.

Sunday, March 1 – “Passionate Nutrition” book launch party.

Saturday, March 7 – Gather and prepare your own experimental eggs Benedict.

Friday, March 27 – Forage for, and learn to prepare, nettles and other local seasonal offerings with noted author Langdon Cook.