By Kate Wilhite, College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences
STANWOOD, Wash. — The Country Living Expo and Cattlemen’s Winterschool will offer more than 175 workshops and classes in skills from cheesemaking and beekeeping to agribusiness, landscape design and small-scale solar power.
The full-day expo will be Saturday, Jan. 25, at Stanwood High School in Stanwood, Wash., and will feature a trade show with more than 65 vendors. To register and view classes, visit http://skagit.wsu.edu/CountryLivingExpo.
“People are increasingly interested in knowing where their food comes from as well as how to produce and prepare their own,” said Joan DeVries, program assistant with Washington State University Extension in Skagit, Snohomish and Island counties. “Our program has grown to include not only rural farmers and cattle producers but also homeowners, backyard farmers and urban apartment dwellers.”
Registration costs $70 for adults and $40 for youth with a discounted rate of $10 for the first 200 youth ages 12-18 to register. Registration includes coffee and pastries, five classes and choice of prime rib or vegetarian lunch.
Some classes have a $3 materials fee but there is no charge to attend the trade show.
This year’s expo offers 60 new classes, including:
• small engine repair
• saving seeds
• home yogurt making
• choosing the right tractor and implements for your property
• curing meats
• organic certification for livestock producers
• milk quality and mastitis
• profiting with livestock
• aquaponics
• basics of birding
• finding and cooking the top 10 wild edible foods
• tanning hides
• introduction to old-time music with Regie Miles and Artis the Spoonman
• and more
In addition to the Saturday classes and trade show, Friday will feature an all-day WSU Beef 200 class and evening classes including FAMACHA© training and kimchee fermenting. A beef farm tour will be Sunday. Friday evening classes cost $20 each and the farm tour is $10.
The Country Living Expo and Cattlemen’s Winterschool is presented by the Livestock Master Foundation, WSU Extension and the Tri-County Cattlemen’s Assoc., and is hosted by the Stanwood FFA.
Call Skagit County Extension, 360-428-4270 Ext 0, with questions.
Contact:
Joan DeVries, WSU Livestock adviser volunteer program, 360-428-4270 Ext. 240, joanrd@co.skagit.wa.us