Wow! A great class!

I am going to start this posting with a response to Sharon who left the comment on my last post.
She asked "How did it go?" It went great today! We could not have dreamed of a better group of people to have as our first round of students. Everyone of the attendees were so focused,excited and filled with great questions.No one fell over or got weak in the knees.Every single one just got in and did it.It was even lightly raining,only in Oregon would no one care about the wet.
Chance did a great job of guiding people through the cutting of the neck, opening the abdomen and removing the organs. He even had a great teachable moment when someone pulled out some unformed eggs another pulled out some testicles.(These eggs look just like the yolk in an egg.The testicles are oval and whitish.)
As for myself,I tried to keep the flow going showing folks how to pluck their birds and answering questions.I had lots of questions about what to do with different parts to the bird. I tried to encourage people to take home the feet for soup stock.The feet when made into broth makes the beautiful golden broth one sees in books.I also talked about the cost of raising your own meat chickens.I figured it was right around $8 per bird,that's feed and buying the chick.For a free range organic bird that is a really good deal.
I did get over my quandary over Amelia and she is now cooling in the fridge.
We started an email list for some up coming events and classes we will be holding.I think everyone in the class signed up.So far we have planned the 2nd Butchering class and are working on dates for,Pickles,Bread & Soup, Apple Butter,Knife,Hoe and Shovel Sharpening and the one that was a big interest at the class today a knife making class.(Chance makes some beautiful knives that will hold their edge all the way through skinning a deer.How's that for a selling point?) If any of our readers would like to be added to our class/event list please contact us at the email I will list below.Oh and we are planning an Open House to get some of the great people we know together and meet some new friends.
If any of today's students are reading thanks again for coming and making the class a great experience for us.
Here's our email hrafinstaad@aol.com
Rois and Chance