Winter Update for the Kelly House Project

Thank you to the many people who have already donated to the Kelly House Project. We are in the process of setting up the donation account at Union Bank (donation checks will be cashed and deposited as soon as the paperwork is complete for the account). Donations cans have been put out at area businesses. A Dinner Dance is being planned for February.

Construction is scheduled to begin as soon as possible this coming Spring. We are maintaining a list of volunteer carpenters and are looking for a crew chief to oversee the daily work.

Christmas at the Frost household was merry indeed. Kelly and her daughter greatly appreciate the warm wishes and gifts received and celebrated in their tiny home with dreams of Christmas next year in the new addition!

KELLY HOUSE UPDATE:

The materials list is on hand at Poulin Lumber and donations may be made there directly. You can donate lumber, a window, nails etc.! Cash donations have started to come in and we are excited to get started with the building.

There is a need for a crew chief! This person would oversee the construction--line up work for the volunteer builders and keep things flowing smoothly. Anyone who is interested should contact Nancy Kish or Tom Younkman (numbers below).

Project: Kelly's House

Update

Plans are almost complete and a materials list will be ready some time next week. The project is ready to accept donations and volunteer builders. Here's how you can help:

To Donate to the Project:

Option 1:

Make a donation for materials directly at Poulin Lumber in Hardwick. Just let them know you want to donate to the Kelly Frost Project and they will provide you with a list of items still needed. You may pay for all or part of any item on the list.

Option 2:

To make a donation, please make checks payable to The Kelly House Project and send to:

Nancy Kish

Attention: The Kelly House Project

618 Houston Hill Road

Hardwick,VT 05843

For more information or to volunteer to work on the Project:

Contact Tom Younkman (Project contact and AgrAbility Specialist) at 802-229-6419 or Nancy Kish (Local Contact) at 802-472-3711.

Agape Hill Farm is privileged to be part of a community-based effort to help a local farm family. We have volunteered our blogspot and other venues of communication to help get the word out about this worthwhile project:

Barn Builders, a local peer support group for farmers with disabilities, is working thru Vermont AgrAbility Project, The Vermont Center for Independent Living and the Northeast Kingdom Community Action Agency, Inc. (KEKCA) to help a local woman and her daughter realize a dream. (See story below) Barn Builders is looking to the community for help to complete a modest addition for Kelly and her daughter. The foundation has already been poured and a local architect Gregory Paus of Silver Ridge Design Inc in Hyde Park has volunteered to design the construction plans which will include a second bedroom, kitchen and workspace. Larry Hamel of Cornerstone Restoration Corporation is helping to oversee and coordinate construction. With donations for materials and volunteer builders, it is hoped the family will be able to enjoy the living space this winter. This will be a life changing gift to Kelly and her daughter and one that will allow them to pursue their desire to live independently. For questions contact Tom Younkman (Project contact and AgrAbility Specialist) at 802-229-6419 to donate or volunteer, please contact Nancy Kish (Local Contact) at 802-472-3711.

Kelly's Story

Kelly with her Icelandic Ram, Harley

Kelly Frost moved to Hardwick to live a simple life on a small homestead. She and her young daughter were starting a fiber farm (sheep, goats, rabbits, etc.) and making plans to enlarge the small camp in which they were living when, in 2007, everything came to a screeching halt. Kelly was involved in a serious car accident and suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). TBI is a challenging disability because people often appear no different than they did before their accident. The effects are not readily visible, but are very real and include memory loss, concentration and attention problems and communication and language issues. This has left Kelly unable to return to her job and for a time brought work at the farm to a standstill. Now that her condition has stabilized and with the help of the groups listed above, Kelly is developing a business plan though (NEKCA) to make the fiber farm reality. She has taken many steps forward, but one challenge overshadows all future plans. Kelly and her daughter have been living in a one room camp with a small bathroom and no kitchen.

There is no room for basic appliances such as a refrigerator and stove, no private space and no room for Kelly to work on the fiber art projects that could provide a sustainable living for her and her daughter. This seems like a very sad ending to one woman's dream, but we are confident that the amazing community in which we live will NOT let the story end here!!

May Mayhem

May is a busy month here at Agape Hill Farm. We finished up our two spring workshops and are getting ready to begin a special short-term workshop to prepare for the first annual AHF Llama Show to be held on June 25th.

We are also busy welcoming school classes for spring field trips, visiting area nursing homes and gearing up for the big Hardwick Spring Festival. The festival is held on the Saturday before Memorial Day (May 29th this year) and starts off with a parade through town. Our llamas will be part of the parade and then will spend the afternoon at Atkins Field (on Granite Street off Rt. 15) where they will be working at leading kids through the obstacle course. (Shhh...don't tell! The kids think THEY are leading the llamas!)

We are looking forward to some great adventures for everyone!!!

Spring Adventures

Lots of exciting things are happening at the farm this spring--so many in fact it's hard to find time to add to the Blog! For more day to day adventures, please check out our Facebook Page (see link at right).

Monday Felting Workshop

Sir working in the obstacle course

Lucy goes for a ride into town.

Our kids after a morning working on the llama trail.

Thursday Farm Workshop

It's our LLAMA-VERSARY!!!

This past weekend marked our second anniversary as llama owners! It has gone by so quickly yet it is hard to believe we ever lived without them. It has certainly been a crash course and we have learned a tremendous amount over the past two years. We are hoping to celebrate by welcoming a new cria soon. Summer is now almost 4 weeks overdue!!

**NEW*** Fiber Group

Heart of Vermont

Fiber Group

Enjoy getting together with fellow fiber folks from our area to work on your current project or learn a new craft. Use our materials ($15) or bring your own (No charge). All levels and visitors welcome!

Join us from 9-11 am on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month at

618 Houston Hill Road
Hardwick, VT 05843
802-472-3711 (ask for Nancy)

*Agape Hill Farm is a member of The Heart of Vermont Chamber of Commerce

Spring Afterschool Workshop Schedule

Llama Club & Fiber Workshop

Mondays from 3:30-5:00

March 22-May 10 (8 weeks)

Cost: $80 (includes materials)

With warm weather on the horizon, we will be able to do more llama walks on a variety of trails. Fiber crafts will include both needle felted and wet felted projects. The winter workshop students crafted some incredible creations and we are excited to see what will come from this next workshop!

Llama Club & Farm Workshop

Thursdays from 3:30-5:00

March 25-May 13 (8 weeks)

Cost: $64

What a great time we had this winter in the farm workshop (and not just because the chores got

done!). Each student finds tasks and animals to which they are particularly well-suited and all learn to work together on the chores that are the least favorite! :0) As spring arrives we will get to enjoy some new activities like starting baby chicks, designing new barn space, tending for llama crias and planning gardens.

We will also be able to enjoy more llama walks and explore new trails.

m 3:30-5:00

Llama Show Workshop

Thursdays from 3:30-5:00

5/ 27, (no class 6/3) 6/10, 17, & 24

and Llama Show on Friday, June 25^th at 4 pm

Cost: $25

Four preparation classes for Agape Hill Farm’s first Llama Show!! The Llama show will include our workshop students and individual llama walkers from HES and Heartbeet Lifesharing. The show will include individual obstacle course demonstrations, judges’ review and prizes. After the show there will be time for a hot dog roast and family trail walk. (Any students who aren’t already participating in the Hardwick Spring Festival Parade, may also walk their llama in the parade and all students may help with the AHF booth at the Agricultural Festival at Atkin’s field!)

Multi-Workshop Special:

Register with payment by 3/22 for both spring workshops and the Llama Show workshop is free!

**All spring workshop participants will also receive a coupon for $20 off a summer workshop membership.

The summer workshop schedule will be released shortly and will follow a slightly different schedule. We will be opening the workshops to vacationers and are excited that this will give our “regular” workshop students a chance to teach as well as learn!

To register please call or email Nancy Kish at Agape Hill Farm

472-3711

enkagape@aol.com