Vermont’s Newest Farm Retreat Destination Offers a Whole Hog
Butchery & Charcuterie Weekend Workshop with Rhode Island Chef Dave Johnson
Galusha Hill
Farm & Lodge, a 600-acre farm retreat high on a hill in East Topsham
Vermont, offers a nose-to-tail butchery and charcuterie workshop January 16-18,
2015, the first in an educational series of organic farming and food weekends
at the estate. Guided by guest Chef Dave Johnson of Rhode Island, participants
learn to breakdown a heritage Berkshire hog, turn it into sausage, ham, and
bacon, and prepare a porcine dinner feast—while enjoying luxurious
accommodations in the newly completed lodge and conference center.
Farm manager
John Harkins, who raises heritage breed pigs and sheep, certified organic
vegetables, garlic, apples, and open-pollinated heirloom seeds, will talk
about how to raise organic, pastured pigs using a traditional forest-grazing
system. The Berkshire hog to be processed in this class has been raised on the
farm and humanely slaughtered at a local meat processing facility.  |
| Photo courtesy of bestbyfarr.wordpress.com |
Chef Dave
Johnson gained his appreciation for the farm-to-table movement while working at
two of Providence Rhode Island’s finest kitchens, Farmstead and Local 121; he currently
works for Whole Foods Market. As executive chef of Local 121 Chef Johnson
directed a staff of ten in the development and execution of seasonally changing
menus and a successful charcuterie program that specialized in nose-to-tail
butchery. In this hands-on workshop he’ll lead the group through the
traditional arts of butchery and charcuterie, to break down the animal into
primal cuts, make pork cures, sausage, bacon and ham, and learn about
dry-curing and smoking. The group will learn additional cooking techniques
while working together to prepare a farm-to-table dinner, featuring organic pork
and vegetables from the farm.
The weekend
package starts Friday night, January 16 with an 8 PM orientation, and includes two
night’s accommodations in one of nine private guestrooms in the 12,000 square
foot lodge, with breathtaking views from the deck. In between meals and
workshops participants can enjoy cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and walking
on the many trails on the property, use the spa, take a sauna, or relax with a
good book. The program concludes after breakfast on Sunday, January 18.
Cost of the program is $675 per person (single room) or $1200 for a couple (shared room). Price includes butchering and charcuterie workshops, materials and seasonings to create your own sausages and pork cures, a recipe workbook, 2 nights accommodations,and meals Sat breakfast - Sunday breakfast. Registration is limited to twelve participants.
To register
by January 10, contact estate manager Jack Palmer at Galusha Hill Farm Lodge at
802-584-3061 or email jack@galushahillfarmlodge.com.
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A distinctive Vermont destination for corporate
and group retreats, special events, family reunions, and sporting vacations,
Galusha Hill Farm & Lodge is situated in eastern Vermont, in close
proximity to Barre and Montpelier VT and nearby Hanover NH. The facilities,
available for rentals, include a newly built 12000 sq. ft. lodge and conference
center, a fully renovated 1820s farmhouse, and a private cottage overlooking a spring-fed pond. The certified organic farm produces heritage breed sheep and pigs, maple
syrup, apples, garlic, and heirloom vegetable seeds. The estate, ideal for
outdoor recreation, offers a 20-acre lake, miles of trails for hiking, mountain
biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and a tennis court.
