Fall Festival

Last Saturday we went to the Clagett Farm Fall Festival. When we left the house, it was 54 degrees and rainy. When we got back into the car, the thermometer read 47 degrees. Despite the weather, we always have a good time.  Today I was mostly prepared. For the potluck, we took Rice Krispies Treats that I made with homemade marshmallows. We took enough cash to buy flowers, silent auction items, and other goodies. I had Aaron pack our camp chairs, and we took water bottles, and our own tableware. Unfortunately, as the first really cold day of the season, I didn’t bring my cold weather gear. Aaron and I both had a hoodie, and I took a slightly rain resistant jacket to put on top. We really should have had heavier coats, hats, and gloves. Especially since I was just getting over a cold. I came home wind burnt, which is never fun. 

After we put the food on the table, I went with a small group to check out the medicinal herb garden. Holly talked about mullein, pennyroyal, yarrow, comfrey, plantain, artichoke, spilanthes, cotton, cayenne, fennel, and alfalfa. Holly usually passed around a bit of each herb as she talked about them. Pennyroyal is in the mint family and makes a good tea. So when the pennyroyal came to me, I pulled off a leaf and popped it in my mouth. Holly then continued to say that the essential oil is toxic, and has been used for self-induced abortion. My hand went immediately to my mouth and I spit out the leaf. Luckily, it takes a lot of pennyroyal plants to make the concentrated essential oil, so I was in no danger. Holly also discussed mullein as an expectorant, and yarrow is antimicrobial. Artichoke leaves can help lower cholesterol by improving liver function. Alfalfa makes a nourishing tea, good for pregnancy. My favorite was the spilanthes flowers. If you eat a tiny bit of a flower, it makes your mouth tingly and numb. It’s good for toothaches. Aaron had stayed in the barn while I was learning about medicinal herbs, but he came out to the garden when it was time to eat. So I made him try a nibble of the spilanthes flower. I told him it would make his mouth tingle, but he still wasn’t prepared for it. He made the funniest faces!

The best part of the festival this year was the food. Everyone makes amazing dishes that are healthy and so good! I usually can’t eat a lot, and lately vegetables haven’t been very friendly with me. But I filled my plate with a variety of different salads and veggies. It was all wonderful, and I went back for seconds! The Clagett Farm string band provided entertainment while we ate.

The festival also features a silent auction. It was a bit small this year, maybe because the weather kept away last minute donations. But there were still some great items. As I finished writing a bid on a large handmade knit hat, Aaron came up and asked what I had bid on. “But I wanted to bid on the hat!” He pouted. I had to laugh and told him that I had bid for him, not against him. I also bid on a vase that I did not win, and a small berry bowl and a cookbook co-authored by the beef guy at the farm that I did win. As the silent auction neared closing time, I circled the table looking for empty bidding sheets. I was shocked to see that a medium adult knit hat did not have a bid. The tag said 21-24 inches, so despite my big head, I knew it would fit. So Aaron and I both won a hat in the auction. And we both immediately took them out of the bag, removed the tags, and put them on.  Ah, warmth! 

After the silent auction closed, a few hayrides started. We decided not to join the hayrides, so we purchase some mums, and took our winnings and flowers to the car. I made another trip back to barn to make a donation and bought a small container of Ray’s Halloween Hot Sauce. After a quick pit stop, I joined Aaron back at the car and we headed home.

Since it was rainy, I didn’t take any pictures. But here is a picture of spilanthes I grabbed from the internet.