Learn to make butter, ice cream and take some goats for a stroll
It’s time to go back to basics this summer at Primrose Farm in St. Charles. Discover how to make butter, churn your own ice cream and watch popcorn sizzle over a wood burning stove as well as other great experiences at the St. Charles Park District’s working farm.
“It’s a chance to learn more about where foods come from,” said Patty Green, farm programs supervisor for the St. Charles Park District.
She and her staff will be churning out some fun new classes this summer starting with Better with Butter from 1-2:30 p.m. Friday, June 9 to learn how to make butter from scratch and great ways to infuse flavor into your butter. Advance registration is required, and the class fee is $5 per person.
After whipping up some butter be sure to check out the Ice Cream Social program featuring the art of making ice cream. Participants will learn the steps it takes to make ice cream, starting with milk fresh from a cow to making a frozen treat. Each participant will have a chance to enjoy their own sundae too. The event is from 1-2:30 p.m. Friday, July 7 and the registration cost is $5.
And in August the staff will teach the steps to making perfectly popped corn over a woodburning stove while participants can add toppings and flavors to their popped kernels at Pop In for Popcorn, 1-2:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4. Registration is $5 per person in advance.
The classes are designed for all ages and make the perfect class for a parent and child, grandparents and grandchildren, to enjoy a Friday afternoon treat and spend some time visiting the resident animals at the working farm.
There will be nibbles and nays at the new activity on the farm called Goats on the Go this summer. Participants will have a chance to interact with the farm’s Nigerian dwarf goats as they attempt to take them for a summer stroll through the farmyard.
“Walking a goat is not the same as walking a dog,” Green explained, adding that the goats will likely stop to munch some grass, and may even try to snack on shoelaces.
“They’ll probably want to explore a little more,” she said.
Goats on the Go will be offered on six Saturdays: June 10, June 24, July 22, July 29, Aug. 5 and Aug. 12. The session will be 1-1:45 p.m. and the registration fee is $15 for residents and $18 for nonresidents. Advance registration is required.
Primrose farm is open daily and there is no fee to visit the farm and its resident animals. It’s a great spot to drop-in for a visit. Check the calendar on the Primrose Farm page from the St. Charles Park District to learn about events and demos.
“It’s going to be a fun summer,” Green said.
Whether walking the trails around the farm or enjoying a picnic and watching the horses graze, it offers a piece of the country, just a few minutes from the bustle of busy roads.