Sharpsburg, Maryland is a picturesque landscape of rolling hills and farmland with a very charming and nostalgic downtown that looks like it was lifted directly from a snapshot of the 1800's. The town is near the West Virginia and Pennsylvania borders, tucked in beside the Antietam Battlefield and Historic Harper’s Ferry; it's a rather beautiful and bucolic 2 1/2 hour drive from my tiny farm in Southern Maryland.
Speaking of charming, this swap is hosted at Green Hill Farm by Erin Moshier, a delightfully sunny gal with an infectious smile. Twice each year (summer and fall) she hosts a fun poultry swap at her family farm just minutes from the center of downtown Sharpsburg. But once you turn down that gravel road leading to the poultry barn and the horse stables where curious pony's whinny hello's over the fence, you feel miles and miles from anything but the countryside.
My MooseHerders and I arrived early in the morning with a modest selection of ducks, chickens and geese and quickly put up our canopy, table and portable poultry pen. The feathered flock was soon nibbling on Erin's pasture and getting rehydrated after a long car ride. Folks were milling about prior to the 8am "selling start time" and were very curious about what poultry or farm related product each vendor was preparing to sell out of that day.
I had 2 extra Holderread Penciled Indian Runner boys from my spring order I was preparing to sell. Those birds were as nervous as ever and abjectly refused to stand at ease; they chose instead to peer nervously at their growing audience and sort of dance from foot to foot like a 5 year old who needs to use the potty. The young Sebstapol goose was taking everything in stride (I could have sold him 10 times over!), and my affable juvenile Welsh Harlequin was attempting to charm the chickens into being his pals for the day (since he was raised by a chicken mama and didn't know he was a duck) and those Marans cockerels were not having any of it. All in all it was shaping up to be an interesting day at my booth.
My MooseHerders and I arrived early in the morning with a modest selection of ducks, chickens and geese and quickly put up our canopy, table and portable poultry pen. The feathered flock was soon nibbling on Erin's pasture and getting rehydrated after a long car ride. Folks were milling about prior to the 8am "selling start time" and were very curious about what poultry or farm related product each vendor was preparing to sell out of that day.
I had 2 extra Holderread Penciled Indian Runner boys from my spring order I was preparing to sell. Those birds were as nervous as ever and abjectly refused to stand at ease; they chose instead to peer nervously at their growing audience and sort of dance from foot to foot like a 5 year old who needs to use the potty. The young Sebstapol goose was taking everything in stride (I could have sold him 10 times over!), and my affable juvenile Welsh Harlequin was attempting to charm the chickens into being his pals for the day (since he was raised by a chicken mama and didn't know he was a duck) and those Marans cockerels were not having any of it. All in all it was shaping up to be an interesting day at my booth.
Browsers stopped by to ask over and over again what the heck kind of birds those Penciled Indian Runners were ("are those some kind of goose?") and before too long a somber and truly gentlemanly young man hailing from West-By-God-Virginia quietly asked me if I'd be willing to sell him those lovely Runner ducks (he said it just like that). I was more than happy to negotiate a price for that gracious, young aspiring farmer and help him carry his new waterfowl to his car. Such a peach, I wish him well.
Tons of folks stopped by to chat with me at length, get advice about waterfowl, and tell me about their own flock. I gave out many business cards and collected a few as well. What a great place to network! There was so much to see and hear at the swap: Craftsman selling poultry housing and nesting equipment, crafty-crafter ladies peddling so many wonderful handhewn wares, local feed stores, chicken farmers, duck farmers, guinea keets, peacocks, muscovy, turkeys, pheasants, chukar, bunnies, goats, and pigs (ADORABLE)... I even saw guinea pigs!
And - holy moly - Someone had the nerve to bring some gorgeous German Shorthair puppies... O My GOODNESS! Those hounds were absolutely snugglicious! I barely contained myself at that booth. I reminded my hard farmrgirl heart that hunting dogs and ducks were not the best bedfellows. *sigh*
Tons of folks stopped by to chat with me at length, get advice about waterfowl, and tell me about their own flock. I gave out many business cards and collected a few as well. What a great place to network! There was so much to see and hear at the swap: Craftsman selling poultry housing and nesting equipment, crafty-crafter ladies peddling so many wonderful handhewn wares, local feed stores, chicken farmers, duck farmers, guinea keets, peacocks, muscovy, turkeys, pheasants, chukar, bunnies, goats, and pigs (ADORABLE)... I even saw guinea pigs!
And - holy moly - Someone had the nerve to bring some gorgeous German Shorthair puppies... O My GOODNESS! Those hounds were absolutely snugglicious! I barely contained myself at that booth. I reminded my hard farmrgirl heart that hunting dogs and ducks were not the best bedfellows. *sigh*
We had such a good time at the swap! There was live music and great giveaways. I bought a few things, sold a few things and met a bunch of interesting and fun folks. You just never know who you might make a good friend out of until you go to one of these events! For the upcoming spring/summer swap I'll be loaded up with hatching eggs, eating eggs, baby ducks, geese and chickens to sell in the early summer at Erin's next poultry swap... this event is too good to pass up! I hope you'll join us all next year - especially at the early market when all those spring hatches will be ready.
For more information or to be added to her mailing list, Erin's blog can be found here: http://mdpoultryswap.blogspot.com/.
Don't forget: When you're in the area be sure to have lunch in one of the local establishments. We did (twice - once in Boonsboro) and were NOT disappointed mmmmm... good!
For more information or to be added to her mailing list, Erin's blog can be found here: http://mdpoultryswap.blogspot.com/.
Don't forget: When you're in the area be sure to have lunch in one of the local establishments. We did (twice - once in Boonsboro) and were NOT disappointed mmmmm... good!
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