Christmas party

The staff gathered at the home of Sister Maureen Freeman and Sister P.B. Bounk yesterday for our annual Christmas party.

The home was decorated beautifully for the season and we all tried to guess how many strands of lights adorned the brightly decorated Christmas tree in the corner of the living room. Lots! It was great!

Jeremy and Tristand kept adding logs to the fire that popped and cracked. There were amazing sights, sounds and smells of Christmas.

Elaine and Tristand were the winners of the two games of pass the "snowball." Then it was time for the gift exchange. There were handmade gifts like a beeswax candle and shopping bag and locally produced gifts such as a bottle of wine from Oliver Winery. It was fun to see what everyone gave and received.

By this time the vegetable lasagna from Market Bella Rosa in Terre Haute and the onion pie made by Sister Jean were heated and ready to eat.

Ten of us fit perfectly around the festive dining room table as we enjoyed the delicious meal. It was so good!

The goodness didn't stop there. For dessert we enjoyed chocolate stout cake make by Candace (complete with some of their homemade beer as leavening), homemade cookies from Chad and some sugar coated pecans I threw together.

The time spent together sitting around the table telling funny and interesting stories was priceless. It was a memorable time together.

We wish everyone memorable moments with family and friends this season.

Merry Christmas from the staff, volunteers and alpacas at White Violet Center!

(Caption: sitting in the center is Elaine Yaw, at left, and Sister Ruth Johnson; standing from left are, Sister Jean Fuqua, Sister Maureen Freeman, Candace Minster, Sister P.B. Bounk, Sister Jeanne Knoerle, Jeremy McKenzie, Chad Beck and Tristand Tucker.)

This time of year

It's a nice time of year to share our thoughts and give you a peek inside the doors of White Violet Center. We hope you enjoy this Note from the education coordinator.

Cap and Trade

At the climate change summit in Copenhagen next week (Dec. 7-18) world leaders will have a historic opportunity to commit to actions that protect us from the disastrous consequences of dangerous climate change.

Approximately 15,000 participants from 192 countries representing governments, the business community, and civil society are anticipated at the 15th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15).

From the event materials: "The world is facing a major challenge. We cannot continue using fossil fuels the way we do today. Scientists have laid out the risks we face and it has become clearer than ever that now is the time to take serious action on climate change. If we do not act today, the opportunity will not only slip out of our hands but it will also become much more expensive to carry out the necessary low-carbon transition in the future."

To better understand the effect of Cap and Trade on climate change check out this Free Range Studios video by Annie Leonard: http://storyofstuff.com/capandtrade/

Eco-friendly gift ideas

It's hard to believe Christmas is only three weeks away! Fortunately, the staff has pulled together a list of some favorite earth-friendly gift ideas to help us all avoid getting caught up in the commercialism of the holidays. Many of the suggestions can be found online. Click on the title of this blog to go to the Web page listing.

Towards the end of the Web page there is a list of items that can be purchased at White Violet Center. Maybe adopting an alpaca or beehive would make a loved one smile this Christmas.

If you're in the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. area we have some great stocking-stuffers: organic fair-trade coffees and teas, delicious fair-trade chocolate bars, hot cocoa and baking cocoa, handmade lip balm made with wax from our own bees, alpaca fiber Christmas ornaments, socks, gloves and more.

Enjoy time with family and friends this month!

Fiber mill

We just received another shipment of our alpaca yarn from the fiber mill. Thanks to Candace for making the trek to Warsaw.

White Violet Farm Alpacas are sheared once a year in the spring. We send about 99 percent of that blanket fleece to the fiber mill to be cleaned, carded and spun into yarn.

Frontier Fiber Mill in Warsaw, Ind., is the mill we've used for about three years. Sister Jean Fuqua said the process can take anywhere between six weeks and three months.

See photos of yarn being made at Frontier Fiber Mill here.

Wisconsin FFA students visit

A group of 13 high school students from Wisconsin who are participating in the FFA Convention in Indianapolis this week will tour White Violet Center for Eco-Justice Friday morning.

They are interested in seeing how a small organic farm with alpacas is working toward being sustainable. Candace Minster will give them a tour of the gardens, beehives, our new hoop house greenhouse, the orchards, the fiber program and the alpacas.

We look forward to their visit and are glad they chose to travel here during one of their break-out sessions of such a fabulous convention.

Staff member called to military duty

U.S. Army Warrant Officer Tracy Wilson, our alpaca farm manager, was recently called up to active duty in the Indiana Army National Guard. She has already reported to duty in Terre Haute, Ind. Our hope is that Tracy will continue to stay in the United States for this tour of duty.

Tracy returned home in December 2008 from a tour in Iraq. She was also deployed to provide support for Operation Enduring Freedom in January 2004 where she remained stateside for one year in Jacksonville, Fla. Tracy began her military career in December 1989 when she enlisted for six years in the U.S. Navy as an electronics technician. She joined the Indiana Army National Guard in 1998 as a light wheel diesel mechanic in A Company, 38th MSB, Terre Haute.

Please keep Tracy and her family in your prayers.

To schedule an alpaca farm tour or for more information about our alpacas, please contact Sister Paul Bernadette Bounk at 812-535-2934 or Sister Maureen Freeman at 812-535-2930.

Celebrate Fiber!

Sycamore Farm Bed and Breakfast Inn in Terre Haute is hosting "Celebrate Fiber!" a one-day fiber event this Saturday, Oct. 10, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

We will have a booth and will be selling our alpaca yarn, roving and handmade alpaca hats and scarves. We'll also have socks, gloves and felted art wall hangings by Sister Ruth Johnson for sale.

We have many Sisters of Providence, staff and volunteers who knit and crochet hats and scarves that are sold to help offset the costs of the hands-on environmental education programs at White Violet Center. We look forward to catching up with friends and meeting new ones at this event, so we hope to see you there.

Sycamore Farm is on the East side of Terre Haute, 2.5 miles north of I-70, exit 11, and one mile south of U.S. Hwy 40. The address is 5001 East Poplar Drive, Terre Haute, IN 47803.
There will be workshops, vendors and artisans. You'll find rug hooking, spinning, weaving, knitting, jewelry, stitching and antiques. The event is sponsored by Riverwools and A CommonCloth.

Last market of the season

Today will be our last regular farmers' market of the 2009 growing season. If you're in the area, please be sure you come by the north entrance of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods 3-6 p.m. to get some organic goodies!

Here is what we'll be selling today:
-Potatoes (red and russet)
-Pumpkins of all kinds
-Apples
-Greens, salad and cooking
-Herbs
-Flowers
-Peppers
-Radishes
-Honey from Tucker Farms
-Swiss Connection cheese and ice cream
-Royer Family Farm meats

On Wednesday, Oct. 21 will be our special "All Harvest's Eve" market at the White Violet Center for Eco-Justice greenhouse. Times TBA.

Thanks so much for your support this year!

First place alpaca

Providence Joseph of Carondelet received a first place ribbon in his class of 2-year-old gray males at the 2nd annual Heartland Classic alpaca show on Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. He was the youngest in his class, having just turned 2 on Sept. 30. There were 10 in his class, so we're so excited to have done so well at this show.

Other winners from White Violet Farm Alpacas are: Providence La Luna with a 4th place, Providence Theodora with a 5th place and Providence Amber with a 6th place.

We also shared our alpaca fiber skills at this two-day show. Sister Jean Fuqua and Sister Maureen Freeman taught a fiber class on the first day that was well received.