Youngsters attending HAPPY, an acronym for Heritage Arts Pastime Projects for Youth, summer day camp were intrigued as Jean Johns walked her saanen dairy goat into the Iola Public Library’s Flewharty-Powell annex’s backyard Monday morning.
“What is her name?” one camper asked, while another wanted to know “How much milk do you get and what does she like to eat.”
Johns, Lone Elm, told the children goats are social animals and Yarrow, a 3-year-old saanen, was no exception.
Yarrow was more than happy to put on a feed bag of her favorite grains during the milking demonstration.
Johns said she milks her goats twice a day and gets about half a gallon of milk with each milking. The milk collected on Monday was refrigerated so the youngsters would have an opportunity to make cheese on Tuesday.
Goat’s milk, Johns explained, is comparable to cow’s whole milk, having a 3.25 percent butterfat content. Milk from goats, naturally homogenized and easily digested, is also known as a universal milk.
Johns, who has a bachelor of arts in animal science, acquired her first milking goats about 30 years ago.
“I had a couple of orphaned lambs and bought the goats to have milk to feed them. It didn’t take me long to fall in love with my goats. They are so personable, just like puppy dogs,” she said.
As campers filled the Flewharty-Powell kitchen on Tuesday, the aroma of warm goats milk filled the air in preparation of the cheese making.
It is Johns’ theory that cheese was probably stumbled on by accident centuries ago when people used animal bladders to carry water.
“I think one day instead of water someone might have filled the bladder with milk and the natural enzymes in the bladder set off a reaction changing the milk into cheese. Much the same way we make cheese today. We add enzymes that cause the milk to curdle,” she told the youngsters.
The children watched intently as the milk began to separate into curds and whey. The mixture was poured into cheesecloth and the whey, excess liquid, was squeezed out. The curds were then put in cups for the campers to mix in a little salt and Italian or French herbs or caraway seeds.
“This cheese is so good. Can I take it back to the Bowlus with me,” one boy asked.
Cheese-making was one of a number of old-time projects offered by HAPPY the past two weeks in programs sponsored by the Bowlus Fine Arts Center, Iola Public Library and Allen County Community College.
HAPPY was conceptualized one night when Lisa Wicoff began thinking of ways to utilize the Bowlus.
“I wanted my children to find activities that didn’t include spending time on a computer or playing video games or sports; a craft or hobby that they would be able to enjoy throughout their lives,” Wicoff said.
Wicoff bounced her idea off her friend Traci Plumlee and came up with the program that celebrates pioneer arts for children.
HAPPY was offered last week for children in elementary and middle school and again this week for preschool as well as for older children. Thirty-eight youths participated last week, 40 this week.
Plumlee, program coordinator, said it is amazing how many talented people there are in the Iola area — people who were willing to share their talents and others who donated supplies for the crafts.
“My 7-year-old daughter Josie has fallen in love with embroidery work. She has made a kitty and even took her work with her to her brother’s baseball game,” Plumlee said.
Classes have included basic stitching and sewing, soap making, folk dancing, patchwork and quilting, African American gospel music and wagon train doll making.
“We tried to have a variety of old-time activities that would intrigue both boys and girls. We even had a couple of boys who found out they liked to sew,” Plumlee said.
Area residents visiting the Allen County Fair will see a number of the campers projects in the open class competition. Also, there will also be a display of the youths’ handiwork at the performance of the Missoula Children’s Theatre production of “The Little Mermaid” on July 23 at the Bowlus.
HAPPY was funded through the Sleeper Trust Foundation. A $20 tuition covered the expense of craft supplies and snacks.
