goat fest

Welcome to Bullarto primary!

Yesterday we all hopped in the van and went to the Bullarto school goat festival. There are lots of small scale schools around here, and Bullarto is one of them. Our little favorite Giordi attends (with 15 other schoolmates, really, really small scale), and so we were more than happy to support him and see what he's up to at school. The campus itself is a few acres of land out in the country, with a large communal classroom, art studio, kitchen, kitchen garden, goat pens, chook runs, and all sorts of other projects that the staff and students all help to manage. This particular exhibition was all about the agriculutral work the kids have been doing, and so we got to visit with the goats, chooks and ducks, and enjoy a wealth of their products. We feasted on homemade treats, and sampled some of the adorably tiny eggs from the chickens (among a startling array of baked goods from the parents). And they even put on a puppet show with a very strong moral of eco-awareness and respect for flora and fauna of all kinds. It was a great day.

Pasca getting her face painted as a pink dinosaur. I have never seen this girl sit so still and quiet for so long. Amazing. We should paint our faces more often!

Maisey's turn. These girls started a little trend, after them, all the kids wanted to be dinosaurs. And they all looked pretty amazing thanks to Kristeena, one of our many Daylesford artist friends. 

Then we said hello to the goats. These were two moms and their kids. 

I was pretty interested in them, asking lots of questions and fantasizing about owning one, and the friendly girl working with them let me take one out and have a cuddle. Her name is Estella, and she's only four weeks old! So sweet. 

Just a sample of the goods on show and for sale. Local products are heavily marketed here, and this was from a woman who keeps her own sheep, shears them herself, and spins her own yarn for crafts.

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Our source for all things delicious and goat related.

 Doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing, afternoon tea is a must. And this is my daily uniform: jeans and work boots. Practical, comfortable, perfectly rustic.

Some of the school chooks. The kids take them to fairs and shows and have won a lot of prizes with them.

Some of the rare duck breeds. Blue Swedish, maybe?

A bit of the puppet show, with Giordi on the far right. 

 And giant owls!

And truly giant wombat, manned by the teacher. The show even had a few songs that the kids wrote. We were all thoroughly impressed.