Md.
LINDA WILLIAMS
Bedford Co. Correspondent
WEST FRIENDSHIP, MD
(Howard Co.) —They came from
everywhere...sheep fanners, and
their numerous related cottage
industries to the annual Maryland
Sheep and Wool Festival held at
the Howard County Fairgrounds.
Located near the highly popu
lated cities of Baltimore and
Washington D.C., thousands of
spectators and shoppers filled the
parking lot and overflowed the
fairgrounds on a bright blue
weekend in May.
It marked the 22nd year for this
growing event and chairman,
Gwen Handler, had done a super
job of bringing a multitude of
wool-related events together.
Musical notes of ,the Scottish
highlands and the lush green hills
of Ireland filled the air heavily
scented with barbecued lamb.
Highlights were Maggie Sansone
on a hammered dulcimer. Bob and
Sue Esty, a Scottish folk duo, a
hammered dulcimer band, harp
music, traditional folk singers, and
Bonnie Rideout, a National Scot
tish Fiddle Champion.
City folks, intrigued by the
wide variety of sheep breeds,
“oohed,” and “aahed,” as they pet
Eastern Emu Expo Offers Latest
Information For Making
Emu-
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
About 170 persons attended the
Eastern Emu Expo held last
weekend in Lancaster.
Workshops included the latest
information on the emu industry
from setting up to marketing
and preparing emu meat.
Philadelphia Eagles’ trainer
Otho Davis said that in 1994 he
began using emu oil on team mem
bers who are injured. Emu oil is
considered effective for every
thing from skin problems to a
muscle injuries. Steve Mummu,
also a certified athletic trainer, said
that he has had great success in
treating runners with tendinitus
and shin splits with emu oil.
“Itdoesn’tcurebutrelives infla
mation, soreness, and pain,” he
said.
Zoann Parker, extension agent,
explained how breeders should
market themselves, their farms,
and their birds to be profitable.
She stressed the importance of
obeying government regulations
and advised marketing strategies.
Chef Harold Marmulstine from
Polo Grill in Baltimore taught emu
meat preparation. He advised pre
paring emu as game meat by mari
nating in oil and garlic and season
ing with rosemary, thyme, juniper,
and onions. Do not use vinegar in
emu preparation and always cook
to medium rare for best flavor.
Bernie Redlaski receives a
recognition plaque for his
dedication to the Emu
Association.
Sheep And Wool Festival Attracts Thousands
ted and cooed' over newborn
lambs or docile sheep.
Other wool bearing animals
were also on display including lla
mas angora rabbits and goats.
Wool-related craftsmen pre
sented the results of their multiple
talents in the form of scarves,
blankets, coats, sweaters, hats,
gloves, slippers, wallhangings,
jackets, and throws.
Side-related cottage industries
included basket weaving, coun
tryside paintings with a passel of
white fluffy sheep, and jewelry.
Spinners taught others the art of
spinning; weavers taught weav
ing. And handmade spinning
wheels, shutdes, bobbins, beaters,
and shuttles were of prime interest
to the newly created wool artisans.
While an assortment of food
ranging from giant frosted eclairs
to the good old American hambur
ger was available at the end of a
long food line, fresh lamb was the
call of the day.
A chain of humans extending
for twelve or more feet was con
stant at a food stand offering fresh
barbecued lamb or freezer lamb
for those with home culinary
skills.
A building dedicated to market
ing lamb was filled to capacity as
Speakers at the Emu Expo Included, from left, Mark Mor
tensen, president; Zoann Parker, extension agent and ratlte
specialist, and John Stark of the Pa. Dept, of Ag.
Expo.
spectators waited pademly to try
the results of lamb raised by David
and Nancy Greene.
The Greenes run a mail order
business selling freezer lambs
from their 100 ewe, mostly Poly
pay flock.
Lamb offerings on the site
included barbecued lamb, sliced
lamb with mint sauce, lamb bur
gers, lamb sausages, and lamb hot
dogs.
There were competitions of var
ious breeds of sheep, fleece, a
sheep to shawl contest, a she
pherd’s lead contest and the fine
arts of weaving, spinning, knit
ting, art and photography.
Nathan Mooney demonstrated
his working sheep dogs. Those
doubting the tastiness of lamb
could have their doubts tested at
the lamb cookoff.
Folks like James Finn had
traveled all the way from Vermont
to bring two of his rare breeds, the
Scottish Blackface and a Black
Welch Mountain ram. Jim comes
to the festival on a regular basis.
“My Scottish Blackface don’t do
that well against other breeds,” he
says. “I hope we get a special class
for them someday.”
Elaine Shirley had her Leicester
Longwools from Colonial Wil
liamsburg on display.
mimmS
di
9f
ires emu meat
A new attraction this year was a
shepherd’s hut from the Republic
of Kazakhstan, one of the new
emerging countries since the
breakup of the Soviet Union, with
cooking lamb for a steady stream of customers.
*
James Finn of Maple Avenue Farm In South Strafford,
Vermont, shows off his Black Welch Mountain Ram.
anxious shoppsrt.
a large agricultural sector centered
around grain and livestock.
It was an event rilled to capacity
for shoppers, competitors, arti
sans, and just lookers.
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