To celebrate the lowering of the Shaker Barn, we will have a viewing party, announce the winning team in the Sheep VS Cows fundraising challenge, and host a service activity for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

Monday, January 15, 2024

Join us to watch Geddes Builders as they lower the historic Shaker Barn from its temporary cribbing onto the brand new foundation.

• 9:30am- Check-in & receive a raffle ticket for your chance to PUSH THE BUTTON that lowers the barn!
• 10am- Opening remarks followed by the first phases of the pneumatic lowering.
• The Sheep VS Cows Barn FUNdraiser will be tallied up and a coronation will present the winning animal with a crown!
• Meet & greet with the sheep and Scottish Highland cattle.
• 12pm – 4pm- MLK Day Of Service projects: We will have a limited number of volunteer spaces open to celebrate MLK Jr Day with service opportunities in the Shaker Herb Department & Herb House.  Lunch will be provided.  See below for full details and registration!

The morning’s events will be outdoors with warming stations – bundling up is recommended.  Pastries and hot beverages will be provided free of charge.

All of the morning activities are free and open to any arrival time but we ask that you RSVP below so that we can get an approximate head count for refreshments.

Volunteering– Building a Beloved Community: Unite, Serve, and Transform on MLK Day

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we are welcoming you to join together in community on some activities on the Shaker farm:

• Sweet Annie in the Herb Department – We will be moving Sweet Annie herbs out of the Herb House drying attic and down to the Sisters’ Shop.  There (inside), we will strip the Sweet Annie from its stem and store the herbs for Brother Arnold to make an insect repellant over the winter.
  • Limited to 20 people
  • Indoors, heated
  • All ages & levels of ability are welcome to attend. There are a few steps up into this building.

• Muscle in the Herb House – The Herb House is the next building on our list to be lifted! Before this happens, we need a strong team of volunteers to help move out heavy/cumbersome objects.
  • Limited to 12 people
  • Outdoors and indoors (unheated)
  • Teens & adults.  Must be capable of lifting and moving heavy items individually and as a team.

The Martin Luther King, Jr., National Day of Service is a defining moment each year when Americans across the country step up to make communities more equitable and take action to create the Beloved Community of Dr. King’s dream. While Dr. King believed the Beloved Community was possible, he acknowledged and fought for systemic change. His example is our call to action.  Dr. King said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” Service is love in action. It has the power to bring communities together, help others stand together against hate, build bridges, and heal divides. Service unites people regardless of race, ability, religion, or zip code.

MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. For nearly 30 years, the MLK Day of Service has grown, and its impact has increased as more Americans embraced the idea that citizenship involves taking an active role in improving communities.