Family Fun Day at Shen-Val Farm Market Attracts Virginia Locals
By: Carmen Chau
Updated: November 3, 2012
WHITE POST, VA - With the freezing temperatures and aching wind gusts, some Virginians spent the morning outdoors, taking part in an outdoor event.
The Shen-Val Farm Market carried its annual Family Fun Day with sheepdog demonstrations and samples of market goodies.
Monroe Williams of Possum Hollar Farms took the time to show people his 18 years of sheepherding experience.
"I got started with a dog and I wound up getting a farm and then sheep to work the dog on the sheep and then started competing," says Williams.
He finds happiness in sheepherding, and with his long-time experience, he knows what it takes to train the sheep and his dog, of whom he shares a close bond with.
"It's the communication between the dog and the man or the woman, whichever case may be and handling the stock the way you want them to handle the stock and out here, it's so closed in, we're just using verbal commands to make the dogs go clockwise or counterclockwise," adds Williams.
Besides the demonstrations, vendors stayed inside the warm greenhouse to sell their talent.
There were handmade baskets of all shapes and sizes and handmade soap that came in any form imaginable.
"We're very diversified so I feel like we have a well-rounded selection. We also do baked goods here that we make here at our market. Probably our best selling pie is our homemade coconut pie," says Sharon McDonald, whose family owns and operates the farm.
Many locals walked in, not only in search of the market's signature items, but with a large appetite. Steamy soup was brewing and hot dogs were being fried, ready to be served to growling stomachs.
"We enjoy the kids coming in having a good time with their family. We enjoy getting to show people our products from our farm. Right now, we have our local apples, we have a dairy, we have a beef herd at our farm," adds McDonald.
The McDonald family has carried three generations on the farm and they are widely known for their locally grown angus beef.
The Shen-Val Farm Market carried its annual Family Fun Day with sheepdog demonstrations and samples of market goodies.
Monroe Williams of Possum Hollar Farms took the time to show people his 18 years of sheepherding experience.
"I got started with a dog and I wound up getting a farm and then sheep to work the dog on the sheep and then started competing," says Williams.
He finds happiness in sheepherding, and with his long-time experience, he knows what it takes to train the sheep and his dog, of whom he shares a close bond with.
"It's the communication between the dog and the man or the woman, whichever case may be and handling the stock the way you want them to handle the stock and out here, it's so closed in, we're just using verbal commands to make the dogs go clockwise or counterclockwise," adds Williams.
Besides the demonstrations, vendors stayed inside the warm greenhouse to sell their talent.
There were handmade baskets of all shapes and sizes and handmade soap that came in any form imaginable.
"We're very diversified so I feel like we have a well-rounded selection. We also do baked goods here that we make here at our market. Probably our best selling pie is our homemade coconut pie," says Sharon McDonald, whose family owns and operates the farm.
Many locals walked in, not only in search of the market's signature items, but with a large appetite. Steamy soup was brewing and hot dogs were being fried, ready to be served to growling stomachs.
"We enjoy the kids coming in having a good time with their family. We enjoy getting to show people our products from our farm. Right now, we have our local apples, we have a dairy, we have a beef herd at our farm," adds McDonald.
The McDonald family has carried three generations on the farm and they are widely known for their locally grown angus beef.
