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Farm life to be discussed during library event
HICKORY â Have you ever wondered what life is like living on and managing a working farm? Dawn Mathews, owner of The Thankful Goat, will be sharing humorous stories of farm life in a virtual Zoom presentation Thursday, May 20, at 6 p.m.
Mathews is the owner of The Thankful Goat, a business featuring goat milk products which is based in Lenoir. In 2009, she bought a goat with thoughts of making delicious cheeses for her family.
The goat, Athena, had other ideas and promptly ate a bush that is toxic to goats. This required an antitoxin shot which rendered her milk undrinkable for 10 days. Dawn decided to make soap with the undrinkable milk. Since those days, Mathews and her family have moved from a half-acre microfarm to a 15-acre farm they built for themselves while living in a camper.
If you could go back one year, what would you have done differently?
If I could go back one year, I would be sure to tell my students how much I love them and show them how strong and smart they are. One of the biggest struggles last spring was how lonely and isolated my first-graders felt. They were scared of COVID, but I think even more so they missed their friends and teachers. They really need that personal human interaction to thrive and during those last few months of school they were deprived of that.
What have you learned?
The YMCA of Catawba Valley is in the midst of a capital campaign to raise funds to renovate the Hickory and Shuford branches.
âWeâve done our homework â we have completed a needs analysis, a market analysis, a feasibility analysis,â said Gerry Knox, development director with YMCA of Catawba Valley. âThe community has spoken and said, We want a modern YMCA.â
The Building Strong Communities Campaign goal is to raise $8.6 million. As of Friday, $3,371,150 has been raised since February 2020.
President and CEO of the YMCA of Catawba Valley Nat Auten said he is thankful for the support. âIt has been humbling to see the support many families have provided the Y,â he said. âEvery future has a past and these families have been involved in both â for that I am grateful!â