First the barrel then the cider!
- L. Valentín
- Nov 16, 2017
- 1 min read
coo·per \ ˈkü-pər , ˈku̇- \
Middle English cowper, from Middle Dutch, Middle Low German kūper, from kūpe ‘tub, vat,’ based on Latin cupa
a maker or repairer of casks and barrels.
The Cooper Shop at the Freeman Farm is my second favorite place at the village after the Asa Knight Store. Why?.... I have always been fascinated by the artistry of making barrels by hand, so I'm hoping that this winter I can begin training as a Cooper. I spent a little time with Justin Kennick at the Cooper Shop, he is an OSV interpreter and besides working at the blacksmith shop, the mills, and the cider barn, he also works as a cooper.
Most coopers were primarily farmers but did part-time coopering due to the long life and thus low demand for barrels. While talking with Justin during my first unofficial lesson, I learned my first two cooper terms: chime and staves. I didn't know those terms this morning, pretty cool... or should I say pretty coop! I just love the energy that comes from the cooper shop! There are some places in my life that I can feel creative and motivated, the cooper shop is one of those places. Stay tuned for more on my cooperage learning process.
Now I guess once I learn how to make a barrel and will need to learn how to make cider, a empty barrel is a terrible thing to waste. Lucky for me Justin can also teach me how to make cider!
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