Clay Coyote Gallery and Pottery Blog

New Blog Site for Clay Coyote

2009-12-12T11:40:00.000-06:00

We've started and revised the Clay Coyote blog. It's now at www.claycoyoteblog.com . Head over, post your favorite recipes, read about using the new flameware stovetop cookware as well as old favorites. And we'll continue to post the Potter's Life of happenings here on the "farm".

Clay Pot Cooking -

2009-10-29T20:01:00.003-05:00

What About Lead in Pottery?
On a Barnes and Noble discussion today with Paula Wolfert about her new book "Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking", Judith asked: Question: I understand that lead in ceramic pots is cause for concern, but why was/is lead used in the first place? I've seen some references that it occurs more in bright colors, but why?
My answer was:
Lead is one of the fluxes that help clays and glazes melt into a glass-like substance. Historically lead compounds were used when the potters had no other fluxes available. They've never been added to the clays, but used to be frequently used in glazes. Today, for pottery made in, or imported into, the US, it is almost never present. Today we use other minerals such as calcium, soda and phosphorus as components with other minerals.
By the way, the greatest problem is when these pots are used with acid foods, like citrus, tomatoes or foods with high vinegar content, and then over a period of time.
From a consumer standpoint, Paula covers this topic very well in Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking on page xvii-xviii.
Glazes are essentially ground rocks...ground silica, calcium carbonate (limestone), clay and other minerals. In simplest terms, there are 3 key components in any glaze, the glass former-usually silica, the stiffener - usually alumina from clay which gives the melted glass stiffness to keep it from running off the pot; and, a flux which causes the mixture to melt at a temperature to which we're going to fire the pot. Fluxes today are usually minerals which contain sodium, calcium, potash, Lithium, talc or strontium.
These core components are combined with other minerals that affect the gloss, the opacity, the firing temperature and how the materials and colorants work together.
Coloration usually comes from the addition of various metal oxides such as iron, copper, cobalt and others. Traces of materials such as tin oxide will vary the colors as will the method of firing, thickness of the glaze application and clay body on which the glaze is applied.
Lead used to be used because it melted at low temperatures and would smooth low fire glazes out more quickly and had the effect of brightening the glaze colors. It was mostly used on low fire (1800 degF) clays in bright colored glazes.
In high-fired pottery, (2387 degF) lead has little or no effect so there is no real reason to use it. Indeed, it's fluidity at high temperature could cause glaze defects and running off the pot.
Today, even in low-fired pottery lead is almost never used in glazes. It's actually hard to find the materials.
If you have old pots which you'd like to use, but aren't sure of, lead testing kits from the hardware store are quite accurate. Another way of testing glazes is to leave them overnight with a slice of lemon covering part of the color. If the glaze isn't stable, you'll see a lighter patch where the lemon was in the morning where it leached out the colorant. In general, the only foods that could cause this leaching are acidic...citrus juice, high vinegar foods, tomatoes, etc. And, unless these foods are in the pot for a long time, there is little leaching possible.
This discussion is necessarily limited in scope. If you want to dig much more deeply this paper by John Hesselberth and Ron Roy is a good start http://bit.ly/30cV64. They literally 'wrote the book' on glaze stability.
If you have any additionsl questions, please post them as a comment to this blog, or contact us at our email: claypot(at)hutchtel.net .

What's Wrong with these pictures?

2009-10-12T09:34:00.006-05:00

What's wrong with these pictures, you ask?

It's friggin' October 12th, that's what's wrong with these pictures! There are still leaves on the trees! Fall chores aren't done. Wood isn't cut and stacked.
And Betsy's here canning the last of our kind neighbor Jerry Notch's cucumbers, picked only a couple of days ago.

That's what's wrong with these pictures!

Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking-Paula Wolfert

2009-09-30T11:31:00.012-05:00

Well, we have to admit it, we're kind of proud....of Paula Wolfert for her most beautiful book yet, with recipes that'll make you drool; and to be a part of that new book: Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking.

We just got our initial supply in and will have them up on the website in an hour or so.

And we'll have a price that'll be more than competitive in that, with the $30.00 purchase of the book, we'll include a certificate good for $10.00 off the purchase of any Clay Coyote pot.

Even without the 'deal' we think you're going to find this one of those cookbooks you keep right up front. Just reading some of the recipes makes my mouth water.

But it's also going to become the 'go-to' reference on cooking with clay pots, both modern and indigenous.

Clay has been used essentially ever since man started cooking food, first for storage, then for actual cooking.

And as Paula discusses, there is something about pottery and food that just go together. There aren't many metal pans you'd put on the table to serve with, but pottery just seems to go there naturally.

Above is the frontispiece with a new flameware casserole which you can use like a crockpot. Betsy also made perfect risotto the first time out with one of them.

On the right is the Introduction with a couple more Clay Coyote Flameware pieces...saucepan and skillet.

So order your copy now. We can ship immediately.

Our Special Price ($30) includes a $10 certificate for Clay Coyote pottery.

The Coyotes In Cape Cod

2009-09-27T11:46:00.010-05:00

Tom and Betsy are in Cape Cod...for Morgan and Ian's wedding. (Above the Chatham Light). The day turned out to be gorgeous...light breeze, maybe 65 Deg.
A Stuart kilted piper (John of the Highland Light Pipe Band) welcomed the party. Quite a sight and sound on the beach.
The crowd arrives.....click to blow up a bit.
Both of 'em showed up so we could get on with it. Aaron Pilhofer officiated, and Ian and Moo wrote beautiful vows.
Grandma J was thankfully able to make it. (We suspect mostly for the reception White Russians).
And the new Mr. & Mrs Baum relax on Sunday after most everyone's out of town.And I caught this picture of Mr and Mrs Baum beachcombing 40 years from now.
Best wishes for a long and happy time together.

Paula Wolfert and Flameware Pottery

2009-09-14T21:34:00.006-05:00

As followers of Clay Coyote know, we've been working on developing a Flameware Stovetop Ceramic Cookware line for some time now.
We just got our copy of 'Food and Wine' magazine today, in which Paula Wolfert has a great article on Cooking in Clay. Her new book Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking will be out in a month. As she was writing it, we had some long conversations on why food tastes better when cooked in clay pots. If you've tried our new Flameware Stovetop Ceramic Cookware, you'll probably agree-food really does taste better when cooked in clay pottery.
My theory is that metal pots transmit heat very quickly. Clay, on the other hand, is an insulator. When you put heat to a clay pot, it comes through very slowly. I think the metal causes a very slight burning where the food meets the pan. If you control your heat in a clay pot, this doesn't happen and the food doesn't get the bitter, burned taste that metal gives. Paula thinks it's because the indigenous low fired clay pots that will withstand direct heat gather flavors over time. In low fired ware, there probably is some flavor transfer. Our new Flameware is high-fired and I don't think the pot itself picks up any flavor...so we're probably both right.

So far we've cooked an apple pancake that starts in the skillet and ends in the oven, oatmeal almost daily, scrambled eggs and ham almost daily, risotto (fabulous) in the casserole, tagines in the tagine, Pollo Verde in the cazuela, stir-fried vegetables in the skillet and many more.

We'll be getting some recipes on the website and would like to hear your thoughts and shared recipes.

Cambridge (WI) Pottery Festival

2009-06-18T09:56:00.016-05:00

AND A GREAT TIME WAS HAD BY ALL...
This was the 18th Annual Cambridge Pottery Festival and US Pottery Games...and what a great time. We've always had other shows conflicting and not gone. Shame on us! It's a semi-unique kind of show - all pottery!
None of those pesky painters or glass blowers. The atmosphere was relaxed, only 40 booths so no one was in a rush.
Potters from all over the country, mostly mid-west but also North Carolina, Arizona, Nebraska, Florida. (That's us, second on the left in the photo on the right.)

The big event is the Pottery Games, where potters, experienced and student, run timed throwing contests for a cylinder, large pot, plate, etc. These run from about noon on Saturday through the weekend.

There's a raku pit where you glaze a pot and watch it fired and an hour later take it with.
Kids events, you can try your hand at throwing a pot (with help).

We were so enthralled we came back wanting to start as similar festival here in Hutch! Two potter friends Joe Frank McKee and Travis Berning from North Carolina who were there told us about the Smoky Mountain Pottery Festival (June 6) and Western NC Pottery Festival (Nov 7) that run back east. (We carry Joe Frank's work in the Gallery).
Anyone want to volunteer to help us pull this off in 2011?

We're Trying to Keep Up

2009-04-15T16:42:00.004-05:00

This electronic thing is taking us over. First it was this blog...then our Constant Contact Newsletter, then Facebook, then LinkedIn, and now they want us to Tweet???? Who's making the pots....for that matter, who's doing the work anywhere?

But if you're not getting the newsletter, sign up here. We keep up with the Gallery and some Pottery stuff, new products and usually have a special at the end.
If you want to be a fan on Facebook, here's where.
We'll be glad to be your friend. Incidentally, if anyone knows food magazine Food Editors, Test Kitchen folks, photographers or writers, we're getting quite a base of knowledge in contemporary cooking with clay and would be glad to share. Let us know via an email claypot@hutchtel.net .

And now with the new Clay Coyote Ceramic Flameware, a whole new world is opening up.
We're going to try to get a Facebook Group (Cooking with Clay) going to trade cooking tips, recipes, and uses for pots.
Oh yeah...then there's YouTube. As soon as I can learn the editing software, I'll get more videos up there including one on cassoulet, making homemade vinegar, throwing various pots, a tour of the studio and more.

Sushi Coming

2009-03-20T10:59:00.004-05:00

Watch this spot. We're running a Sushi
class at the Gallery March 21 and will be videoing the event and posting on line (YouTube with link to this blog). It's a new effort we're trying this year. So far we have people interested in doing Chinese and Indian Cooking Short Courses, we're thinking of a "How to buy pottery" and "How to Buy Blown Glass". What else might you like to see? Click on Comments (below) and let us know what might be of interest, or if you've got a specialty, and might be interested in teaching a 2 hour class.

LOCAL FOOD, LOCAL POTS

2009-02-14T10:55:00.014-06:00

THE CLAY COYOTE BLOG IS NOW HOSTED AT
www.claycoyoterecipes.com

SOMETHING IMPORTANT!
Like so many, I pay attention to the frequency with which I hear various subjects, to try to determine trends. That has to be tempered with awareness that where you are and what you're doing may color what you hear.
That being said, I'm hearing from a lot of different directions and sources, that people are looking at trying to use more and more locally grown foods...both for health reasons, because it helps our local economies and because it "feels" better as well as tasting better. Amazing isn't it? We're beginning to figure out that the foods we eat and our health are linked.
There's also something about linking to your local community that completes a circle. There is a commonality between food and handmade pottery, in nurturing us, our families and our communities. The level of humanity in growing, harvesting, preparing and serving food to each other is complimented by the use of utensils that have been made by people you know.
A couple of years ago there was an article in Ceramics Monthly, which we posted here, which explored this in more depth.
Recently, perhaps partly because the 'growing season' will be upon us soon here in Minnesota, we have become aware of the almost explosive growth of CSA farms, and local organic foods, changing what we eat to be more healthy and healthful.
There has been a spate of books recently that talk about these topics.
A few we've read and can recommend highly are:
"The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
"The Hundred and Fifty Healthiest Foods" Jonny Bowden
"Good Calories-Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes
"In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan
"Weeds and Why They Grow" by Jay McCaman (for gardeners)
If you have thoughts on this topic, and other good books to recommend on better eating, please share by posting a comment below.
Adam and Laura have taken over Katy and Peter' August Earth CSA Farm and renamed it to Loon Organics. They're still looking for some members, as is a new CSA "The Farm of Minnesota" being established by Dan and Donna Moe. They won't be certified organic for a couple of years, but are using organic methods now (Website to come shortly). They can be reached at 320-587-7882.
Dan observed in a visit a couple of days ago that if you consider cost of food as part of healthcare, you can spend a smaller amount on food and pay for it in bad health later. Or you can pay more for food now, live better and have better health later with lower costs for medical care.
If you're not in the Hutch area, we strongly recommend looking at www.localharvest.org which is an excellent starting resource for locally grown foods.
This is all another reason we're so excited about our new line of Ceramic Flameware Stovetop Cookware. It adds another dimension to being able to use handmade pottery for cooking.

TWO MID-WINTER IDEAS

2009-01-05T16:03:00.006-06:00

So far it's been a cold and snowy winter here in ' da Nort ' ...so what better time to warm things up with a fantastic dinner with your friends ...and a non-intensive project that will pay dividends all year.The first is one we wrote about last January at length, a cassoulet based dinner, and the second, making your own homemade wine.

The cassoulet (the pot you make it in is called a cassole) can be as complicated or simple as you wish. This is a traditional French bean "stew" which would have been made, over a series of days, as ingredients were acquired as parts of other meals.

There is ongoing argument over what is the most authentic, and we won't get into that one. See an article in "Departures Magazine" where Sylvie Bigar has done her best to walk the middle ground.

We have made Paula Wolfert's recipe twice, once with simplifications, and then the full recipe including homemade sausage and duck confit. Doing it the full way made a big difference.

Paula swears the angle sided bowl that we make, also makes a big difference. Others use a pot more like our standard casserole. For other recipes. just Google "Cassoulet" and you'll get a bunch. Once you get the basic idea, make up your own with what you have.

Then invite some friends over, open a bottle of wine, some french bread and maybe a bit of salad and you'll have an evening to remember.

WINE VINEGAR

The second project is even easier, but takes some time and patience. Make your own wine vinegar. A pottery crock, like the Clay Coyote Vinegar Crock is perfect, but you can do it in other containers if you want. First check out this Sunset Magazine article that appeared last year.

/VINEGAR%20SUNSET%20ARTICLE.pdf
I'd suggest starting with at least one bottle and then topping it off later with more. You can get a mother from Beer-Wine.com. Once you have one, that's all you'll need as you can keep a bit in a jar for your next batch. We've experimented with freezing it and that appears to work, just as it does for sourdough.
It'll take about 10 weeks for your first batch of red wine vinegar and 16 to 20 for a white wine batch. You'll never find a commercial product that comes close. Use it in making sauces, a bit in almost anything to enhance flavors. Pasturize it and you can store it forever and make herbal vinegars, too.

LAST MINUTE POTTERY GIFTS

2008-12-02T13:46:00.018-06:00

We get a rush right at the end and try to help. Some of the more popular (and unique) items for holiday gifts are here along with links to the web pages. We have a good selection right now (Dec 1) and still have a couple of firings to go.

Personalize your gift by adding a favorite recipe for the piece you've chosen.

A big hit is the Clay Coyote Chip and Dip. Center bowl is loose so you can use the platter for meat and cheese trays and....?
Maybe next would be a Coyote Chicken Baker. Still unique and the best chicken they'll ever have. If you're good, maybe they'll invite you over.

Next to that for unique-ness is the Coyote French Butter Dish or butter bell.

A Veggie (Vegetable) Steamer is another unique piece (actually 3 pieces). Steam veggies in the bowl with lid, and serve on the plate.

We have a large selection of all sizes of casseroles. Small and medium casseroles (below) hold about 1 and 2 Qts respectively and the Large holds at least a gallon (RIGHT).

There are always mugs...we've got several shapes and many glaze colors.

Slip in a couple of packets of hot chocolate and a bag of microwave popcorn and you're good to go.

New this year are a series of trays...perfect for entertaining.

For the FOODIE on your list Clay Coyote can really help you out. Our well-known Cassole has been written about in several magazines and if you go back to last January on the blog, you'll see the whole cassoulet story.

And last, but not least is our new line of Ceramic Flameware Pottery Stovetop Cookware, starting with the 10 inch skillet.

Please feel free to give us a call...1-888-737-4014...to check glaze colors or what we can still do custom. Shipping direct to your lucky giftee along with free gift wrapping and we can enclose a card for you.

And Merry Christmas from all of us at the Clay Coyote.

FLAMEWARE!

2008-11-25T15:27:00.004-06:00

Here it comes, new CERAMIC FLAMEWARE from Clay Coyote Pottery. It's ceramic cookware for stovetop cooking! We've spent nearly 2 years working on this to get it right...

It started a couple of years ago as Paula Wolfert was looking for a source for pots to emulate some of the indigenous cookware traditionally used over open fires and charcoal. trouble is, our modern stoves have much higher heat.

A few potters have made stoneware flameware over the years, but conventional wisdom was that it was risky and devilishly difficult.

Well, we can attest that it's difficult, but after cooking with a number of pieces over the last 6 months, and recruiting a number of our friends to do the same, it's ready for you.

The first piece is this skillet...

about 10 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep. Fry, saute, bake, roast...do just about anything. Good in the microwave, cleanup easily in the sink or dishwasher. Tom's used it for eggs almost every morning for 5 months and finds it has much less of a tendency to burn food, and the eggs are more tender that in metal cookware.

Betsy's been doing the same with oatmeal every morning in a small saucepan and with the same result.

Paula's been doing a lot of work on cooking in clay, as she has for years, and has decided that it's the way to go. "These are absolutely fabulous" she says.

Next was a cazuela, about 11 inches in diameter that Paula needed for gratins and some other dishes started on the stovetop, and finished in the oven. This one's got a smaller 'trumpet' handle with a small 'hot-pad tab' on the other side for easy handling in and out of the oven. Betsy just used one to make an apple tarte tatin.

We've done a couple of saucepans but are just finalizing sizes and shapes. Finally, we did a 3 qt. casserole for Paula, and she found it made the best daube ever and that it cooked simmered dishes better on the stovetop than any crockpot does.

casserole photo by: ed anderson photography 1105 thompson lane petaluma, california 94952 707 981 7957 office http://www.edandersonphoto.com

We aren't sure why these ceramic pots cook so well (and clean up even better). After a lot of testing, we think that it's because the ceramic is an insulator, heat comes through more gently, so food has much less tendency to burn, even slightly. The secret, though, is to slow down, put the heat where you'll need it eventually, and then wait for the pot to warm up. If you punch in high heat initially, the heat keeps coming through and can overcook the food. You also have to learn to either turn the heat down or off earlier, or remove the food as soon as it's done. But these pots go from stove to table so beautifully that the turn down early is the way to go.

Right now glazes are limited to the one blue-gray shown. We'll have more later, but never the same as our regular glazes. The clay that makes these pots possible limits the glaze possibilities.
As we get them ready, we'll post them on the website for sale.

GLAZE NAMING CONTEST

2008-11-22T14:15:00.003-06:00

Earlier this year, Betsy developed a new green/black glaze combination. It was a hit at summer art fairs. Food looks fabulous on it....but it doesn't have a name! That's up to you. It combines the rich warm black of Old Black Magic and a new kind of celery green...very like old celadons of ancient China and Korea.

As a starter, some of our other glaze names are, Old Black Magic, Midnight Garden, Tequila Sunrise, Todd Lake, Old Celadon, etc. There could be $25 bucks in it for you. Just click on the 'comments' section below and let us know your idea. Enter as many as you wish per comment.

We'll make our decision (over a couple of glasses of wine down at Zella's (Hutchinson's spiffy new restaurant)) by December 15th.

HERE WE GO AGAIN

2008-11-07T09:54:00.002-06:00

Here we go for the next 6 months. This morning we woke up to a good 4" of fresh new snow. Not too much shovelling thought as the ground's still too warm.

The back porch (above)...the view from the kitchen below.

But looking north off the back porch, it's really beautiful (in a masochistic way).

The jeep and plow are ready....the tractor isn't.

The pond has almost gone dry this fall with the lack of rain, but strangely there's still a lot of corn in the fields. Farmers are trying to get it to dry naturally rather than by using gas dryers.

MINERAL POINT

2008-10-16T22:06:00.005-05:00

HIDDEN ART GEM UNCOVERED!!! Travels with Tom & Betsy

On our way to Chicago for the Frankfort Fall Fest, we uncovered a hidden gem this year...Mineral Point, WI. It was an old mining town that had been pretty near shuttered in the 1950's and 60's. The a few artists discovered it and began to build studios. Shops followed. Now it's an amazing array of galleries and artist studios.

Down towrds the bottom of the main street hill we were attracted by something on the 'balcony' of one shop. (You're going to have to click on this to figure it out).

It's the home of Howdle Gallery and Bruce Howdle. Bruce is most famous for his large ceramic wall sculptures (here he is working on one), but one of his fascinations is pigs.

He has done wonderful sculptures, mugs, wall pieces, you name it, with pig themes. Ask him how he came to have this old building and out comes the picture album. He's done much of the work himself over more than 20 years. The character of the building is wonderful. We'd strongly recommend Clyde and Carolyn stop in....you too!

Mineral Pt. is about 1-1/2 hours SW of Madison...a bit out of the way, but well worth the trip. Look at their website for special celebrations during the year. For Chicagoans it's an easy day trip. If you're headed north or south along I-94, plan a few extra hours.

Swallows, Hummers and the Marking of the Seasons

2008-10-16T21:48:00.004-05:00

This summer was unusual here, as it was in many places. Birds came back early, the ice was out late. The early birds had no food because of the cold spring, and then the summer was dead dry. We always get some barn swallows in the shed and this year they hatched in July. There were 4 little ones in the nest. By the time they're ready to fledge, they are pretty much crowded out.

Then late the next day, the second pair came out. They all sat in the shed for a day getting waited on by the adults. Normally they'd be here for the rest of the summer. This year because of the dry, they were gone almost immediately so we missed their aerobatic hi-jinks all summer.

We had more hummers this year than ever and , with feeders, they stuck around. By september we'd put up 4 feeders and at times had up to 12 birds by teh front porch scrapping over who got next turn. Activity mountied, and then one day, Sept 20th, all but 2 or 3 were gone.
Living out here, we really do mark the seasons by the weather, the birds and animals and the planting and harvest. Most of the beans have been taken, with yields about 1/3 to 1/2 lower than normal because of the dry summer. Corn should be started any day now, although a lot was harvested for silage because the ears were so small and many stalks have only one ear.
Now the geese start coming over in their big 'V's" practicing for the migration (and avoiding getting shot at). Outside the downstairs bedroom window they often come off the lake at an elevation below where you're standing. It's quite a site.

The Final Show

2008-10-16T21:04:00.004-05:00

I've gotten a little behind here with fall production and development of a new line of pots for you.

The last shows were Frankfort (IL) over Labor Day weekend and our local Hutchinson show 2 weeks later.
Frankfort is a blast. It's the first show we ever did back in 1992. Amazingly, we still have some customers who saw us at that first show come by. Since both Betsy and I worked right near by old neighbors stop by, too (well they're not any older than we are).

And last year we came across a photo taken the next summer. This is what we looked like back then. A lot of pots, a lot of good friends and customers. We really do appreciate your support over the years.

Seems like we spent half the summer in rain....setting up or tearing down. At Edina we had the big hailstorm, Highland half a day rain, Evanston set up, Duluth set up, and finally Hutchinson. The first day was perfect, then came the second day....

Packing up wet is no fun. But all in all it was a great year. Thank you!

FOREST CITY STOCKADE

2008-08-18T23:00:00.006-05:00

THE FOREST CITY STOCKADE

Every year for the last 10 or so, we (Betsy and Tom) head for a weekend at the Forest City Stockade. This is a recreation of the 1860's Stockade built near Forest City, MN, during the Sioux uprising of 1862. The Stockade was rebuilt in 1976 and has been added to over the years until now it contains a main cabin and trading post inside the fort, and nearly a whole town outside.

Above is the front door of the main cabin during this years' stockade on August 16 & 17. Each year we make a commemorative piece of pottery for collectors and supporters. Below is the side porch with Tom's favorite thing...homemade ice cream in the largest hand-cranked freezer you'll ever see.

The Stockade is staffed for the two day summer and one day winter events by many volunteers serving food, giving demonstrations of 1860's crafts and skills. The key people are Bob and Betty Hermann (immediately below), Chuck and Ann Fuller (further down) and Dale and Mary Root and lots of volunteers. Paul White (of Paul and Pam fame) is shown with his bees and some visitors who get to try fresh honey from the comb.

Chuck and Dale direct and do most of the building at the stockade and, to me, one of the most amazing pieces is a handbuilt watertower and windmill that Chuck built. Clik on this one to take a closer look.

A few scenes around the stockade outside in the village show wagons, a new chapel where Greg Matthews gives a talk on the history that led to the stockade. Chuck and Dale add a building or two (or 3) each year, many of the rebuilt from log cabins that area folks donate (the unfinished one below will be the largest operating newspaper print shop in Minnesota.)

Tom does his little pottery thing on a foot powered Leach Treadle wheel throwing bowls, plates, pitchers, whickey jugs, mugs and other items that might have been used on the frontier. While this wheel itself is only about 50 years old, the treadle wheel concept goes back into the 1800's in Germany. They were brought into the US in production potteries in North Carolina.

Outside the stockade to the east is a full-blown rendezvous gathering you can also wander.

The Stockade makes a fabulous day for kids as well as adults. Plenty of food, interesting exhibits and demonstrations, history, music and family fun.

It's always the 3rd weekend of August and the first Saturday of December (the 6th in 2008).

Forest City Stockade

IT AIN'T ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE

2008-08-06T22:36:00.009-05:00

OK, click on this picture, cover up the snow fence in the foreground and tell me where this is!

Nope....it's Lake Michigan at Evanston IL, last weekend (Aug 2-3) The water was turquoise, the weather 80 deg with a nice breeze. Couldn't have been better, and people paid us money for being there!

Tom was, of course, working (above) while Betsy helped, (below).

This one was kind of like art shows should be. Interested patrons, a beautiful setting, good music...way to go Evanston!

But, we thought you might like to have a peek at what goes into one of these shows from the artists viewpoint....

A PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES

This year at Edina, our friends Don and Paul came ahead of time and helped us set up....and then, after inviting us to stay at their house and treating us like royalty, came and helped us tear down. It was an education for them....to say nothing of being way above and beyond the call. Here's a bit of what they saw....'course it was raining there.

Here's a bit of the setup at Evanston.

At Evanston we set up the tent Friday night and schlepped the boxes of pots, display and tents across about a block of rough grass. Total of over 20 trips each with two-wheelers. Starting at about 5:30, it was dark before we got the tents up, and display racks assembled. Then we crashed. Next morning at 6 am the scene we were greeted by was the above...a booth, 40 boxes of pots and all the extra stuff. An hour and a half later we looked like this....ready to start unloading pots.

Almost done! The last load of empties is about to be schlepped back to the trailer over that same block of grass.

Set up and ready to go at 3-1/2 hours (not counting the 3 hours the night before)....pretty good for us with a double booth.

After the show it typically takes us about 3-1/2 hours again to pack it all up, tear down the tents and schlepp it back to the trailer. It's much lighter if everyone who comes by buys a pot or two and helps with the schlepping.

We're not complaining, understand, and very grateful to be able to do this for a living and for you. Great customers who enjoy and use the work, and come back with their stories are what make it all worth it.

Thanks to ALL of You!

THE 6th ANNUAL SUMMER PICNIC

2008-08-06T22:18:00.007-05:00

An annual event at Clay Coyote has become the summer picnic and Art Show. We invite 4 or 5 guest artists and our customers to a casual 'out on the lawn' good time.

This year Madam Lorna (Lorna Meyer and husband Steve) were peddling potions and lotions for your body. Jennifer Ionta had her beautiful hand made (by her) glass beads

Claire Swanson from granite Falls brought her marvelous handwoven baskets...

and Rob Glieden, who is just starting out doing large format Black and White photography. Intriguing pictures of familiar subjects seen through Rob's eyes and processed like old time pictures...quality you just don't get anymore.

Steve, who is allowed a small corner of Madam Lorna's booth, has discovered a most unique idea, mirrors and picture frames on which you can write nifty sayings which are poermanent until you wipe them off with a special stuff....Then write again. Most fun!

This time of the year, the prairie restoration is just starting to peak....yellows, blues, purples amid the waving grasses. Things change when you're out there....the hustle and bustle just evaporates. Hi Mary!

Chuck Goranowski was a first timer....with his wonderful blown glass. First time we've had a glass blower. His goblets and mugs were a big hit. Bet he brings more next time!

Claire and Steve and Lorna catch up! The picnic was a bit quiet this year with the economy, gas prices and just about every highway coming to Hutch and the Gallery torn up. If you're planning a trip to the Clay coyote, please check the 'Directions' section of the website for the latest update.

4th OF JULY WITH A BANG AND A BUMP

2008-08-06T21:48:00.005-05:00

4th OF JULY...The Way it Used To Be!

Every 4th of July, friends Bob & Betty Hermann put on a classic traditional 4th Farm picnic. Let it be known, that no one....NO ONE...has ever left here hungry. Not only do you get lunch/dinner, but 4 hours later, you are going to have to eat lunch again! What could be prettier. This year Bob even lucked out on the weather....80 deg and sunny

And after lunch/dinner, you need dessert....even though you've had 5 kinds of chocolate and pie with lunch/dinner! So Bob and Betty team up to dish out strawberry sundaes! Amazing that such a lovely woman as Betty should have teamed up with as ornery a cuss as Bob! Betty looks especially happy as she had retired the day before this!

HERE'S THE BANG!

The big tradition every year is that Bob gets to shoot off his big........cannon. Made in Tennesee the cannon is the real thing. Instead of cannon balls, Bob just loads 'er with grass, tamps it down, adds powder and with a mighty whump....feeds the cows. Next for the tradition is the ride out into the pasture along the North Fork of the Crow River where next year's hamburger is grazing. The handmade wagon is pulled by the world's oldest working (other than Bob) Jeep. As of today, if this was taken, you wouldn't see the wagon as the corn would be 10 feet high!Now if you were a cow...isn't this where you'd want to spend your days? That's why they're called Hermann's Happy Herefords.

Blow this shot up, and you'll Chuck Roast and Ham Burger wandering out there.

Tttttthaaat;s All Fffffolkkkks!

SHOW TIME

2008-08-06T21:33:00.005-05:00

Higland Park Art Fest

Our second show this year was Highland Park in St Paul. What was a good smaller show in past years has now had the addition of almost as many commercial booths as artist booths. One customer described this as making it feel like going to the State Fair rather than an art fair. Entertainment rather than an art fair. We're seeing this at more and more fairs and when it happens, sales for artists go down.

I finally caught Betsy loafing!
Like so many shows this year, Highland had it's shot of weather. About 5:30 on Saturday the skies opened up and scared the customers away. 15 minutes later...blue skies.

Ahhh, well.

Evanston (IL), Frankfort (IL) and Hutchinson to go. Lots of pots to make.

WAY TO GO, PAULA

2008-06-11T21:09:00.005-05:00

We were very proud of our friend Paula Wolfert for her accomplishment. She has been a source of inspiration (and challenge) to us in developing pots that work with the exactness of the recipes she researches and writes about. If you haven't read any of her wonderful books, try ''Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco' or 'The Cooking of SW France'. They are as much histories and travelogues as cookbooks.
Sun Jun 8, 10:53 PM ET

Chef Jacques Pepin, left, congratulates Paula Wolfert, author of 'Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco,' for being entered into the Cookbook Hall of Fame at the 2008 James Beard Foundation Awards, Sunday, June 8, 2008 at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York. The awards recognize culinary professionals for excellence and achievement in their field.(AP Photo/Diane Bondareff)

(Story by AP)

I LOVE A PARADE!

2008-06-04T13:40:00.004-05:00

We've had geese on the pond ever since the ponds were put in by Fish & Wildlife as part of the Wildlife Refuge Program, funded by Ducks Unlimited. Normally geese pick out a site as first yearlings, defend it for a year, and then come back the next year to nest. The year we seem to have 2 pair, one on the north pond, one on the south. On May 20th, a pair seemed to be nesting on the dike between the ponds.
Then on May 23rd we spotted the first goslings....first in the water then on the dike.

Then today, June 3rd, what should appear but a full bore goose parade. Once the goslings are born, the adults lose their flight feathers and are earthbound. Guess like all parents they might sometimes like to get away, but nature won't allow it. Now the danger starts. Snapping turtles, fox and coyote, raccoons, hawks and eagles....all looking for these tasty morsels. We count every time we see them to see how they're doing.

Note how much these little beggars have grown just in a couple of weeks. Soon they'll start to molt into their juvenile plummage. The parents have to walk them everywhere. From the ponds to the main lake a thousand feet away. Those little feet get a lot of exercise.