New this Spring
March 23, 2011
What a winter it has been! We have been busy on the 1900 farm, with visitors coming out to dinner, and creating plans for an exciting new season on the farm. Some new things you will see this year include:
- This blog! Created to connect you to the 1900 farm even when you can’t be here I hope all of you enjoy reading about the activities of the farm, and the glimpses into history that it should provide.
- A new cream separator! Damaged beyond use, our old cream separator has been replaced thanks to a generous grant from the Living History Farms Guild. You may still see the old one around, but we will use a new “old style” cold water cream separator to demonstrate how farmers in 1900 would separate yummy cream from the gallons of milk provided by Mary Anne and Lily, our cows. We will demonstrate ways to use that cream over the course of the summer as well!
- New varieties in the garden. By 1900, farmers were not stuck with just one variety. Every winter when I go through the seed catalogs I am shocked by the amount of varieties of vegetables available to farmers in 1900. This summer’s garden (providing all goes well) will have the traditional favorites for canning, such as tomatoes like Brandywines and Livingston’s Favorites, as well as other varieties like the Wapsipinicon Peach tomato. It looks like its name, lighter in color, with a bit of fuzz. Besides tomatoes, we are attempting new vegetables like leeks (Giant Musselburgh) and Eggplant (Listada di Gandia). Some seed companies, like Burpee, have been around since the turn of the century (1876 to be exact for Burpee), and some, like Seed Savers and Baker Creek (among others) are relatively new, but excellent sources for heirloom seed varieties. Though it is only April, I have grand visions of the colors the garden will provide this summer, let’s hope the weather cooperates.
- New animals! Every year we welcome new life to the farm. Chicks should arrive in Mid-April (with new varieties to add to our chicken coop), baby pigs shortly thereafter, and with any luck, two calves before the fourth of the July. Stay tuned to help us welcome new animals to the farm.
Spring has come, brought with it the newness that comes at the end of winter. Hope everyone has a chance to enjoy all of it, come out for Easter on April 23rd, or wait until the 30th. Whenever you make it, we look forward to seeing you then. In the meantime, keep in touch by reading this blog, and be as excited about spring as we are at the 1900 farm.
What are you most looking forward to this Spring?
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1900 Farm Behind the Scenes Animals in Action How Does Your Garden Grow? In the Kitchen
