Youth Fest Was a Fun Fest!

Heritage Farm celebrated another Way Back Weekend last Saturday on July 2nd and this time it was all about the kids!  Yes, there were two sweet goat kids but the human kids could be seen all over the place having a blast. And, I must admit, I felt like a kid again because I was really wanting to ride the wagon and take the new History Holl'r Tour!


Look, the news media even came for a ride! 

Audy was busy driving the old Ford tractor which faithfully hauled the wagon carrying several families on board making their way up the wooded trail, so I wandered to Pioneer Homestead to see what was going on and take some pics before the tour arrived.  Ah, look how cute Audy's daughter is in her pink pioneer dress!  I loved this.  Kate was very becoming in her calico and the two were busy explaining how the settlers cooked over the fire to some visiting families.  Kate prepared pinto beans, spinach, and various breads for folks to sample.  The cabin was dark inside but the flickering flames of the candles cast a warm and inviting glow.

Getting ready for the next group to sample hearth cooking.

Can you imagine how difficult it was to regulate the heat?  I love my oven!

Kate managed to squeeze in a meeting and both are organizing part of September's Way Back Weekend which will include a Cast Iron Cook Off!  Love to cook?  Enter and you might win!

I sat a spell and briefly listened to their plans but soon heard the creaking of the old wagon wheels headed up the holler so I ran across the creek and hitched a ride.  I wanted to see that Mountain Man!  The road was bumpy and although my camera can prevent 'hand' shake, technology is not quite there for complete body shake, so no pictures were clear enough to post... and, we lost a wheel!  Just like in the old days but the wheel was for decoration purposes and thankfully we were able to continue. 

Mountain Trapper Man with his tent and pelts explaining how people survived when they crossed the mountains into our area.

Mountain Man explained all the steps of loading the rifle with powder which was a long process.  Good thing there were no grizzly bears!

A picture is worth a thousand words.

History Holl'r proved to be a fun tour and I was looking forward in petting those little goat boys.  Yellow Goat Farm so generously brought the sweetest little goats for the kids to pet.  I fell in love with the lighter colored baby and so wanted to take him home.  His eyes were full of love for his human friends.  If you enjoy goat cheese (who doesn't?), wonderful smelling soaps, jams and jellies, then Yellow Goat Farm is the place for you.  I did not want to leave that little pen but it was almost time to close the farm so I needed to visit Bee Lady and see what she was up to.

I love bees and Heritage Farm has a hive built into the Hand's On Farm Fun building so children can learn year round about these amazing creatures.  Bee Lady who is Margaret Reid of Reid's Apiary is a professional beekeeper with a large collection of hives in Willow Wood, Ohio.  She and her husband speak at regional beekeeping conventions and meetings and sell beekeeping supplies.  She is the perfect person to learn from and her enthusiasm is contagious! 

A great time was had at Heritage Farm during Youth Festival!  Although the celebration was nearing to close, kids continued to meander about, gaze at the horse, get their face painted, and run in and out of the petting zoo for one last look at the sweet little animals.  Even the 'older' kids continued to browse around.  It seemed they all wanted to stay but the rain began to sprinkle; a sure sign for me to depart. 

We are truly blessed in our area to have Heritage Farm.  It is like a little Williamsburg only an Appalachian version.  Where else can one go together with family and friends in our region, and share an outdoor experience sprinkled with a little history, be surrounded by spectacular scenery, learn and listen, and get a little exercise at the same time?   Oh, and eat too, if you happen to get hungry.   Each Way Back Weekend is held on the first Saturday of the month.  If you love nature, the woods and wood products, be sure to attend 'What Wood You Do' held on August 6th from 10-3.    See you soon!

The Kids are Coming!

Most of the farm animals love when the school kids arrive....they mooooed, bahahahaaaaed, and squawked  as soon as they could hear the youngsters exit the bus. What friendly greetings!  Audy Perry asked me to accompany them on the tour so that I did and it was a lot of fun.

This morning they only had a group of 40 which was split into two sets. (Heritage Farm is a very popular attraction for the tri-state school children due to the educational benefits they receive during their visit).  I joined the kids with their teachers on the wagon ride and rode in the very back. We passed the big dairy barn and stopped while Audy described the animals who used to live in the beautiful structure.  We then back tracked  down to the other end going thru the covered bridge.  The kids delighted in being jostled around while I whinced at each bump trying to save my poor arthritic spine.  They laughed with glee at the very fact that I did not like those bumpy bumps and continued to happily bounce in their seats until we arrived at the wooded fenced area.  Moulan, the resident cow, along with her friends; a sheep, a pot bellied pig, two donkeys and the sweet little black dog live beneath the tall shady trees separated with fencing but allowing good visuals so each breed can see each other. Moulan moooed a loud hello causing all sorts of human variations attempting to mimic her call.  For a minute I regressed and began moooing away with the kids....I must admit it was fun and it tickled them to see an 'old' person acting like their age which came very easily for me!

After Audy's entertaining but educational explanations about each animal, we were on our way back into the village for a stop at the Children's Hand's On Center.  The tiny bodies formed into a line and one by one entered the vintage building. Cute little hand painted chairs allowed each child a seat while they listened to the guide explain how Appalachian life was lived back in the day.  Afterwards, they got to milk a cow ( a fake cow), grind some corn, wash some clothes, churn butter, pump water out of the well and peek inside the (fake) chicken nests to see the eggs.  I enjoyed watching how the kids interacted with the tasks. I didn't see too many boys 'wash' clothes, but all of them milked the cow and pumped the water.

Time to go back outside to the petting area!  This was very exciting for the children and once again they repeated the various noises they were hearing. Mother sheep was the loudest of the four legged creatures and I couldn't wait to get in there to see her.  She had two baby lambs by her side!  After sanitizing our hands, the fun began....Audy educated the children about turtles and chickens while his wife Laura held two sweet little bunnies then later a frightened yellow duckling.

The kids absolutely loved petting the soft fur and seeing the farm animals. At times I couldn't even tell what they touching!  The goats impatiently stuck their heads out of their pens for attention while the llama offered kisses.  Mary the resident sheep occasionally emitted a deep baaahahaa while Mother sheep continued her own call but the little lambs remained silent while smiling at everyone.  Even the peacocks joined in the fun!

The final portion of the tour led us all up to the Industrial building where the kids listened about the various jobs that were held as time progressed.  They learned about timber and coal and toured the coal mine.  There was a sign forbidding photos, but as you bent over while in the mine you could see several different displays featuring  mannequins posed as miners performing their labor intensive jobs with picks and shovels, etc. Words could not describe the difficult conditions and it was good for the kids to see this.

The tour was now over and all of the kids walked, skipped and hopped back to the bus while their growing minds filed the new experiences into happy but educational memories.  What fun it was to have shared this tour with them!  A big thanks goes to Audy and the crew both human and furry for being such wonderful hosts!