Article from www.ithaca.com/news/
Photography by me.
Posted: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 1:43 pm
We’ve come a long way since the days of horse and plow, but this
weekend, Interlaken will celebrate the rich history of agriculture
during its Plowing Day, a throwback country fair, paying homage to
field-tending tactics of yesteryear.
Brook Farm in Interlaken will come alive beginning at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 22, with a full day’s itinerary for agriculturalists, craftsmen, history buffs and everyone in between. Lead by the Interlaken Historical Society, the event runs until 4 p.m. and is free to attend.
On the docket are a talk on grain farming at 10 a.m., given by the folks from Wide Awake Bakery, a parade at noon with tractors and farm animals, various exhibitors and vendors, and, of course, plowing demonstrations on the farm acreage. There will also be kids games, a gift-basket drawing and a grape-stomping demonstration, hosted by Lucas Vineyard and Winery, where fair goers are encouraged to roll up their pant legs and participate.
John Hunt, one of the event’s organizers, showed off
his family’s century-old barn at Brook Farm last week. Built in 1908,
the big, red barn was owned by the Usher family until the 1950s. After a
brief stint in the hands of the Cronk Dairy Company, the 40-by-100 feet
barn was sold to the Hunts in the 1960s. Today, it’s recognized as one
of 49 remaining Wells barns, named after the family of builders -- John
Wells, Sr. and his three sons, who constructed barns throughout New
York. The family’s calling card can be found on the trademark molding
atop the highest windows, which feature a flattened or “lazy” W, Hunt
said. Visitors will have a chance to peruse the barn as several demonstrations will be held there. “It’s great to see it alive out here with all the talking and enjoying,” Hunt said.
The nearby field yields a corn silage crop, and
during Plowing Day the old farming machinery – horse-drawn plows, even a
steam-powered tractor one particular year, tend to the land to both
prepare it for next spring and provide a live history lesson.
This is the fourth such Plowing Day, which is funded through the Delavan Foundation and held every other year because, as Hunt said, it keeps the event fresh. Plus, it takes a lot of work to organize, he added. The last event drew a crowd of around 500 people.
In the past, the event has been themed around various aspects of agriculture. This year, organizers are concentrating on wheat, with an examination of grain, old and new mills and the changes in methods and equipment. Leading the day’s themed discussion is Liz Brown of Wide Awake Bakery, a Trumansburg-area bakery using locally grown grains and flour.
Brook Farm is located at 8228 Route 96 in Interlaken, just north of South Seneca Elementary School and Hipshot Products.
Brook Farm in Interlaken will come alive beginning at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 22, with a full day’s itinerary for agriculturalists, craftsmen, history buffs and everyone in between. Lead by the Interlaken Historical Society, the event runs until 4 p.m. and is free to attend.
On the docket are a talk on grain farming at 10 a.m., given by the folks from Wide Awake Bakery, a parade at noon with tractors and farm animals, various exhibitors and vendors, and, of course, plowing demonstrations on the farm acreage. There will also be kids games, a gift-basket drawing and a grape-stomping demonstration, hosted by Lucas Vineyard and Winery, where fair goers are encouraged to roll up their pant legs and participate.
This is the fourth such Plowing Day, which is funded through the Delavan Foundation and held every other year because, as Hunt said, it keeps the event fresh. Plus, it takes a lot of work to organize, he added. The last event drew a crowd of around 500 people.
In the past, the event has been themed around various aspects of agriculture. This year, organizers are concentrating on wheat, with an examination of grain, old and new mills and the changes in methods and equipment. Leading the day’s themed discussion is Liz Brown of Wide Awake Bakery, a Trumansburg-area bakery using locally grown grains and flour.
Brook Farm is located at 8228 Route 96 in Interlaken, just north of South Seneca Elementary School and Hipshot Products.
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