Shall We Have Christmas?

By: Kajsa Sabatke, Manager of Public Programs

We're introducing a new program at the museum this year. Some of you may have come to our Holiday Lantern Tours in previous years. This year we've moved from the tours to focus even more on the experience of the winter holidays in the nineteenth century. If you're looking for a chance to visit The Farmers' Museum and experience a quieter and more historic atmosphere than Candlelight Evening, I hope that you'll come to the museum on Saturday, December 3, between 4-8pm. (And the week after that, please come and see the entire village aglow for Candlelight Evening.)

Our new program is called Shall We Have Christmas? During the nineteenth century, Christmas was not the major holiday that it is today. It was celebrated in similar, smaller-scale ways, though. Shall We Have Christmas won't be as large of an event as Candlelight Evening, but activities will be taking place in many of the buildings: holiday gift-making in the More House, singing and socializing in the tavern, wagon rides, holiday foods in the Lippitt House, greeting card printing in the printing office, remedies for winter ailments in the pharmacy, and decorations in the church. 

In addition to the staff who'll be talking about the holidays in each building, you'll be able to hear more about the holidays from quotes by people who wrote about their experience of the holidays in the mid-nineteenth century. Susan Fenimore Cooper, daughter of James Fenimore Cooper and also an author, shared many holiday observations in her book, Rural Hours:

The festival is very generally remembered now in this country, though more of a social than a religious holiday, by all those who are opposed to such observances on principle. In large towns it is almost universally kept. In the villages, however, but few shops are closed, and only one or two of the half dozen places of worship are opened for service. Still, everybody recollects that it is Christmas; presents are made in all families; the children go from house to house wishing Merry Christmas; and probably few who call themselves Christians allow the day to pass without giving a thought to the sacred event it commemorates, as they wish their friends a “Merry Christmas.”

Gwen Miner, our Supervisor of Domestic Arts, has also found quotes from historic diaries from the region that related to each of the buildings that will be open.

We hope to see you for at least one of our holiday events in December!

Night at the Museums

By: Keelin Purcell, Manager of School and Farm Programs

On May 6th, The Farmers’ Museum hosted a Slumber Party for Girls that was jam-packed with activities and experiences at both Museums. While we still did the traditional Girl Scout badge work that we have done in the past, this year we also opened our doors to all girls ages 8-12. The night started off with the older girls working on their Junior Folk Art Badge and the younger girls working on their Brownie Eco-Explorer Try-It. Then the girls gathered in the More House to make s’mores over the open hearth; a delicious experience for all!
After dinner, our group headed over to the Fenimore Art Museum for a flashlight tour of the Folk Art Main Gallery and the Eugene and Clare Thaw Gallery. After viewing some iconic pieces of art, the girls did a scavenger hunt, looking for items or components of art that are common in the galleries. Seeing the girls’ faces light up when they found what they were looking for made it clear that this was a behind-the-scenes experience that they will remember for a long time.
The next morning, we continued our badge work. The younger kids moved on to the Let’s Pretend Try-It, getting to practice their acting skills by dressing up in period clothing. And the older girls continued their Folk Art badge by creating corn husk dolls. The whole group then got a special tour of our Native American sites, which are due to open July 4th weekend. The morning ended happily, with many families taking advantage of their free admission to both museums for the day. We are looking forward to another successful Slumber Party next year!

Hunter/Jumper Clinic in Cooperstown

By: Meg Preston

The Farmers' Museum 14th Annual Benefit Horse Show is a great chance for riders to show in Cooperstown and support the museum’s education programs. The day before the show, riders of all ages have a wonderful opportunity to learn from one of the top equestrians in the country. I grew up here in Cooperstown, and was very lucky to own a horse, take riding lessons, and most of all, go to shows. I had a very knowledgeable trainer, and I know that if an opportunity to go to a clinic and take instruction by a nationally known equestrian had come along so close to home, she would have encouraged me to go for it! I was fortunate to be able to take a lesson from John Moffat, and was thrilled for the experience.

This year the 4th Annual Hunter/Jumper Clinic will be held on Saturday, June 12, and is open to riders of all ages, levels, and abilities riding horses or ponies (participants must be able to jump at least 2 feet). The clinic will be conducted by Timmy Kees from Westport, CT. With over 35 years experience on the “A” horse show circuit, W.T. (“Timmy”) Kees is one of the country’s most prominent hunter/equitation trainers. Overnight stabling off-site and a discount on entry fees is available for registrants who are participating in the both the clinic and the show. Four sessions are available. Space is limited and registration is required by June 9. You can download a registration form on our website.

Sappy Puns + the Syrup Dispute of 1956

By: Kajsa Sabatke, Manager of Public Programs

Until last week, I had no idea that in 1956, a multi-state (and multi-nation) dispute over maple syrup was settled at a maple festival in Cooperstown at The Farmers’ Museum. I also hadn’t realized just how many puns could be created by the journalists who documented the story during its four-month duration. I heard about the festival from a coworker who saw it mentioned in a Director’s Report for the New York State Historical Association and quickly began uncovering the details through the New York Times archives, a couple of local newspapers (the Cooperstown Freeman’s Journal and the Oneonta Daily Star), and the Nashua Telegraph in New Hampshire. My favorite article title came from the Times: “Syrup Tiff Oozes Into Sweet Talk: New York, Vermont Get Off Limb but Maine and Canada Hack Away Over Maple.” Are you intrigued yet? Here’s the boiled down version of the story, at least as much as I’ve been able to piece together in the last week:

In January of1956, Governor William Averell Harriman asked the New York Legislature to officially adopt the sugar maple as the state tree, thereby formally accepting the votes of New York schoolchildren who had chosen the tree to represent the state on Arbor Day in 1889. The sugar maple was already the state tree of Wisconsin, West Virginia, and neighboring Vermont. Upon hearing about the proposal, Vermont’s Governor Joseph B. Johnson sent Harriman a telegram poking fun at New York syrup and offering to share the state tree if New York could prove that its syrup was even half as good as Vermont’s. In response, Harriman challenged Johnson to a “free and fair” taste-off of syrups.

After the initial exchange between the two states, other officials jumped into the dispute. The governor of New Hampshire claimed that the state produced better syrup than both Vermont and New York, argued that the two states “wouldn’t dare to match sweetness with New Hampshire.” A Canadian syrup exporter, in response, declared that 75% of Quebec’s annual syrup crop was exported to New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont (hinting, I assume – although I didn’t see the original statement – that the U.S. syrup must not be that great if they were buying so much syrup from Canada). Maine then jumped into the action when a State Development Department official pointed out that 750,000 pounds of that 25,000,000 the Canadians claimed to export came from Maine, where Canadian crews came to tap and cook the sap.

In the end, as a result of all the claims to syrup superiority, Governor Harriman invited the governors of nine other states (Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota) along with the premier of Quebec to attend the New York State Maple Festival in April, the first such festival organized by The Farmers’ Museum, and bring samples of their best syrup for a taste-off.

And who won this competition? I’ll tell you next week in my next post. In the meantime, please stop by The Farmers’ Museum this Sunday for the first of our Sugaring Off Sundays. (Facebook fans will get a free token to ride the carousel!)

Gypsy Pioneers help Heat Up the Night

By: John Buchinger, Associate Director of Education

I have lived in Cooperstown for about four years now. It is truly one of the most surprising little places I have ever lived. Meeting Will Green – local boy, hometown lawyer, #1 dad, and all-around quality fellow – has been one of the best parts of my move here. Will is also the driving force (and driving bass) behind the band Gypsy Pioneers, who will headline this Saturday at the museum’s newest event, Heat Up the Night: A Benefit for Area Schools and Programs at The Farmers’ Museum and the Fenimore Art Museum. Heat up the Night will help us deliver programs at reduced or no cost to area schools.

Here’s what Will had to say about the band:

 So Will, tell me a bit about how the GPs came into existence.
The Gypsies were a pick-up band that was put together for a send-off party. Our first gig took place at Bump Tavern at The Farmers’ Museum. Our drummer had never practiced with the band so he got some on-the-job training. We were well received and it led to the idea of seeing where we could take the group. From there we took to playing local venues and festivals.

Who makes up the GPs?
Tom Baron: vocals, guitar, mandolin
Sandee Peevers: guitar, vocals, mandolin
Orion Palmer: drums, vocals, ukulele
Will Walker: guitar, vocals
Jeanne Bennett-O’Dea: violin, mandolin, vocals
Will Green: bass, vocals
And finally some new guy named Tim Iverson playing keys

So you all have a strong local music connection?
We have a local, regional, and international presence. The majority of the members of the Gypsies are from Otsego County. Sandee Pevers is a jet-setting promoter with her company On Cue Artist for international acts so she brings that to the table. Tom Baron is from Syracuse and plays with several bands there, including the Milkweeds and Jemba. The rest of us are in several local bands, too many to mention.

Can you talk about your sound a bit?
Alt-Country (Wilco, Ryan Adams), Roots Rock and Country (the good stuff like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson). We have a few originals that we play.

Where may folks have seen you in the past?
We have played Applefest in Fly Creek and the Smithy and the Hoffman Lane Bistro in Cooperstown.

So what are we going to see on Saturday the 27th?
The most recent iteration of the band will include Tim Iversen on organ, synth, piano, etc. The band will be rocking a little more, much like our recent gig at the Smithy.

Where can people check out your music?
We can be found on Facebook and at http://www.ninjatronic.com/gypsy-pioneers. We are streaming songs we are working on through SoundCloud that is updated weekly as editing and new takes are added to the songs we are working on.

Do members of the band have local connections that make playing this benefit meaningful?
I grew up in Otsego County as well as several members of the band and I remember taking field trips to The Farmers’ Museum when I was in school. I think today The Farmers’ Museum and NYSHA have even more to offer students so I hope we can get people to come out to support this important cause.

Thanks Will. We are looking forward to rockin’ out with you for a good cause this Saturday.

Besides the Gypsy Pioneers, Heat up the Night features area sensation and high school rockers Cheese of the Misty Ceremony, the amazing fire juggler Keith Leaf, a bonfire, and family games and entertainment. For details or tickets, call Karen Wyckoff at (607) 547-1410.

What to expect at Heat Up the Night

By: John Buchinger, Associate Director of Education
Do your kids like games of chance and skill? Do grown ups like free snacks and low cost entertainment? Do we all like FIRE JUGGLING?! HECK YEAH!

On February 27th the amazing fire juggler Keith Leaf will provide two shows at the Heat Up the Night event at the Main Barn at The Farmers’ Museum. According to Keith’s web site, his juggling odyssey began 10 years ago with a trip around the world and has never stopped. “THE FLAMING SLINKY OF DEATH, blazing meteor balls, fire dog leashes, flaming tennis rackets and fire staffs are some of the exotic props in his dynamic fire show.” Keith does a family show and has been selected for the excitement and spectacle of his juggling, but also for the wonderful spirit embodied in his comical show. Keith has performed at museums, colleges, festivals and on television.


So where will he juggle, you may ask? We will have all fire-related activities in the courtyard of the Main Barn at museum. A bonfire will be on hand to keep us warm and hot coffee and hot chocolate will be available from Cooperstown’s own Stagecoach Coffee.

Another local favorite is Cheese and The Misty Ceremony. This local band has a real following and even its own web presence. I personally will be requesting their rocking version of the Donna Summer’s “I will Survive.” (fast forward to 1:00 to avoid the warm-up)



There is much more to do at the event. We will have games, a raffle and time to mingle and chat with your friends. There will be free popcorn and cotton candy from Haggerty Ace Hardware, and BreweryOmmegang will be on hand for a tasting. All proceeds will go directly to schools for transportation or programming costs for both of our museums. Tickets are on sale now for $10 by calling 607-547-1410. NYSHA members, Facebook fans and readers of this blog get $1 off if you buy your tickets in advance. Kids under 12 are free.

Love Field Trips? Heat Up the Night!

By: John Buchinger, Associate Director of Education

Before my life as Associate Director of Education for The New York State Historical Association and The Farmers’ Museum, I was a teacher. A teacher who loved field trips. Not because it got me out of teaching, or because I used them to take trips to amusement parks, but because it was a way to engage kids in learning in a more participatory fashion. Almost every day of the year, The Farmers’ Museum and the Fenimore Art Museum provide programming to area and regional schools. Prices vary for admission from 4-6 bucks and most schools have little problem with this very affordable admission price. But in the last two years the skyrocketing cost of fuel and general budget tightening has threatened many schools with canceling these important visits.So on February 27th from 6-9 pm in The Louis C. Jones Center at The Farmers’ Museum, we are planning an awesome hootenanny to raise funds for area schools called Heat up the Night: A Benefit for Area Schools and Programs at the Farmers’ Museum and the Fenimore Art Museum. Heat up the Night will help us deliver programs at reduced or no cost to area schools. The night features area roots rock sensation The Gypsy Pioneers, high school rockers Cheese and the Misty Ceremony, the amazing fire juggler Keith Leaf, a bonfire, and family games and entertainment. The evening will feature free snacks and soda and water, but Ommegang will be on hand for more stout drinks and heartier fare will also be available for a small donation. Area sponsors currently include Brewery Ommegang, Stage Coach Coffee, and Stewart’s Shops. Tickets are on sale now for $10 by calling 607-547-1410. NYSHA members, Facebook Fans and readers off this blog get $1 off if you buy your tickets in advance. Kids under 12 are free and will get a free tattoo. We will also be raffling a Growler of Ommegang’s finest signed by their brewmaster!

The funds we raise will go primarily for transportation costs, but all needs will be considered. Funds will be made available immediately after the event, and interested schools can contact Karen Wyckoff at 607-547-1410 for details. Here are just a few of the schools and groups we have helped in the past two years!

Cooperstown Schools

Benton Hall Academy

Sydney Central Schools

Hancock Central Schools

Roxbury Central Schools

Franklin Central Schools

Stamford Central Schools

South Kortright Central Schools

Sydney Center Central Schools

Townsend Central Schools

Jefferson

Downsville

Delaware Big Buddy Programs

Otsego Head Start Schools

Food, Inc[redible]

By: Erin Crissman, CuratorA few days ago, I had the pleasure of watching Food, Inc. for the first time with farmers, community members and friends. The program was sponsored jointly by Otsego2000 and The Farmers' Museum. With very little publicity, we were all amazed that the theater was completely full, people were sitting along the edges and I (with a few others) were standing in the doorway. I was moved that people of every age - literally from 8 through 90 were in the audience. Although I had heard all of the information presented in the film at some point, it was a much different experience to see chicken farming and feed lots on the big screen. I was most touched by the stories of the farmers interviewed in the film. I won't speak for the truth, fiction or otherwise of what was presented, because there are several sides to every story (truths, rather than TRUTH is an important part of how I approach my job- Monsanto, for example, has an entire web page devoted to their side of the story). Regardless, the farmers were passionate about their participation in our food system, how they would like it to change (or not) and most expressed concern about how their way of life had become unprofitable, mostly due to economies of scale. What does this have to do with my job? A lot more than I thought when I went into the movie. For me, this was a personal call to action, not only about how I choose to eat, but also about what my responsiblities are as curator of The Farmers' Museum. If you had my job and wanted The Farmers' Museum to collect some key objects that tell the story of agriculture today- what would those be? Suggestions welcome! Thanks again to: Otsego2000 Cooperstown Farmer's Market CADE and Foodshed Buying Club for their support!

Food, Inc.

Do you know where your food comes from? By now, you may have heard of the film Food, Inc. The documentary about the food industry and raises concerns about what we eat and how it is produced. The Farmers’ Museum is partnering with Otsego 2000 to screen Food, Inc. this Wednesday, January 20, at 7:00pm in the Fenimore Art Museum auditorium. After the film, you can hear from representatives from several local food and agricultural organizations: Chris Harmon, Executive Director of the Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE) in Oneonta; Shulamis Giordani, General Manager of the Foodshed Buying Club in Utica, New York; and Lyn Weir Manager of the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market. Please join us!