A Week Down on the Farm

By: Jenna Peterson, School and Farm Programs Intern

Have you ever wondered what it would be like growing up on a farm in 1845? The Down on the Farm Week-Long Experience gave a gaggle of five to seven year-olds the chance to find out. This program ran during the last week of June, 9:00am to 12:30pm. Each day was assigned a season to show the sixteen children how the changing weather impacted farm life. We began with year-round activities, followed by fall, winter, and spring, and ending with summer.

Like any day on the farm, the kids started out every morning doing chores with the farmers. They learned how to feed the chickens, to brush the cows and oxen, to gather both chicken and duck eggs, and how silly geese act when you let them out of the barn. Their favorite activity was learning all about what it takes to be a shepherd, especially “herding” the sheep into their pen every morning. This involved lining up, yelling “Good Day!” very loudly to get the sheep ready, and then following them as they ran to their pen. They also learned about shearing and even got to take home a little piece of wool.

Once the morning chores were done, we explored our seasonal themes. On Monday, we talked about things that would have been done all year, regardless of the weather. We made fritters over the hearth, got the chance to try on some period clothing, and had a lesson on etiquette before making some stops around the village. Tuesday was all about autumn. We got to practice some harvesting and food preservation techniques, and made cobweb chasers out of broom corn. We also took a ride on the carousel and visited the Country Fair tent. On Wednesday, we focused on wintertime. We got a special ride into town on the ox cart, and stayed busy visiting the pharmacy, the schoolhouse, the blacksmith, and the print shop. Thursday was focused on the spring. The kids got to do the bean baby activity that was done as a part of Museum Quest, and they all enjoyed wearing their seed necklaces. We also practiced weeding in the Lippitt kitchen garden and fed baby animals in the Children’s Barnyard.

Finally, Friday came around and it was time for summer. It was a very full day, but a good one. We got to watch the cow being milked, see the cheese that had been made in the Lippitt House, and then make our very own butter using small glass jars. Everyone got their own jar with a little cream, and they had to shake the jar while we practiced our patriotic songs for the parade later that day. Eventually, everyone’s cream turned to butter, and we got to taste it on some bread. It was voted better than the kind you buy in the store! Once the butter was done, we took a quick nature hike up on the hill behind the museum. There were lots of things to look at, and puddles to jump over! The rest of the day was devoted to getting ready for the Down on the Farm Independence Day Parade. There were banners for every season that needed to be colored, and sashes with their names on them to be assembled. Finally, we got in line behind the steer calves and paraded around town. We ended the parade, and the camp, with one final ride on the carousel.

For me, this experience was very special. When I was the same age as these kids, I attended the day camp at Living History Farms, a museum in Iowa that is similar to The Farmers’ Museum. Now, I am a graduate student in History Museum Studies, and I have no doubt that going to that camp is what started me on this journey. Being able to work with these children this week was incredibly rewarding, and I feel like part of my life has come full circle. We were thrilled to have the camp wrap-up successfully, but also a little sad to say goodbye to the kids that we had gotten to know so well. Hopefully, they will be back to visit the museum soon!



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!

Daily Workshops Coming to The Farmers’ Museum

By: Keith Rohlman, Public Programs Intern

I’m excited to announce that starting July 5th, The Farmer’s Museum will be offering daily workshops on different crafts from the 1840s. All of the workshops will start at 1:00 pm sharp, and you can sign up in advance or on the day you choose to visit the museum. Sign up sheets will be in the building where the craft takes place.

On Mondays our blacksmith, Steve Kellogg, will be instructing a lucky few in how to forge your very own clothing hook for your home.

On Tuesdays our pharmacist, Patrick MacGregor, will be instructing visitors in the methods used in the 1840s to craft medicines.

Wednesday is a double-header! Gwen Miner will be showing us all how to bake in a hearth oven, and Wayne Coursen will be showing us how to mow with a scythe. And, last but certainly not least, Ted Shuart will be giving lessons on printing with a Washington press.

These workshops only cost $10, and you can sign up in the building where the workshop is held.  If you have questions, or would like to reserve a spot in advance of your visit, please call Kajsa Sabatke at 607-547-1453.

Summer Programs

By: John Buchinger, Associate Director of Education

Emptying buckets of whey during A Week at the Crossroads

This will mark our third year of weeklong programming for children ages 5-12 at The Farmers’ Museum and our sister institution, the Fenimore Art Museum. The programs are designed to make the most of the beautiful settings around the museums, the collection housed in each, and don’t forget the animals!

We have designed our programs to be responsive to the unique needs of particular age groups. Discovering Art and Nature, for example, appeals to younger children ages 5-7. In this program children will discover the natural world of insects, flora, and critters around the farm. Each day will feature games, crafts, a snack and plenty of outside exploration.

Exploring the trails behind the Farmers’ Museum during a weeklong experience

Our premier program, A Week at the Crossroads, allows kids ages 9-12 to take on the lives and trades of farmers, blacksmiths, and other tradespeople of the 19th century. This program lasts a bit longer than Discovering Art and Nature, with more in-depth crafts and hands-on experiences with farm animals and farm life.

Animals Around Us is also for the 5-7 crowd and focuses on our Carousel, the wonderful carved animals, and the real live animals of the farm and field! Crafts, visits with our farm animals and snacks make this half day program great for K-1st graders.

Close up with a calf during a week long experience

Not forgetting the wonderful collections at the Fenimore Art Museum, we will round out July with Galleries Galore. Kids will explore the galleries and discover various types of American art, from folk to genre to Native American. Each day children will create their own art inspired by our collections. The week culminates in an art exhibition featuring their own art projects.

Exploring the galleries during a weeklong experience at the Fenimore Art Museum.

If you want to sign up for any of these programs, call Karen at 607-547-1410.

Family Fun at The Farmers' Museum

By: Erin Crissman, Curator Except for a brief time in first grade when I dreamed of being a fashion designer, I have always wanted to work in a museum. Most years on my birthday, my parents would take me and a few friends to some kind of museum. My favorites were outdoor living history museums. I always had a great time. Consequently, I love seeing families at The Farmers' Museum, particularly those with teenagers. I also like perusing albums on Flickr and reading blog posts of family visits to TFM because they often report on what a great time they had. Here are a few recent ones: Four Great Boys visit The Farmers' Museum Another family's spontaneous weekend trip Have a photo of your great visit to TFM? You can post it on our Facebook Page or upload it to Twitter and mention us (@farmersmuseum) in your tweet. If I remember, I will dig up some photographs of myself on the museum visits of my youth. I am certain they will be embarrassing!

Enjoy!

A Week at the Crossroads

By: John Buchinger, Associate Director of Education Next week marks our second annual Week at the Crossroads Program here at The Farmers’ Museum. This week-long day program is designed to give kids ages 9-12 a chance to try their hands at the trades, arts, and chores that can be found at The Village Crossroads and Lippitt Farmstead. We will even take a short trek up the hill and look for signs of our natural neighbors and at some of the indigenous plants that surround the museum. We are really hopping that this year we will also get in a game of Town Ball (the precursor to baseball). Last year, we slotted it for a particular day and of course it rained! So this year we are keeping our activities such as basket weaving, nature walks, country fair games- and yes –Town Ball on a flexible schedule so we can get it all in rain or shine. This program was so successful last year we have since added two other week-long experiences (what we call WLEs) to the line up. There were many calls for opportunities for younger kids so we have scheduled The Animals around Us for the week of July 27-31st. Everyday, children between the age of 5 and 7 will explore a different animal featured in the exhibit Wild Times! A New York Animal Road Trip and The Empire State Carousel. The days will feature crafts, snacks, stories, and live animals too! Across the street at The Fenimore Art Museum, the summer will be rounded out with Art Around the World August 8-12. In this program our education staff will lead students through the new exhibit America’s Rome, and use it as the introduction for exploring art and cultural traditions throughout the world. Games, food, and even music from countries all over the world will fill the week. So, this summer will be full of opportunities for your children to join us in learning about history, art and culture. For any information on these programs please call Deborah Brundage at (607) 547-1484 or email us at schoolprograms@nysha.org.