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.

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

Museum treasures.

By: John Buchinger, Associate Director of Education

Museums have their treasures. The Louvre has the Mona Lisa, The Albany Institute of History and Art has their mummy, The Fenimore Art Museum has Eel Spearing, but The Farmers’ Museum has Mary Margaret Kuhn. While I am not 100% sure of her provenance, Mary Margaret has been delighting visitors and educating children and adults in various departments of the New York State Historical Association and The Farmers’ Museum for over a decade. Currently she is the Site Supervisor for the Empire State Carousel. I think of her as kind of an ambassador for the entire state as she interprets the beautiful carved animals, murals of historical events from the state, and the various ephemera that make up this magical ride/exhibition. The other thing she does is host birthday parties. How she is able to take a couple hundred dollars and put on a party that seemingly has a budget of a gala event is a mystery. But it isn’t the balloons and custom cakes that make the events so special. It is her enthusiasm and joy in providing great family memories for our visitors. Recently my daughter, Willa, had her 4th at the Carousel and perhaps the highlight was when Mary played leap frog with the kids. Low budget but high returns on fun and memories! The carousel rides were custom with birthday wishes on the intercom and squeals of delight as the children took multiple spins on the carousel. The rides were wrapped up with a rousing rendition of The Birthday Song on the Mighty Military Band Organ. Willa got to push the big red button that starts the organ and her eyes got ever wider as the animals and figures leapt to life to wish her a happy one on her special day. Mary cut huge slices from perhaps the most delicious cake I have eaten in recent memory, courtesy of the kitchen of Margie Landers, as kids watched the ribbons and paper fly. Mary Margaret was there through it all, facilitating the fun and taking the worry out of the party for Mom and Dad. The Farmers’ Museum is home to The Cardiff Giant, heritage breed animals, beautiful examples of 19th century objects and architecture but it is home to people’s memories too. Field trips in elementary schools, Candlelight Evenings, weddings in the church and birthdays on the lawn all are part of what people remember about The Farmers’ Museum. And along with these events is a great staff that helps create those memories. Thanks, Mary!

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.