By My Own Hand: Farming Practices of the Nineteenth Century
Six classes of third graders from the Decorah area participated in the second year of Vesterheim’s youth program called By My Own Hand: Farming Practices of the Nineteenth Century. The program was held October 15-19 at Vesterheim’s Jacobson Farmstead.
Approximately 125 students from the Decorah Community Schools and North Winneshiek School engaged in a series of hands-on activities to learn more about agricultural tools from the past and the impact technology has had on farming and food production.
Activities included apple pressing, flailing (hand-threshing), rope making, grinding corn, and cultivating. Participants also toured the farmhouse, and sampled corn bread and apple cider while they listened to a story. Historic photographs from Vesterheim’s collection and other resource materials have been made available to each third grade classroom. Most of the students will visit Vesterheim’s Painter-Bernatz Mill in the spring to study farm machinery and tools.
This program has been generously supported by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Iowa and Western Wisconsin. Peake Orchards supplied apples for pressing and many Decorah area volunteers assisted with the program.
For more information about this program, please contact Vesterheim at 563-382-9681 or info@vesterheim.org.