Oliver Kelley Farm

We took a frigid field trip to the Oliver H. Kelley Farm last week. The Kelley Farm is a historical working farm in Elk River. Historical as in, they do things there like they did 160 years ago.

 Viggo with his friend Jack. They are making an attempt to take corn off the husk by hand. This wasn't super-efficient so we were introduced to that wonderful machine, the corn husker.

 The barn.

In the barn the kids put on what the horses would wear when they plow the fields.
It was a little heavy.

The sheep were, without a doubt, my favorite part.

 I love them. A couple years ago Elin kept telling me she wanted to get me a pet lamb. Maybe we should revisit that idea.

 Sorghum grew there. Imported from Africa, sorghum was a very important crop. Sugar cane doesn't really grow in Minnesota . . . but sorghum does.

A pile of sorghum (stalks?) lies ready.

 First we each get a piece.

 And then we chop the top off with a hatchet - hi-ya!!

 Everyone was careful.
Svea did her chopping with considerably less gusto than Viggo, but she got the job done.

 Without hesitation the farm guy handed the hatchet to Elin and she did a good job! I was impressed in his confidence in her.

 After chopping off the top of the sorghum we moved on to the next step - putting it through a press. This would release the sweet juice from the stalk, and then, like maple syrup, it has to be boiled to reduce. Then it can be used in baked goods like sugar.

I'm glad I don't have to go through all this rigamarole on a regular basis.

So instead of a horse, children were used to operate the press.

Don't be fooled by this photo; Elin did nothing to help her group of kids push. She was completely useless and pretty much walked along smiling and chit-chatting while everyone else was grunting and pushing for all they were worth. Of course Elin thought this was hilarious.

 This was a lengthy and dangerous process. Everyone putting the stalks through the press had to duck to avoid getting bonked with the log.

Here we go round the mulberry bush!
The kids were happy to work in the rain.

 Jack came close to a near-decapitation.

 Then the groups switched and Viggo and Svea pushed. For whatever reason their group was much more efficient and completed the pressing before we knew it.

Haystacks in the rain.
Brr.

Then the blessed event of going inside happened. I strategically positioned myself in the doorway to the kitchen because I spotted a stove there.

In Oliver Kelley's home, we were introduced to chores done in the 1850s. All the chores discussed were for the children and womenfolk.

 Elin and Svea grind coffee beans.

 Boys made crackers.

 Svea gets water for the coffee.
That little baby on the floor separated beans into different colors.

 I was a little worried we might have to sample this stuff but then we were shooed outside to help in the garden. Which was a mixed blessing - I didn't want the coffee, mostly because the coffee beans were a little pale and dusty-looking, but I really didn't want to leave the warm kitchen either. Not to mention there was no way I - or any other mom there, I feel like I can be the voice of the mothers - was eating crackers made my half a dozen pair of grimy boy hands.

I could no longer feel my hands in the garden. My partially-frozen fingers would not easily obey my wishes so no photos.
It was a big garden, mostly picked over, and muddy. That's about all you need to know.

It practically goes without saying, but I would have been a terrible farmer and a very disgruntled coffee drinker in the 1850s.

Despite the overall dampness and chill it was a lot of fun. Thanks to Mindy and her crew for inviting us! We hope to visit the Kelley Farm again (: