Antique Agricultural Festival October 7-9, 2016!

[jennrocks]

Good morning everyone! I hope your days are off to wonderful starts! We at the Murrell Home were just given the excellent idea of re-posting our upcoming inaugural event at our site this October and I thought I'd take the time to tell you all a little more about it. It is the first ever Antique Agricultural Festival at the Murrell Home Museum and Living History Site and we are definitely excited about it! We will have living history demonstrations from 10 am to 5 pm on Friday, 10 am to 6 pm on Saturday with a dance starting at 5, and on Sunday we will kick the day off with a service given by a Methodist preacher (the mistress of the house was Methodist) and continue with our demonstrations until 3 pm.

We will have living historians demonstrating wheat or oat threshing, dyeing wool, spinning, making apple butter, cooking, working in the garden and much more. We will also have an entertainment side of the festival with vendors selling yummy foods and other wares. We would like to know if you all want to set up an informational booth to bring seed saving awareness into the mix. It would also be a great opportunity to enable us to get involved with your organization as we are in the process of establishing a running 19th century farm on the site and seed saving is a valuable part of making that work!

If you have any questions or want to check out the event go to antiqueag.org or check out our facebook page at www.facebook.com/murrellhome/.

[heavyhitterokra]

jennrocks,

Your event at the Murrell Home sounds fantastic!

And it's coming at one of the best times of the year to enjoy the Ozark outdoors.

We need to introduce George McLaughlin's Old Timey Corn Field Pumpkin to your mix of heirlooms for sure.

Thanks for the time, thought, and effort that you've put into planning this Festival. That's how great things transpire within any community.

Tahlequah needs more things like this! Incorporating cotton, for manufacturing a cotton quilt batting would be a nice touch. My Grandma made many a quilt for trade while seeking ways to make ends meet on the homestead. You can always spot an authentic quilt, by its homemade cotton batting. Growing up, I spent many a Summer night sleeping out on the front porch on a horse hair mattress, and many a cold Winter's night snuggled down in a feather bed with a ton of quilts to keep warm.

Keep up the great work,
Ron

[macmex]

Old Timey Cornfield Pumpkin is, indeed, a winner. It's also much more in line with what would have been grown at the time of Indian Territory's beginning, and what would have been grown back East, before the Removal. These c. moschata types are great for growing in adverse conditions. Their main requirement is heat. Hmmm... I think we can meet that requirement!

I may not have any new seed this year. I do, however have viable seed. I grew out another c. mochata, making two on my property. But I haven't had time to do hand pollinations.

Green Country Seed Savers needs to meet soon, and discuss what we can do at this upcoming event.

George

[heavyhitterokra]

George,

I have a decent stand of Old Timey Cornfield Pumpkin vines this year, but don't have an ETA on mature fruit and seeds yet, due to a late start. I'll be more than willing to replenish your seed stock if needed this Autumn, if I can?

[macmex]

That would be great Ron! I have a couple producing fruit. But I tried to renew Warsaw Buff Pie Pumpkin, which is also a c. moschata. Only one plant of WBPP survived. But is has flowered and, even though it's about 450' away from my Old Timey Cornfield Pumpkins, I cannot trust my seed. Haven't been able to get out there often enough to hand pollinate. I leave for work too early and so far, on weekends, no female flowers...

George

[heavyhitterokra]

I am happy to hear that you are including a Church Service as part of your festival this Autumn. I expect I would really enjoy your Sunday Service on the grounds. Unfortunately, to attend your service, we'd have to miss our own services at Liberty Grace Chapel just North of Moodys on Highway 82a. My Wife teaches Sunday School there, and I read scripture every Sunday to kick off our worship service.

In years past, I have held Sunday School services on the grounds at the Murrell Home, it was very enjoyable to be among God's creation during Sunday School, rather than just seeing the four walls of a classroom. It was a nice break from the regular schedule.

May God bless you for your efforts.