Peter Wentz Farmstead’s Sheep Shearing Day

Saturday, April 20th from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm Sheep Shearing Day Experience springtime on a colonial farm! Watch our farmers shear our sheep to get them ready for the warm weather. Then, follow the “wool to wardrobe” process as our living historians demonstrate spinning, weaving, and other textile crafts. Hear about all the various

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1 min read

Weathering the Winter

Saturday, February 10th from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm Weathering the Winter Winters were harsh in the 18th century, but even in cold and snowy weather there was still plenty of work to do around the farm. Fires had to be built, food preserved and cooked, and animals needed tending. Visit the Farmstead on February

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1 min read

Maple Sugaring at Peter Wentz Farmstead

Saturday, February 24th and Saturday, March 2nd from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm Maple Sugaring at Peter Wentz Farmstead Join our farmers as they create maple sugar from trees right here at the Farmstead! Watch as they tap the trees, collect the sap, and create the syrup. Learn about the Indigenous origins of maple sugaring

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1 min read

Peter Wentz Farmstead’s Harvest Festival

November 4th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Harvest Festival For a colonial farm family like the Wentzes, the fall harvest was the most important time of the year. Join us as we prepare for the cold 18th century winter during our Harvest Festival! Watch demonstrations of traditional farming practices like cider pressing, corn shelling,

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1 min read
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Peach preserves: easy to make and a pleasure to eat

Peach Bliss by Anna Herman Gorge though you may, there are only so many peaches and cherries you can eat this summer, and some fruits are just better when they aren’t fresh: I’ve rarely had an apricot on the East Coast that was worth eating when I bought it. But sweet and tart jam made

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3 mins read
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Pickles and cheeses are among the many ferments you can try at home

Photo by Gene Smirnov Counter Culture by Anna Herman Many of us with yards have those small animals that are dubbed micro-livestock—chickens, ducks, rabbits and honeybees and the like—as part of our urban homestead and hyper-local food sources. But even apartment dwellers can improve their nutrition and cultivate microorganisms by fermenting food. So many traditional

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2 mins read
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Homesteading: Candlemaking 101

Sweet smells and subtle light will get you through winter’s dark nights by Anna Herman When I was seven, I had a revelation. I could have brownies on demand if I made them myself. Learning this simple skill gave me agency over my appetites and fueled a lifelong interest in figuring out how to make

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4 mins read

Homestead Acts

Illustration by Kirsten Harper
When I got serious about growing our own food four years ago, I had no idea how much it would affect how my wife and I lived and managed our lives and our home. We had already made a conscious decision to shop, cook, and eat as locally and seasonally as possible.

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2 mins read