From Hale Farm & Village
Life in the mid-19th Century often required long days in the field, plowing, sowing and maintaining crops to provide food for the community. Chicken keeping, gardening and beekeeping were once a way of life. In recent years, however, communities across the country have embraced a homestead revival. Many of these tasks, once considered daily life chores, have found new roots in our city gardens, local beekeeping and farm-to-table movements.
Stop by Hale Farm & Village in Bath, June 8-10 to learn about the past and present of a farming lifestyle. View Draft horse fieldwork demonstrations by Trail Light Farms as well as beekeeping and chicken keeping talks by local experts. Explore the gardens on property maintained by the Great Lakes Brewing Company and the Bath Gamma Garden Club. Learn organic methods firsthand. The festival also highlights sheep shearing, natural dyeing and more.
A highlight of the weekend is the fourth annual Citizens of Hale Plant Sale. Many heirloom plants and herbs with significance to Northeast Ohio will be offered, along with unique perennials, all grown at Hale Farm & Village. The Citizens’ plant sale will run both Saturday and Sunday during the Sow & Grow festival hours and two early-bird presale days, May 23 from 4:30 p.m. – 7: 30 p.m. and May 25 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Proceeds from the plant sale support onsite garden and preservation projects.
During the festival, the 19th-century village is open for visitors to explore local history and experience a working farm, complete with sheep, oxen and chickens. Regional historic crafts and trades are demonstrated throughout the day, including glassblowing, blacksmithing, pottery, spinning and weaving.
“Over 200 years ago, the Hale family crafted an entrepreneurial lifestyle in the Cuyahoga Valley. They used oxen to plow their fields, sheered sheep to make warm clothes and harvested honey to trade for needed commodities. This festival provides guests the opportunity to experience the farming lifestyle and learn about past techniques that still can be used at home today,” explains Jason Klein, Director at Hale Farm & Village.
Hale Farm & Village is open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission for all activities is $10 for adults, $5 for children 3 – 12 years of age, and free for members, youth under 3 years and active military.
During the festival, enjoy lunch at Café 1810 in the Visitor’s Center or shop The Marketplace at Hale Farm & Village. The MarketPlace features Handcrafted at Hale items as well as many other Ohio-made crafts and souvenirs.
Photo: Draft horse fieldwork demonstrations are provided by Trail Light Farms during Hale Farm & Village’s Sow & Grow Festival and Plant Sale, June 9 & 10. (Photo Credit: Nancy Balluck)
Hale Farm & Village, a living history museum of the Western Reserve Historical Society, is located on 90 acres in Bath, Ohio with 32 historic structures, farm animals, heritage gardens, farming and early American craft and trade demonstrations. The location is open for a summer season June – August, Wednesday – Sunday; weekends only in September and October; and signature events or educational programming during other times. Visit halefarm.org or call (330) 666-3711 for seasonal hours, program listings, rental information, and to become a member. 2018 marked Hale Farm & Village’s 60th anniversary as a museum of the Western Reserve Historical Society.
Founded in 1867, Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) is Northeast Ohio’s premier storyteller based on its vast collection of the tangible history of Northeast Ohio. It is one of the oldest and largest nonprofit regional historical societies in the nation. It presents the lives and activities of 19th-Century settlers through historic Hale Farm & Village in Bath, Ohio. WRHS offers a wealth of resources to research your family heritage at the Cleveland History Center in University Circle, Cleveland.
