May 30, 2025
Chippewa Nature Center to Host
Homestead Sundays June-August
Step back in time at Homestead Sundays at Chippewa Nature Center (CNC) for a free, family-friendly afternoon, Sundays June 1-August 24 from 1-5 pm. Visit the pigs, sheep, cows and chickens that call the Homestead Farm home in the summer. Explore the cabin, one-room schoolhouse and timber frame barn, and learn how life was different in the late 1800s. Speak with volunteers about families that lived right here on CNC property, explore artifacts and tool sheds, watch rural living skill demonstrations and even attend a mini school lesson! Sort beans, dress a scarecrow, pump water, sweep the barn or cabin, wash clothes, strike up a band, grind herbs and spices or even work in the fields and gardens! Visit the heirloom garden and walk amongst varieties of vegetables older than us all! Roll up your sleeves for hands-on opportunities in the children’s garden! Homestead Sundays June-August
Each Sunday will feature a special theme and activities:
June 1: Get to Know the Homestead – With spring in the air, a visit to the Homestead Farm will connect you to our local natural resources and rich history.
June 8: Meet the Farm Animals – Farm animals are an essential part of life on the farm. Greet the sheep as you enter the homestead. Stop by the chicken coop to say hello and share some corn with them! Visit the pig enclosure and learn why pigs were important to the farmstead. Discover what essential things the cows provided for the farm family.
June 15: Simple Machines – How did farmers get their chores done on the farm? Stop by and learn how simple machines helped them to complete their many tasks. Visit the toolshed to see levers in action. How many wheels and axles can you find in the kitchen? Explore the gardens to learn how a wedge can be helpful in planting.
June 22: Bees and Pollinators – Discover the different pollinators that visit the gardens on the farm and learn how to help them flourish. Visit the nearby hives and learn about honeybees. Enjoy a scavenger hunt as you look for pollinators and the flowers they rely on!
June 29: A Day on the Farm – What kind of chores had to be completed on the farm? Stop by and help out! The chickens need to be fed, the gardens tended, and repairs made. From sunrise to sunset there are always tasks to complete!
July 6: Leisure Activities and Games – All work and no play would certainly be dull! Farm life was always busy but, on some occasions, there was an opportunity for fun and games. Come relax with us and try your hand at graces and stilts or enjoy a leisurely walk through the garden.
July 13: Fiber, Folk Arts, and Textiles – Join us at the Homestead and try your hand at carding or spinning wool, learn how fleece is processed into yarn and maybe create your own! Explore different types of fiber arts. Some everyday farm textiles are now considered pieces of art, what ones can you find?
July 20: Visit the Gardens – In the late 1800s, gardens were an important source of food for the farm family. Stop by and learn about Heirloom vegetables and how settlers used herbs. Take some time to visit the children’s garden to see what’s growing there and maybe help harvest some vegetables.
July 27: Shelters and Timber Tools – We all need a shelter to keep us safe. Visit the barn and find out how shelters for farm animals as well as people were constructed before the age of power tools. Try your hand with a crosscut saw or construct a small section of a timber frame barn.
August 3: An Afternoon at the Schoolhouse – What was it like to go to school in the late 1800s? Visit our one room schoolhouse to find out. You will be able to practice your elocution, read from a McGuffey Reader and brush-up on your history. Save some time for recess! Play a game of graces or tag and learn how to walk on stilts.
August 10: A Day at the Cabin – Meals need to be made, the clothes washed and the cabin tidied. Learn how these tasks were completed in the late 1800s by exploring the Homestead cabin and experience what life was like for a farm family.August 17: Bountiful Gardens – In the late 1800s, gardens were an important source of food for the farm family. Stop by the cabin and see what they are having for supper. Learn about Heirloom vegetables and how settlers used herbs. Help weed, water and harvest vegetables in the Children’s Garden.
August 24: Celebrate the Coming Harvest – How did early farm families keep their food fresh without modern refrigeration? Explore the root cellar and visit the cabin to see the many ways food was preserved. Perhaps you will walk away with a few tips and recipes to help you preserve some of your own garden-fresh produce!
The Homestead Farm takes us back to a time when people lived closer to the land. Chores were done by hand, community was essential and nights were dark. Homestead Sundays offer the opportunity to explore the past and our connection to plants and animals on the farm. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.chippewanaturecenter.org.
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Chippewa Nature Center is a non-profit organization whose mission is to connect all people with nature through educational, recreational and cultural experiences. Enjoy free admission to 19 miles of trails from dawn-to-dark, 365 days a year. The Visitor Center, located at 400 S Badour Rd, is open 8 am-5 pm Monday-Saturday and 12-5 pm Sunday and select holidays. Learn more at www.chippewanaturecenter.org.
Contact:
Jamie Hockstra, Director of Marketing & Communications
jhockstra@chippewanaturecenter.org, (989) 631-0830
