An aMAZing Time at the Howell Living History Farm
Summer is fast coming to an end. There are autumn decorations in the stores; you will get used to seeing mustard yellow, burgundy and brown color schemes instead of the aqua blues and light greens of June, July and August. Even though it feels like the summer went by in a flash, all these cues make us start looking forward to fall activities – most specifically the corn maze at the Howell Living History Farm.
This year marks its twentieth anniversary, New Jersey’s longest running corn maze. Twenty years! It still feels like the new, cool thing to do once September comes. This year, the maze design is a mule-drawn canal boat, celebrating the history of the Delaware and Raritan Canal. October 7-10 and 14-16 you can also experience the second annual aMAZing Pumpkin Carve, sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Arts Council.
The Howell Living History Farm is a treat to visit even when there is not a giant maze to explore. You can see up close how farming was done in 1900. It gives you a new appreciation of the life on a farm – then and now. Visit their website often to see a calendar of special events throughout the year.
After visiting, the library can help you learn even more:
Take a look at the Greenwood Daily Life database. Search for “agriculture America” to learn about farming techniques in the 19th century.
There are multiple books on farming available – search our catalog using “agriculture” as a subject to get everything from the history of the New Jersey Agricultural Society up to sustainable farming being practiced today. To see what farming was like specifically in the Hopewell Valley area, check out Larry Kidder’s Farming Pleasant Valley.
If you are interested in becoming a small farmer yourself, we have resources to explain how to raise various types of livestock. Having backyard chickens has been especially popular in recent years.
After finding your way around the canal boat maze, you may want to know more about the history of the canal. Take a look at Linda Barth’s The Delaware and Raritan Canal and William McKelvey’s The Delaware & Raritan Canal: A Pictorial History. James and Margaret Cawleys’ Along the Delaware and Raritan Canal goes into a little more detail. You will probably recognize many places you have driven by on the way to Howell Farm.
As always, feel free to ask a librarian for assistance in finding what you need.
This year marks its twentieth anniversary, New Jersey’s longest running corn maze. Twenty years! It still feels like the new, cool thing to do once September comes. This year, the maze design is a mule-drawn canal boat, celebrating the history of the Delaware and Raritan Canal. October 7-10 and 14-16 you can also experience the second annual aMAZing Pumpkin Carve, sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Arts Council.The Howell Living History Farm is a treat to visit even when there is not a giant maze to explore. You can see up close how farming was done in 1900. It gives you a new appreciation of the life on a farm – then and now. Visit their website often to see a calendar of special events throughout the year.
After visiting, the library can help you learn even more:
Take a look at the Greenwood Daily Life database. Search for “agriculture America” to learn about farming techniques in the 19th century.
There are multiple books on farming available – search our catalog using “agriculture” as a subject to get everything from the history of the New Jersey Agricultural Society up to sustainable farming being practiced today. To see what farming was like specifically in the Hopewell Valley area, check out Larry Kidder’s Farming Pleasant Valley.If you are interested in becoming a small farmer yourself, we have resources to explain how to raise various types of livestock. Having backyard chickens has been especially popular in recent years.
As always, feel free to ask a librarian for assistance in finding what you need.
--Andrea at the Hopewell Branch
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