The Sauer-Beckmann Farmstead is part of the LBJ historical tour in Johnson City. They have a setup for what life was like in the early 1900's. Although Little House in the Big Woods begins in 1871, there were a lot of things that were similar. There was a food storage area at the farm with braided dried onions and garlic and smoked meats hanging from the ceiling, just as Laura and her family had in their loft. Seeing them in person and smelling the onions made what we had just read seem all the more real. We chased the chickens (sorry, chickens!), saw a day-old calf and petted the mamma cow, climbed on a wagon like they use in the book, watched the horse-powered sorghum press, felt the heat from boiling down the molasses, tasted the sweet sorgham syrup, and quizzed the period-dressed volunteers about their cooking and milk clabbering. There was a tray of homemade lye soap out and examples of clothes and toys children would have had in those times. The small workshop with all the tools reminded me of my grandad's tool shop attached to the barn at their farm in New Mexico.
It was inspiring to me to watch what was being made by hand and the kids enjoyed just running around the farmyard.
If you live in or near Austin, it's worth the drive. Check out this post from a volunteer at the farm for more information and pictures - it's a fun activity, and just enough to see with little ones without being overwhelming.
How cool! I wish we'd do more stuff like this! Tell James to start looking up stuff to do in Yuma for the next time he's here!
ReplyDeleteHmmm ... how does it compare to Pioneer Farms?
ReplyDeleteSadia - this one was much, much smaller in area. There wasn't walking to get from place to place, which was easier for the kids, but didn't have as much "big wild space" feeling. I have only been to Pioneer Farms on that one festival day, but I thought there was much more opportunity to ask individual questions and have tasks explained to us at the S-B Farmstead. There were more period workers/volunteers and they were more available. On the other hand, it wasn't as busy as PF was that day. When we went to PF, there were plays and skits in addition to the demonstrations, which S-B Farmstead didn't have.
ReplyDeleteFinally, the S-B Farmstead was FREE. :)