Barn beams, siding, and floorboards for horse stalls will be the order of the day when the sawyer makes his annual stop at Howell Living History Farm on Saturday, March 24, 2018. Visitors can reminisce about the days when contractors with portable engines and mills came through Pleasant Valley to help farmers cut lumber.
During the day there will be opportunities for visitors to help roll logs to the mill with logging tools, split firewood and fence rails, make pegs for use in barn framing, and plant replacement trees in the woodlot donated by the New Jersey Tree Foundation. Plans to restore and use the farm’s steam-powered sawmill will be on display.
A children’s craft program, “Painted Wood Shingle,” will be held in the Visitor Center for $3 from 11am to 3pm.
At 11am and 2pm in the Visitor Center barn, there will be a 20-minute presentation by New Jersey farmer and nurseryman Hank Sneider. His traveling exhibit, “Where in the World do Your Garden Plants and Trees Come From?” will be on display in the barn throughout the day.
Howell Farm is owned by the County of Mercer and maintained by the Mercer County Park Commission. It is located on Valley Road, just off Route 29, in Hopewell Township. The GPS address is 70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township, NJ 08530.
Beginning Tuesday, April 3, the farm will be open 10am to 4pm, Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 4pm Sundays. Parking and general admission are free.
For more information, call the farm office at (609) 737-3299 or visit www.howellfarm.org or www.mercercountyparks.org.
