Rural charm

“Winter Charm on the Farm,” FarmAmerica's limited event series for the colder months, wrapped up its third annual run on Saturday, Feb. 25.  The team at FarmAmerica aims to put on this event every January and February, weather permitting. The goal is to remind people to enjoy the outdoors during wintertime. “Sometimes it's really easy to get cooped up indoors,” said program director Jenny Delnay.

Attendees were encouraged to explore parts of FarmAmerica in a number of ways. Winter Charm is held in partnership with the Waseca Sleigh and Cutter Festival, whose committee provided a horse-drawn carriage for rides. A limited amount of snow necessitated a short carriage ride, but couldn't stop those who decided to rent snowshoes or bring cross-country skis. Exploring the snow-covered farm on these traditional conveyances received rave reviews from all who tried – many skiing or snowshoeing all the way to the more distant historical buildings. Snowshoe rentals were limited to about thirty minutes to keep supplies available for anyone who wanted to go, but a number of groups took multiple loops in order to spend more time seeing the sights.

“Please tell me you're sixteen,” Scott Roemhildt said to the kids who came by. “I can hire you if you tell me you're sixteen.” Just outside the visitor's center Roemhildt, from Rockin' Circle R Ranch, provided families with a logging camp experience. “We're having a lot of fun, and teaching kids about logging in Minnesota 120 years ago: the best way to learn is in a hands-on way,” Roemhildt explained. The main attraction at his station was the opportunity to work as a “sawyer,” someone cutting logs with a two-person crosscut saw. Attendees at Winter Charm cut narrow logs into tree cookies a few inches thick, while Roemhildt told them between singing their praises that a sawyer at a logging camp would cut much longer logs from much bigger trees. He then offered to brand each person's souvenir tree cookie, explaining that the logging camp's brand had to go on the end of each cut log so the lumber company would know where to send payment. Kids and their families also helped Roemhildt split logs for his fire using a log splitter and hammer.

Children also got the chance simply to play in the snow, climbing large drifts and making use of provided sleds. Another available form of  play was “snowpainting,” spray bottles and squirt bottles filled with diluted dye that children could use to color the snow in any pattern or drawing they pleased.

When it was time to warm up, there were options. Admission came with hot chocolate and s'mores, which everyone could roast and enjoy around the campfire. The visitors' center also boasts a new museum area, completed just last fall, which attendees were welcome to explore while taking a break from the cold.

“Our mission is connecting people to the history of agriculture,” Delnay said. “This event is more loosely related to that mission, but it's important people remember there are ways to enjoy the winter weather.”