Winter, charm at Farmamerica

On a chilly Saturday afternoon, Farmamerica, an agricultural interpretive center outside Waseca, held its third annual Winter Charm on the Farm for the public. The festival, whose events are scheduled to be repeated on Feb. 25, was first held in 2020 as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic so families could get out of the house and back into their communities. Program Director Jenny Delnay spoke about the personal enjoyment the event brings participants while also calling attention to some important aspects of rural living. She explained that FarmAmerica’s goal is to “educate the public about the history of agriculture and how far we’ve come,” while simultaneously building public awareness of “the winter conditions farmers endure.” It was a windy and frigid early afternoon but that did not stop multitudes of families, especially children, from enjoying the snow, munching on s'mores, and sipping hot cocoa. Delnay took over as the center’s director in 2021, she said, because of her “passion toward teaching others about the environment.” 

Charm on the Farm featured snowshoeing, interactive exhibits showcasing the history and impact farming has on our lives, log cutting, and carriage rides required significant planning. “We started coordinating with our partners in October…the event kind of snuck up on me after Christmas but we’re glad to hold this event for the community.” She noted that she and her family have lived near farms their entire lives, so being able to teach about the history of agriculture “is something I love to do. Without farmers, we wouldn’t be able to eat much of the food we consume on a daily basis.” Delnay also highlighted the economic impact farming and agriculture have on the state of Minnesota, “This industry is so critical for Minnesota’s economy. With the improvements in our knowledge and technology, it is going to help us in the future.” When asked if there was a specific activity on display at the event, Delnay commented she was most intrigued by and the logging camp: “I didn’t get to use that two-man saw during my first year directing in 2021 so I’m going to make sure I get a chance this time.” 

The logging camp was hosted by Rockin’ Circle R Ranch with Scott Roemhildt at the helm; Roemhildt has been an active member of the logging community for over 30 years. “Back then, I was using horses and oxen,” he joked. Logging is the traditional way of chopping long logs into smaller pieces for buildings and tools; it is no walk in the park. As Roemhildt noted, “These loggers are burning more calories than a marathon runner, so they need to eat to keep their strength up.” He informed the group that loggers would traditionally work from “can’t see to can’t see,” or from “dark in the morning to dark at night.” Rockin’ Circle’s goal at Winter Charm was to “let folks know that logging preceded farming here in Minnesota. You had to clear the land so you could farm,” remarked Roemhildt. During one session, Roemhildt encouraged two young children to “work as a team” as they alternated pulling a ribbon saw back and forth to cut a two-inch thick circle of the log. He would assist the children when they got stuck. Once amateur loggers succeeded in cutting a slice off their log, he would walk over to the firepit closest to him, pull out a metal brand with the letter R etched into it, place it over the wooden coaster, and stamp down until the R was burned into the wood. He was so impressed with the two children that he asked them, “So, when can you start working for me?” 

It was at this time that the horse carriage arrived drawn by two impressively sized Percherons. The pair, with hair as white as snow, pulled a wooden carriage as Trisha Denn, the proprietor of BarnView greeted the crowd and introduced horses Cagney and Lacey. Denn has been training horses and providing carriage rides for 25 years; she and her teams are also present at “fairs and festivals like Festtag every year. Our horses love to go out and we always have fun.” The public took turns climbing into the carriage as Cagney and Lacey took them for a walk down the path and back. Denn remarked that horses have always played a pivotal role in agriculture; “They used horses to pull their equipment and plow the field over 100 years ago. Nowadays we take a lot for granted, so it’s nice to teach people about their history.”

In between the carriage rides, the log cutting, and other activities, patrons took a break near the campfires while sipping on hot cocoa and crafting s’mores; some would burn their marshmallows to a crisp while others just ate straight out of the bag. The Winter Charm on the Farm at Farmamerica had a great turnout; events will be repeated on Feb. 25.