McCoy Farm & Gardens Newsletter | |
Volume Eight: Issue Four XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX April 2023 | |
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Egg Roll Fundraiser TOMORROW!
Sunday, April 2, 2-4 PM
Don’t miss out on the inaugural Egg Roll on the front lawn TOMORROW, Sunday, April 2 from 2-4 PM. The $5 purchase of a keepsake McCoy Farm & Gardens wooden egg is admission for all the games. The whole family can join in the fun of a traditional wooden spoon egg roll and downhill egg roll. Enjoy cotton candy, lemonade, and cookie decorating. Visit with the Easter Bunny, too. See you tomorrow!
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A commemorative wooden egg makes a nice keepsake. Below Tara Dunne Stocker dyes eggs. | |
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Annette Wildman and Mary Catherine O'Kelley, co-chairs of the Special Activities Committee, paint wooden eggs for the Egg Roll. | |
Annette Wildman, board member Anne Leonard, and Mary Catherine O'Kelley prepare keepsake eggs featuring a special logo. | |
Introducing New Board Member Fred Wildman | |
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Board member and Property Maintenance Chairman Fred Wildman served as volunteer Facilities Manager at Signal Crest UMC for many years, while his wife Annette volunteered to provide the meals for the congregation. They both seem born to serve, so when the time came to help clean out a shed and the barn, they volunteered. Fred was soon asked to help with the rebuilding of the barn, and he worked countless hours on the project. He has been running power tools at McCoy Farm & Gardens ever since. We are delighted to have him as a new board member.
Fred is from Knoxville and attended the University of Florida on a football scholarship. He graduated with a degree in building construction and worked at TVA as a Construction Projects Manager for 35 years before retiring in 2012. He and Annette have been married for 40 years and have three sons. Chuck works at Precept Ministries, Ben is at TVA, and Matthew is a Captain at the Signal Mt. Fire Department.
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Visit to Burritt on the Mountain in Alabama
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Several members of the Board of Directors traveled on March 4 to visit Burritt on the Mountain in Huntsville, Alabama with other interested friends. The purpose of the visit was to explore the historic park and mansion and see possible parallels with McCoy Farm & Gardens. Though the site covers 167 acres with trails that circle Round Top Mountain and connect to the LandTrust of Madison County and Monte Sano State Park, the board members gave their attention to 16 acres specifically focused on tourism and education.
They enjoyed visiting the Burritt mansion and seeing six authentic 19th century houses typical of life on the Cumberland Plateau. They toured the reproduced Rosenwald Schoolhouse, used in part for folk-school activities. There the group learned how fourth graders visiting from surrounding schools learn to write with a nib pen and ink, do their lessons on slates, carry their lunches in pails, and play games of the early 1900s.
The board members were particularly interested in the Barnyard and how it educates visitors about farm life. Since our barn has just been restored, we are planning to display some authentic artifacts in the barn and to create appropriate signage. The barn at Burritt provided some good examples and ideas. Our Master Plan shows an educational area near the barn, and we may soon start to rebuild or refurbish the structures that the Bachman and McCoy families had there. These include the brood house, chicken coop, smokehouse, and some storage sheds.
All in all, the group enjoyed their excursion and were reinforced in their appreciation of McCoy Farm & Gardens as a beautiful and valuable asset in Walden.
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The group who toured Burritt on the Mountain are, left to right, Karen Stone, Linda Collins Larry Mick, Andy Jones, Annette Wildman, Melissa Nimon, Alison Hoffmann, Leanna Jones, Anne Leonard, Mickey Robbins, and Fred Wildman. | |
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The new nest box labels have a QR code for learning more about bluebirds. If you are interested in serving as a monitor of the boxes, call Alison Hoffmann 423-645-1642 or email
alisonhffmnn@gmail.com.
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Look - Don’t Touch Bluebird Houses
A series of nest boxes at McCoy Farm & Gardens offers shelter for bluebirds and other native cavity nesters. The boxes are monitored regularly by trained members of the Tri-State Bluebird Society, a chapter of the Tennessee Bluebird Society.
Though most of us love bluebirds and know that the species is friendly toward humans, the monitors ask us not to disturb the nesting birds. As a matter of fact, the nest boxes are protected by state and federal laws against moving them or tampering with them.
In March, Alison Hoffmann and Clyde Womack relabeled each house with information and a number so data collected about the occupants is accurate. The new improved signage has the house number affixed instead of handwritten. The monitors hope these labels will also be more noticeable and deter vandals on some of the urban bluebird trails. If you are interested in becoming a monitor call 423-645-1642 or email alisonhffmnn@gmail.com
The QR code, if it works properly, leads to www.sialis.org, a website with lots of answers to bluebird questions. Sialia sialis is the scientific name of the Eastern Bluebird.
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Bluebird Houses for Purchase
Support McCoy Farm & Gardens with your purchase of a bluebird house hand-crafted by Terry Knox and donated for fundraising purposes. The nest boxes are made from poplar trees harvested from the McCoy property. Each comes equipped with a pole for mounting and placement. The weatherproof metal top can be removed for easy monitoring and cleanout as needed. Cost is $75.00 each.
Contact the office at 423-598-1658 to secure a bluebird house of your own.
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Valued Volunteer At Work
A big Thank You to Ted Tumelaire who saw a need and offered to do something about it. The beautiful insert for the handrail into the Pavilion had deteriorated. Ted made an new insert using the original for a pattern. At right, you see him painting the rails after the repair was made. We appreciate all volunteers! To become one yourself, sign up on the form at the bottom of the newsletter.
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New Features in the Children's Garden
ROCK PIT The Garden Committee is pleased to announce the addition of a new feature to the Children's Garden, a sensory rock pit. The feature is like a sand box, except with pea gravel. Below volunteers Elizabeth Hamilton, Sherri Kent, Celia Mattingly, and Larry Roberts, and are seen playing in the new rock pit they just installed.
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CONCRETE SCULPUTRES Volunteer Celia Mattingly installed some new concrete pieces in the fairy garden and refreshed its look for spring.
We've already planted a few new flowers including sunflower seedlings grown and donated by committee member Sherri Kent. In the photo of the Sleeping Dragon above, you can see Celia in the background planting sunflowers around the willow dome.
The Garden Committee always welcomes new volunteers to our group. Our next workday will be April 15th at 10am, and we will meet at the pollinator garden by the house.
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Fourth Annual Weed Wrangle™ Team Removes English Ivy | |
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On Saturday, March 4, enthusiastic volunteers participated in the fourth annual Weed Wrangle™ at McCoy Farm & Gardens. Riki-Lynne Willmon led the invasive-plant removal project. The principal pest the group of 15 tackled was English ivy choking desirable plants and trees near the parking lot. Though under controlled conditions the ivy is used in landscaping and can provide food and shelter for birds and insects, it can very easily get out of hand. It spreads by creeping vines and through berries dropped by birds.
Dense mats on the forest floor crowd out native species. If left unchecked, English ivy will grow up the trunks of trees to the canopy where it adds weight and makes the trees more susceptible to wind damage. English ivy will deny sun to the tree canopy and kill understory shrubs by shading. Large vines can injure tree bark and create entry sites for pests and disease.
By noon the Weed Wranglers had filled the dumpster to the brim with invasive English ivy vines. The biggest turnout came from Signal Mountain High School students. Said Ms. Willmon, “They did such a great job, and it was cool to see teenagers out there. I am so proud of the way they represented SMMHS. I’d love to offer this again to my students and talk about a field trip in the future. We need to expose more teenagers to this space, so they know it’s accessible and a lovely place to come unplug. I’m so excited about what McCoy has to offer this community!”
Willmon was instrumental in securing a listing in the Tennessee Naturalist Program database as a place for TNP volunteer work. Now that McCoy Farm & Gardens is approved, it will show up as an option for anyone involved with the program. She is looking forward to volunteering again and participating in the Weed Wrangle™ next year.
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Weed Wranglers, from the left to right in front: Joanne Estes, Riki-Lynne Willmon, Light Davis, Shannon Hodges, Britton Williams, and Olivia Plascencia. In back are: Elizabeth Hamilton, Wade McLemore, Michael Goza, Sarah Goza, Caroline Werner, Katie Laney, and Mallory Vestal. Not pictured are Wyatt McClain, and Carter Collins. | |
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Mark your calendars for the inaugural
Memorial Day Picnic
Monday, May 29, 11:00 - 3:00 PM
Celebrate Memorial Day with a picnic at McCoy Farm & Gardens. Bring your own or enjoy hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, bar-b-que, funnel cakes, and cotton candy for purchase. The opening program with salute to the flag and patriotic music to honor our service members begins at 11:00. Enjoy the traditional cake walk, free play area for kids, vendors, and time to relax with friends.
VOLUNTEERS are needed to help with selling tickets, games, setup, cleanup, and more. To help, please contact Annette Wildman at acwildman@epbfi.com
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Interested in Volunteering? | |
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Volunteers are essential to McCoy Farm & Gardens.
When you sign up, tell us about how you'd like to help. Volunteer opportunities include: Grounds, House, Gardens, Communications, History, Events, and Administration. If you don't see your particular interest, tell us how you'd like to volunteer. Sign up below to receive information about regular volunteer days and events.
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Interested in Scheduling an Event? | |
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Contact McCoy Farm & Gardens Event Director
Cynthia Pennington cynthia@mccoywalden.org
to learn more about renting space at McCoy for your next event.
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Or mail your check to McCoy Farm & Gardens, P.O. Box 443, Signal Mountain, TN 37377 | |
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We are now able to receive your contribution of securities.
If you would like to support McCoy in this tax-advantaged way,
please contact our office at
423-598-1658.
McCoy Farm & Gardens is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. All contributions are charitable and tax-deductible to the maximum extent allowed by law.
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McCoy Farm & Gardens covers thirty-eight acres and features the
Bachman-McCoy home, gardens, and several outbuildings including
the Pavilion, Carriage House, Barn, and Blacksmith Workshop.
The perimeter walking trail is 1.1 miles.
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS:XXXXXXXX WALDEN OFFICIALS:
Mickey Robbins, President XXXXXX Mayor: Lee Davis
Joe Davis, Vice President XXXXXXX Alderman: Lizzy Schmidt
Larson Mick, Secretary XXXXXXXX Alderman Angela Cassidy
Leanna Jones, Treasurer XXXXXXX EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Linda Collins, Grants XXXXXXXXX Melissa Nimon
Elizabeth Hamilton, Gardens XXXX 423- 598-1658
Earl Hereford, Projects XXXXXXXX melissa@mccoywalden.org
Andy Jones, Grounds XXXXXXXXX EVENT DIRECTOR
Anne Leonard, House XXXXXXXXX Cynthia Pennington
Anne Hayes Pearce, Volunteers XXX423-619-8959
Susan Snow, Policies XXXXXXXXX cynthia@mccoywalden.org
Karen Stone, Publicity
Fred Wildman, Property Maintenance
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