Summer Intern Alice Kwak

Please join us in welcoming Alice Kwak to the Farm! Alice moved from California to WI for her postgraduate degree(s) and she just completed her final semester to recieve her Ph.D. in History from UW-Madison!

Alice's dissertation examines the role of Old Norse literary texts as objects of a new, reactionary fascination within French medieval studies during the long nineteenth century.

Alice will be working with us through the summer to freshen up our education curriculum and hopes to bring some aspects of the indigenous history of the area to our education offerings. She has been working out of the farmhouse on days that she's onsite, so if you're visiting and notice the door is open, stop on in to say hello!

We are so lucky to have Alice's wealth of knowledge and fresh perspectives here at the Farm Park!

Summer on the Farm

Join us this Saturday, July 20th from 7:30-9 pm for a special evening to enjoy the park as the sun sets!

Wander the scenic prairie to look for native plants and wildlife you may not see during the day. Then enjoy the crackling of the bonfire in the historic farmyard, listen to the Waunastrummers play some fun ukulele tunes, and roast some marshmallows. 

Optional guided prairie walks will begin at 7:45 and 8:15; meet at the chicken coop. This event is family-friendly, and no registration required! 

Upcoming Workshops

We have some exciting workshops coming up at the farm! Click on each link to learn more and sign up:

• Line Dancing Lessons, Mondays 7-8 pm
• Monarch Conservation, July 24th 3-5 pm
• Make Your Own Macrame Plant Hanger,

July 27th 1-3:30 pm

• Pollinators at the Park, August 3rd 10 am-noon
• Poetry and Flower Arranging,

August 12th 10 am-noon

Interested in leading a workshop or have an idea for one? Get in touch!

Educational Programs

We continue to expand our educational programming, getting more and more participants coming to the farm from as far away as Mount Horeb!

From Board member Rebecca Ressl, who has been taking the lead on educational programming:

"Summer at Schumacher Farm offers so many fun opportunities for kids to explore outdoors. So far, we have learned about prairies, birds, gardening, farm life, trees, conservation, and more. Whether you join one of our upcoming classes or visit with your family on your own, we hope you enjoy disconnecting from the busyness of everyday life and reconnecting with nature."

Have you heard of a Turken?

This year we welcomed 8 hens and 1 rooster to the farm. Five of the hens unique chickens known as turkens that are naturally without feathers on their necks. The turken, also known as the Transylvanian Naked Neck, was first bred in Hungary and later perfected in Germany. Contrary to what the name suggests, turkens are 100% chicken! But the name has stuck due to how much they resemble a hybrid of a chicken and a turkey.

Be sure to check out the chickens in the historic farmyard anytime before they leave in the colder months!

Old World Wisconsin Field Trip

Mark, Nelle & Alice visited Old World Wisconsin last week to look for ideas that could be implemented here at the Park.

One really neat idea that was showcased well at OOW was a build your own covered wagon station where kids (and young-at- \heart adults) could get up close and personal with old fashioned tools, materials and machines.

It was a great learning opportunity and a perfect way to get our brains rolling on ways to better share our wealth of local history knowledge with kids in the community.

Farmhouse Tours

We are pleased to be offering tours again this summer in our historic farmhouse! The next open house dates are July 27th and August 25th from 1pm - 3pm. You'll be guided by one of our knowledgeable volunteers. Tours are free; donations are encouraged. Families are welcome and no registration is required.

Natural Area Work Days

During the growing season, we have Natural Area Work Days scheduled for the second Friday of each month from 9 am - noon. Work may include: removal of invasive species, brush removal, seed collection, etc. No specific experience necessary, direction will be provided. Please dress for the outdoors, bring work gloves and a water bottle. Future dates are August 9th, September 13th, October 11th, and November 8th.

Please sign up here so we know how many to expect. Thank you for all you do!

Historic Committee Update & Artifact Corner

A recent acquisition to the Schumacher Farm Park collection of agricultural machinery is an International Harvester side delivery rake on steel wheels, an item from our wish list.

As the story goes, one of our volunteers was driving on Hwy 19 and following a truck and trailer wit the rake. The truck pulled into the QuikTrip and the volunteer asked where he was going. He

said to northern Wisconsin and the volunteer offered to buy the rake. The owner had just bought it and he sold it to Schumacher Farm Park. What a lucky find just down the road!

This rake was tractor pulled as evidenced by the V-shaped tongue on the front. It was used for

raking and fluffing hay after it was cut to help with the drying.

Additional wish list items from the 1920s – 1930s include a buckrake, cultipacker, manure

spreader, silo filler, stone-boat, single disc harrow.

Barb Johanningmeier, Chair of Historical Committee

Visit From Lieutenant  Governor

On July 3rd, we were honored to host the Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, Sara Rodriguez!

Lt. Gov. Rodriguez, along with State Representative, Alex Joers, learned about the history of the park and all the great work that is being done here at Schumacher with a presentation done by Board Secretary, Rebecca Ressl.

They then enjoyed a full park tour, complete with chickens & a stroll down memory lane in the farmhouse.

We rounded out the visit by answering a question "Is there any way the state can be of more assistance to Schumacher Farm?". Board President, Mark Pelton, shared with her our concerns about the safety of the park entrance on busy Hwy 19. While she wasn't able to make any promises, the Lt. Gov. said she would certainly share our concerns.

What a great way to showcase the Farm & spread the word of the great work we do here at Schumacher!