Summer Harvests

By mid-August summer has peaked in this part of New York, and the Lippitt Farmstead is harvesting crops to store for the winter. It has been a good growing year with plentiful rain. The farmers here at the Museum grow the crops to present traditional farm life, but also because they are needed and used. Our animals will live this winter on the hay grown this summer.

Some of the grains will go to the farm and some to the farmhouse. They will be used to make pancakes and bread. Barley and hops are used to demonstrate making the weak, bitter “table beer” made on farms.

The hops were traditionally used both on the farm and sold as a cash crop. In the 19th century this region’s hops were sold to brewers all over North America!

Our corn is still filling out. Most of it was traditionally harvested late and dried as a grain. Dried corn could be ground into cornmeal or used whole in chowders and soups.

Late summer’s harvest is one of the busiest times on the farm. Our summer is long, but our first frost is coming in about a month. There is a lot to do and harvest before then!