BLACKVILLE, SC – “The Old Time Horse Farmers Gathering” will be held on September 28 and 29, 2007 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ashleigh Heritage Farm, 5 miles south of Blackville, SC just off of Hwy #3.
The event is part of “Falling for Farms,” a series of farm festivals between September and December at various farms along the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor. The Old Time Horse Farmers Gathering is an educational living history weekend that focuses on farm life demonstrations before the tractor, when the mule walked the furrow and the big horse pulled the load.
The event is held on an old family farm that was once farmed with mules and is now farmed with two breeds of draft horses, Percherons and European Brabant Belgians. The farm was purchased by Bub and Lizzy Still back in the late 1930’s and was farmed with mules until the early 1960’s. Located on the farm are some original 1900’s era buildings, including the farm house, mule barn, cotton barn, an operating smokehouse and cane mill. The farm house has been newly re-furbished and is a good example of the way of life back in the early 1900’s
For this event, teamsters come from surrounding states to assist with the demonstrations. Visitors will not only see a variety of farm life demonstrations, but they can also participate in activities like plowing, harvesting and shucking corn, grinding grits and meal, stripping cane, and picking peas and cotton. They will also have the opportunity to enjoy a taste of good old southern cooking hot off the wood cook stove. Other activities include a pea shelling party, churning butter from fresh cream just milked from the cow, spinning yarn, quilting, broom making, chair caning, sheep shearing, lye soap making and cane syrup, apple cider, and apple butter production. A rare piece of historical farm equipment, a 1924 McCormick Deering “Daisy” folding reaper, will be used to harvest buckwheat. Bluegrass and gospel music with the Sleytown Strummers and Pickers and Johnny Cummings will be the entertainment on Saturday.
Organizers, Tommy and Cindy Flowers, are committed to keeping this event going as part of our rural and agricultural heritage. They are dedicated to passing on knowledge of the past that could soon be lost.
For more information about The Old Time Horse Farmers Gathering, contact Cindy Flowers, 803-259-3350, or visit www.blacklegacres.com. A small admission is charged to offset the cost of the event. For more information on the “Falling For Farms” festivals, visit www.sc-heritagecorridor.org.