OLD SAYBROOK

The Bushnell Farm will host its annual free Harvest Home Celebration on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The farm is located at 1445 Boston Post Road in Old Saybrook.

The free event will feature a demonstration of a bevy of traditional farm activities, such as weaving in a loom house, traditional hearth cooking, pressing apples for cider, woodworking, a replica country site, and regional archeology.

A press release notes that, “Bushnell Farm has been working with members from the Institute of American Indian Studies to repair the recreated wigwam at the farm. Two tulip poplar trees were felled by Drew Finkeldey, of Under the Bark, to provide material for the repairs.”

The work was done using stone tools throughout the summer. Visitors can see the bare tulip logs and learn about the process.

Brenda Milkofsky, the farm curator, said that the event allows people to wander from station to station to see the demonstrations of what life on a farm would have looked like 300 years ago.

“We’re talking about all the things a farm in Saybrook would have had to do to take care of itself in the early days,” Milkofsky said.

“We’ll be cooking by the hearth, talking about how they cooked the food, what they ate, and where it came from for example,” she added. “The Bushnell’s sold wood, so we’ll have examples of saws and the woodworking they would have used. The new thing this year is the replicated wigwam.”

The Bushnell Farm dates back to the 1678 and sits on 22 acres with six buildings. Milkofsky said the farm is one of the few serving sites from the 1600s which is still in the state. The farm is privately owned by Herb Clark of Essex. Milkofsky said the farm has hosted the Harvest Home event since the early 2000s and annually hosts a similar event in the spring. The farm also hosts a summer camp and school groups as needed.

“It’s a beautiful piece of property to walk around, and the foliage is beautiful. People can self-select what they’re interested in or go see every station they want. It’s a great day for families or for anyone who is interested in historic preservation,” Milkofsky said.