Home-Schoolers Take Farm Field Trip To Experience Country Life During Depression Era

Tommy Bolton (center, seated) watches as others use a youth-crosscut saw to cut wood at a special event for local home schooled students.

Guest article by Tommy Bolton:
It was a beautiful October 14th for several of Edmonson County's home-schoolers to have a field trip at a local farm and event facility. A total of 41 were gathered at the Mammoth Cave Event Barn on HWY 70; 25 elementary students and their teachers. Students had recently learned about the Great Depression and were out to experience some of the everyday chores in the life of a person living during this time period.

Hands-on was the method of learning such things as making apple cider, shelling corn to be ground into meal, and using a crosscut saw for firewood. The girls made corn shuck dolls while the boys made cane fishing poles.

Lunch consisted of cornbread from the meal that was ground, pinto beans, and huge skillet of fried potatoes, cooked on an open fire. Of course, in keeping with the period time, there such things as fried pies and molasses cookies.

After lunch, the students enjoyed a team of Percheron horses. They were amazed at the size of the horses and how friendly they were. One young man declared that he loved it there and could stay there forever.

All, including the adults, had a wonderful time while learning some simple things in life.