The Lands At Hillside Farms: More Events

The annual Fall Fest at The Lands At Hillside Farms has just come to a successful conclusion; but more special events are to come. Between now and the end of 1210 there are a couple of them on the agenda. October 23 brings Old McDonald's Farm' an event limited to 100 people, who will each pay $12. There will be hayrides, a pumpkin hunt, and pumpkin ice cream for dessert. Then, on December 20-21, stop by for Christmas at the Cottage, a get-together in the splendid Victorian cottage that once was the summer residence at Hillside Farms. Admission is $10.
More important than special events are the things that The Lands At Hillside Farms manages to do--and be--all year round. Yes, it provides a basis for understanding farm life in the late 19th century; but it is much more than a historic site--interesting as that is. It provides education in nature and ecology for all ages from pre-kindergarten to adult. It encourages people to grow at least some of their own food, and teaches them how. It benefits the local economy by providing an outlet for products grown, baked, and produced by people who live in the area.
Just want a walk in the woods, a thing no one can put a price on? It offers a chance to do that, too. To get the full, amazing story, visit the organization's web site--which is one of the best and most inviting I have ever seen. It's at www.thelandsathillsidefarms.org
All this does not come cheap; and this is where we, the public, come in. We live in an era in which, if we want good things to last, we have to see to it ourselves.
The Lands At Hillside Farms does what it can to support itself. It maintains its famous dairy store--which, by the way, sells many other kinds of foods besides milk, butter, cheese, and ice cream. It rents out its cottage and ballroom--and ice cream truck--for special events. It charges something for its educational programs and materials. And so on.
Taken together, this only leaves it $490,000 short. Gasp!
So it needs volunteers. And donations. Nobody expects you to give the whole $490,000, or to work as a full-time volunteer; but they will be grateful if you can chip in.
Check it all out through the website--which, again, is at www.thelandsathillsidefarms.org Or call 570-696-4500. Or, if you live nearby, go there--65 Hillside Rd., Shavertown--and check it out. See if you feel comfortable there as a visitor. A customer. Or maybe even a volunteer.