July Newsletter from the Heritage Farmstead Museum

1900 West 15th St., Plano, TX 75075 - (972) 881-0140 www.heritagefarmstead.org

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday: Grounds are open 10:00am-4:30pm,
Docent Guided Tours: Tue.-Sat. at 10:30am; Sunday at 1:30pm
Closed Mondays

From the Executive Director...

June was a very busy month for the HFM! June 9th we hosted our annual Friends of the Farmstead Benefit to raise money for collections, heritage preservation, and our education programs. The event was a success that saw about 250 people contribute to the cause...thank you friends!

June 23rd marked a momentous occassion for the Plano Fire Department as they celebrated their 125th Birthday at the Heritage Farmstead Museum. We saw about 900 people walk through our doors that day! The event went smoothly as visitors enjoyed the PFD Pipe and Drums; a cake cutting ceremony in which Mayor Pro Tem, Lissa Smith, read a proclamation; safety demonstrations; inflatable fire slide; and the new exhibit: Fire Boys: The Legacy of the Plano Fire Department. A special thank you to all volunteers who assisted with the event!

In addition, the HFM summer camps have been packed with kids experiencing life on a Blackland Prairie Farm. Campers have gotten to enjoy exploring the creek behind the HFM; washing sheep; feeding the farm animals; wagon rides; and farm chores. Also, on July 17th, HFM will be hosting "Let's Get "Moo"ving," for the Carry-Along Collin Collin County Camp. Furthermore, the HFM will be launching our new website in July!! We are very excited about this so be on the look-out for the launch. The new website comes just in time as HFM is again participating in 2012 North Texas Giving Day. Be on the look out for mailings and facebook/website posts for more information about how YOU can donate to the HFM on September 13, 2012.

-M'Lou Taylor Hyttinen

Carry-Along Collin Goes to Camp

This award winning program, sponsored by the Collin County Historical Commission, invites students to discover local history. Materials and activities for 2012 will focus on the farming communities that thrived throughout Collin County.

The Heritage Farmstead Museum is one of many participating museums in this program. The HFM program, "Let's Get 'Moo'ving!" (Tuesday, July 17, from 10:00am to 12:00pm) features the importance of Dairy to the Farmer. Campers will be introduced to Buttermilk, a life-sized mechanical cow, churn butter, and finish their adventure with a wagon ride. Click here to see a flyer and call 972-881-0140 to register today!

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunties:

July 17- Let's Get "Moo"ving!

Volunteers will be needed from 9:00am-1:00pm and will be assisting the public with various hands-on demonstrations. Please email Lauren Huber if you are interested.

Lantern Light 2012 Volunteer Committee

Looking for ways to keep cold this summer? Consider joining our Lantern Light 2012 Committee. We are looking for committee chairs as well as committee members to help us celebrate the Holidays of the Roaring Twenties. Committees include: Crafts/Games; Sponsors; Decorations: outside, Farrell Wilson House; Publicity; Food; Entertainment; Volunteers; and Wagon Rides. Our first meeting will be held July 25 at 10am. Call 972-881-0140 or email Kathy Strobel and join in on the fun today.

Scout Day Volunteer Committee

We are hoping to create a committee this year consisting of Scouts and/or Scout Master's to help us with the planning and coordinating of our annual Scout Day. Call 972-881-0140 or email Lauren Huber today.

Save the Date: North Texas Giving Day

September 13, 2012: 7:00am-Midnight

Here is your chance to make a difference in YOUR community! This is a day dedicated for donating to your favorite non-profits. Last year, in one day, 13,500 North Texans gave $10.7 million to over 600 local non-profits. To inspire you to give, Communities Foundation of Texas has raised $1 Million in matching funds and prize money. Every donation $25 and above will be multiplied through DonorBridgeTX.org. Keep a look-out for more information from us about how you can give to the Heritage Farmstead Museum.

Check out this video!

North Texas Giving Day 2012

Plano Fire Department Celebration at the HFM

We had an AMAZING turnout for the Plano Fire Department Birthday Celebration at the HFM! We saw about 900 people walk through our doors last Saturday, June 23rd. Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who made this day go smoothly for the visitors.

Special thank yous to: Junior League of Collin County, Plano Medical center, Concentra Urgent Care, Plano Firefighters Rescue Association, Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, State Farm, Boy and Girl Scouts of America and all HFM volunteers!

Plano Fire Department Celebrations & Camp

Check out these links to Plano TV's stories about the Plano Fire Department 125th Anniversary and the HFM's Curator Camp. Curator, Hillary Kidd, and Director of Education, Kathy Strobel, are featured in the videos!

Plano Fire Department 125th Anniversary

Heritage Farmstead Museum Curator Camp

New Exhibit & Flowers in the Farrell-Wilson House

Have you stopped by the HFM for a guided tour lately? If not, then now is the time to do it! The new exhibit: Ladies Aid Society: Disaster Strikes, but Help is Near is open from now until November 25.

The Farrell-Wilson house also has new silk floral arrangements. Arlene Englert and the Plano Garden Club have researched flowers that would have been availble from the 1890's to the early 1900's in Victorian parlor gardens. With the beautiful Parlor Garden Mary Alice Farrell had, she would have regularly gone out to pick and arrange flowers to decorate her home. Now as you walk through the home it's as if Mary Alice has just brought in a fresh new floral arrangement!

After-Camp Care

Parents, do you want your children to attend one of our summer camps but can't because you aren't able to pick them up when the camp ends? Well the HFM is offering after-camp care for children! This program allows your child to express their artistic and creative abilities, play games and learn even more about Farm Life.

After-Camp Care runs from 1:00pm to 5:00pm everyday after our summer camps. Snacks are provided daily. Daily drop-ins are available.Call now to reserve your space today!
972-881-0140

HFM Membership Windmill

Not a member of the Heritage Farmstead Museum OR need to renew your membership? We have many different levels of membership for our visitors. Click here to view the different membership opportunities and all the rewards that come with them. You can also renew and register online!

Mission

The mission of the Heritage Farmstead Museum (HFM) is to collect, preserve and interpret late 19th and early 20th century blackland prairie history while making appropriate use of the authentically restored Farrell-Wilson Farmstead, a designated historic site.

Volume 1, No.4 July 2012

Make sure you like The Heritage Farmstead Museum on Facebook for up to date information and to interact with the Farmstead on a daily basis!

In This Issue

Carry-Along Collin

New Volunteer Opportunities

North Texas Giving day

Plano Fire Dept. Celebration

Plano Fire Dept. Videos

New Exhibit

After-Camp care

Membership

Our Mission

Upcoming Events

Summer Guided Tour Hours

July 9-13, Pioneer Camp- This camp is FULL.

July 17, Let's Get "Moo"ving!- The focus of the day will be the importance of dairy to the farmer. Campers will be introduced to Buttermilk, a life-sized mechanical cow. Campers will also churn butter and finish their adventure with a wagon ride. Call to register today: 972-881-0140.

July 23-27, Creek Camp- Have fun with science while keeping cool during our hot Texas summer! Click here for more information and to register today!

August 6-10, Creek Camp

September 13, North Texas Giving Day-This is a day dedicated for donating to non-profits. Last year 13,500 North Texans gave $10.7 million to over 600 local non-profits. Look for imformation in the near future about giving to HFM!

Summer Guided Tour Hours
House

May 30 - September 1

The Heritage Farmstad Museum will offer guided tours of the Farrell-Wilson House and the Farmstead at alternate times starting May 29 through Sep. 1st. They are as follows:

Mondays- Closed

Tues.- Sat. at 10:30am

Sunday at 1:30pm