Fest offers glimpse at decades of farm life in Lake County

Visitors to the Lakewood Forest Preserve near Wauconda this weekend had a chance to step outside of their suburban lifestyles.

At the 22nd annual Farm Heritage Festival, presented by the Lake County Discovery Museum and the Lake County Farm Heritage Association, Inc., children had the opportunity to roll around in a pile of hay and take a barrel train ride in hollowed out oil drums. Their parents could check out antique tractors and farm machinery or watch a demonstration of farm life as it existed in the county decades ago.

Andrew Osborne, cultural resources manager for the Lake County Discovery Museum, said the weekend's favorite events included the sheep and duck-herding demonstrations, with the latter involving dogs running ducks through an obstacle course. Other highlights included the rope making and corn shelling demonstrations.

"It's just a great, fun family day out," he said.

Osborne said the weekend is a celebration of Lake County's agricultural heritage.

"Farming in Lake County really drove the development of the area, and the Lake County we see today is very different than it was 50 years ago (or) 100 years ago," he said. "And so we work with groups like the Lake County Farm Heritage Association, and they bring out equipment that really shaped the way Lake County is today."

Osborne said Saturday saw a lower turnout, about 1,000 people, mainly because of the threatening weather. He anticipated that Sunday's crowd would double that.

Jen Crow from Mundelein said she brings her family every year to enjoy the animals, the rope making and the barrel rides, which she called "a dizzying experience."

"I think it's a great opportunity," she said. "I hope it stays here for a long time."

Brittany Troemel of Lake Bluff, who was volunteering at the petting zoo, said it is fun to watch the children get up close with the animals.

"There is a lot of city kids that have never seen the animals, so it is good for them to get the experience and see what they really look like," she said.

Marlene Stites of Mundelein, who brought her grandchildren to the fest Sunday, said this was her first time at the event, some of which she spent riding in one of the oil drums.

"It's not a real comfortable chair, but it's a good ride," she said.

Laurie White of Wauconda said she has been coming for about 12 years.

"The kids always love to see the dogs (in the shepherding demonstration)," she said.

She said the various demonstrations give one an appreciation of the physical labor involved in farm life.

"It's a lot of hard work, getting all this stuff done," she said.