Harvest Festival!
Here are some scenes from the inaugural Harvest Festival at the Greendale-Couch Organic Farm in Hiram, Ohio. The event was in support of a fundraising and public awareness campaign for the preservation of the property. The campaign has been spearheaded by Denny Taylor and Lucy Chamberlain along with a host of volunteers. The event was very well-attended; guests dined on a catered luncheon buffet provided by the Hiram College AVI food service. Dessert was prepared in a solar-powered oven. The iconic Greek Revival farmhouse formed an inspiring backdrop for the tent that was setup for the event. There was a demonstration of cider making. Another focal point was a scale model showing the timber framing of David and Sigrid Anderson’s 1860s-era barn. The Andersons have donated the barn to the farm, and the plan is to dismantle it and reassemble it on the property. Eventually it will be used to stage events and farm-oriented education programs. There was also a guided tour of the apple orchard conducted by Lucy Chamberlain, Board President of the farm. But the highlight of the day was David Anderson’s talk about the history and architectural significance of the house.
The house and property have undergone a stunning transformation over the past year. But there is still much work ahead. Fundraising will be ongoing, and volunteers are encouraged. Visit https://www.greendale-couchofc.org for more information.
Written and photographed by Dave Dreimiller
David Anderson (left) and Chad Kendzorski with the scale model of the Anderson’s barn. Chad constructed the model after meticulous measurements of the actual structure.
Denny Taylor (right) with Darren Houck, new executive director of Hiram Farm.
David Anderson gives a presentation on the history of the Couch house and its architectural significance.
Guests examine some of the eclectic book collection that was discovered in the house during the cleanup phase.
Interesting as a long-time resident to see such a bustle of activity and excitement surrounding what was once a very dreary place.
Darren Houck and Lucy Chamberlain inspecting the scale model of the Anderson’s barn.
Lucy Chamberlain offeres samples of various apple varieties as part of her presentation in the historic orchard that sits to the south of the farmhouse.
The moment I saw the model of the barn, I imagined what it would be like to walk into the space. This camera angle totally captures the sense of the massive timber framing and the amount of work that went into construction of the original barn, particularly in the era of hand tools.
Denny Taylor with Marilane Spencer.
Lucy Chamberlain with Jeremy Brown from the Portager who was on hand to cover the event. Read Jeremy’s recent article about the farm here: Portager Article
Denny Taylor with David Anderson
Jeff Strainer (left) with Denny Taylor. Jeff headed up the painting of the farmhouse earlier this year.
Lucy Chamberlain gives the cider toast near the conclusion of the event.
Chad Kendzorski with Sigrid Anderson.
The solar oven that was used to prepare dessert.
Another view of the framing of the barn model. I can’t wait until I’m shooting this same camera angle of the real thing.
David Anderson pointing out architectural details on the farmhouse to a very engaged audience.
Lucy Chamberlain explains the history of the orchard and apple growing in the pioneer days.
