MSU Tollgate Pumpkinfest is the effort of a strong team of Tollgate staff and volunteers. If you're interested in joining the team who help make Pumpkinfest come to life, please visit:

Pumpkinfest Volunteer Opportunities

As a part to of this year's Pumpkinfest, visitors will have the opportunity to watch baseball the way it was originally played.

The Black Swamp Frogs from Sylvania, OH will be traveling north to take on the Eclipse Baseball Club of Northville, MI.

Historic baseball is played with the rules and uniforms accurate to the 1860's. This includes wooden bats, no gloves, and catching the ball in the air or on one bounce for an out. The match will begin at 1:00 pm on Saturday, October 7th in the back hayfield.

Bring your own lawn chairs or picnic blanket to sit and watch the game. Viewing of the game is free for all visitors to Pumpkinfest. Along with the match, there will be wagon rides, pumpkin picking, cider, donuts, and much more. Parking for Pumpkinfest is $5.

MSU Tollgate Farm Pumpkinfest 2017

The new season of Evenings in the Garden classes begins next week with an exploration of the invisible! Join Amanda Meier as she shares with us fascinating connections between our garden plants and the microbes and insects around them. Through lecture, video, amazing photos, and hands-on activities, we'll learn how plants defend themselves against enemies, and how plants communicate with each other.

Join us Thursday, September 28 - 6:30 - 8:30 pm, for a unique opportunity to see the unseen!

Advance registration required. Class is $20.

Get more information about this class and other upcoming Evenings in the Garden classes:

MSU Tollgate Evenings in the Garden - Fall Season

A group of ten women from the country of Belarus reached out to MSU Extension and Michigan 4-H because of our entrepreneurship-based programs for youth. This delegation is interested in creating entrepreneurship schools, incorporating business education into their school setting, and providing out-of-school entrepreneurial experiences.  They represent universities, schools, and other non-profit and youth organizations.  

With interpreters, MSU Extension staff Kathy Jamieson, Laurie Rivetto, and Dave Radloff presented the MSU Extension model, along with the work of Michigan 4-H in youth entrepreneurship programming.  

The delegation enjoyed their tour of the farm given by Mike Mathis, Interim Education Director of MSU Tollgate, especially the animal barn and goats!  Aaron Hutka, Alana Hutka, and Susannah Khanuk, members of the Tollgate Farm 4-H Club, along with their club leader, Mary Hutka, capped off the visit with a PowerPoint presentation.  The youth shared samples of their products, and the group purchased lots of goat milk soap!

MSU Tollgate completed its second successful year of Horse Camp.  Thanks to the leadership of Deb Morgan and Nicole Simmons, Tollgate hosted two weeks of horse camp during 2017.  Twenty-four campers attended each session.  Campers got an intense, interactive experience riding, grooming, feeding, and tending several camp horses.  There was lots of hands-on instruction using Tollgate's recently constructed riding ring.  Lots of fun was had by all.  Even the horses enjoyed the extra attention!

The fall season of our preschool program kicked off with a beautiful day! We enjoyed exploring the Children's Garden, going on a duck hunt, and tasting broccoli and cauliflower provided to us by our Sustainable Agriculture Program. Families also joined us for a wagon ride around the farm to learn about our farm and to observe how it appears early in the fall season. Forty-five children ages 3-5 years old will participate in the program this fall.

If you are interested in following our adventures, check in on our weekly blog:

Farm Sprouts Blog

Our next season of Farm Sprouts will take place in the winter. Stay tuned for details on how to register for this all-new Maple Sugaring season!

  Early Childhood Program at MSU Tollgate

We've had a lot of fun enjoying stories, meeting our farm animals, digging into some soil, and finding out what it means to be a farmer this summer in our Children's Garden Story Hour, held in partnership with Novi Public Library. During our "Exploring the Garden"-themed story hour, our young visitors had the opportunity to investigate our tractor and experience what it feels like to sit up in the farmer's seat. We learned about the purpose and operation of a hay baler and the difference between straw and hay. Our hay baler was purchased this past spring thanks to the support of donors from our Tollgate volunteer organization. We wish to extend our gratitude to the donors, as we not only now have fresh hay harvested from our fields to feed our animals, but we can also utilize the hay baler as a part of our educational programming.

MSU Tollgate Farm - Story Hour

MSU Tollgate is a wonderful and exciting place for the children who spent their summer busily exploring the Farm. Many of our campers think of Tollgate as their second home. They milk Jenna the goat, plant seeds, discover macroinvertebrates in the pond, and trek through the maple forest. Tollgate offers campers an immersion in play and inquiry-based learning for eight weeks of their summer break.

Campers may sign up for one specialized week, or attend a variety of the themed weeks. This year our topics focused on Green Science, Animals, Survival Skills, Soil and Water, Horses, Birds, and Food. See some of the fun we had by visiting the Summer Camp blog:

MSU Tollgate Summer Camp blog

If you have questions about future MSU Tollgate Farm Camps, or you would like to sponsor a child's opportunity to come to camp, please speak with Ellen Koehler or Nicole Blanzy.

Summer Camp Contacts

 

Tollgate relies heavily on volunteers to provide all of the unique opportunities here.  Without the support from many members of the community, Tollgate would be a much different place.   

 

Recently, a corporate group from Title Source, one of the Dan Gilbert companies, came to Tollgate to help maintain the farm.  The group was tasked with applying a fresh coat of paint to the animal barn.  The barn's original brown paint coloring was beginning to make an appearance through a past coat of white paint.  The Title Source volunteers made short work of the project, applying two coats of fresh, white paint.  They finished so quickly, the group cast about for other items to renew.  In two shakes, the group had two coats of paint on several benches and the rabbit pen.  The volunteer day came to an end just as the group was eying the goats.   

 

Thanks Title Source!

Volunteering at Tollgate

The kids from the 4-H Club filled the Urban Farming table with home grown veggies including tomatoes, peppers, hot peppers, squash, and beans.

Club members also submitted projects in photography, art, ceramics, crochet, dehydrated fruit & herbs, baking, potted herbs,and more. It is awesome to see these kids using skills learned in 4-H to compete at the Michigan State Fair.

This year, five members of Tollgate Farm 4-H Club took 7 goats to the fair. Congratulations to members Alana Hutka (1st place intermediate showmanship), Aaron Hutka (5th place intermediate Showmanship) and Lilly Keskinen (1st place Goat Milking, 5th Place Jr Showmanship). All the showmen looked great and presented their animals well. We are already planning for next year's County and State Fairs!

There is one additional high note from the State Fair. For 2017, 5 members of Tollgate Farm 4-H Club were honored to receive a total of $5,250 in Urban Farming Scholarships. These kids worked hard in the garden and in the barn, participated in the County and State Fairs, and supported their Club and Community. Congratulations to: Alana Hutka, Aaron Hutka, Heather Gregory, Lilly Keskinen, Miriam Klenke, Emmanuel Salas, and Susanna Khanuk. These kids are also headed to a ceremony at the State Capitol celebrating their achievements.

The State Fair comes at the end of the 2016 - 2017 4-H Year. Tollgate Farm 4-H is now registering members for the 2017 - 2018 4-H Year. We welcome youth members ages 5 - 19, along with adult volunteers.

For more information contact:

tollgatefarm4h@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/TGF4H/

https://www.tollgatefarm4h.com/

Oakland County 4-H Connections is a monthly newsletter for 4-H members, families, and the general community with news and information about 4-H Youth Development activities in Oakland County.

September Oakland County 4-H Connections

Tollgate Volunteer Page

The MSU Tollgate Conference Center, historic barn, and Americana boardroom are available for your next business meeting, bridal or baby shower, or private luncheon. Our event catering staff are available to meet all of your needs. To learn more about hosting your event at Tollgate, please visit:

  MSU Tollgate Conference Center