New Board member and Treasurer

The Friends of Schumacher Farm would like to introduce our newest board member, Treasurer Debbie Miller! Debbie isn't a newbie to the Farm, she has been a volunteer since 2022. She is our lead garden volunteer (coordinating all planning and volunteers in our Heritage Garden), a docent in the historic farmhouse, and a member of the Historic Committee!

Here is a little bit about her background: Debbie is a Waunakee resident who began volunteering with us because she was drawn to the 1920s living history and outdoor activities that remind her of her grandma’s farm. She recently retired after a 30+ year career with the State of Wisconsin, primarily as a Budget and Policy Analyst. For the past 4 years, she has also served as the Treasurer for the Mad City Vettes, a social club of Corvette owners.

As you can see, Debbie has many talents, and we are so lucky for her to add "Friends of Schumacher Farm Park Board Member" to that list!

Vera Court Field Trips

Kids from the Vera Court Neighborhood Center have been enjoying time at the Farm the last couple months! Not only are they learning about important topics such as migration and the seasons, they are also getting to enjoy simple pleasures like treats around a campfire and nature walks through the prairie.

A special thanks goes out to board member Rebecca Ressl for facilitating these events. These programs are free to kids because of grant funds and donations from people like you! If you would like to help to enrich the lives of kids in our community, considering donating today!

Spring Cleaning in the Historic Farmhouse

New board member (and Historic Committee member), Debbie Miller coordinated spring cleaning for the Farmhouse last week. Many thanks to Debbie, Barb Johanningmeier, Sue Manske, and Mark Pelton for their hard work. Surfaces were dusted, windows were cleaned, and floors were swept, vacuumed and mopped. The old house is looking her best!

Center for Antique Machinery Update

We continue to move more historic items into the Center for Antique Machinery (CAM)! We have recently added a potato planter, grain binder, potato digger, corn binder, hay baler, buckboard and several kinds of seed drills. One item we'd like to highlight is this tobacco planter, which was donated by Nora CaPaul and is currently on display under the lean-to.

Pictured below is Eveline Schumacher driving a tobacco planter, circa 1921, with Henry Schumacher sitting on the back dropping tobacco plants into the ground (from the Marcella Schumacher Pendall Archive Collection).

Garage Sale

Are there treasures in your home that you no longer have room for? Hold onto them because we need them for the Schumacher Farm Annual Garage Sale! The sale will be May 8-10 and donations will be accepted here at the Center for Rural History May 2-6. If the Prairie Room is not open, please leave in the hallway outside of the room and the items will be moved by staff or volunteers. All proceeds go to support Schumacher Farm. We hope you will join us in the effort to ensure that rural history lives on through this beautiful gift from Marcella. Thank you from the garage sale committee!

Spring Work Day

Please consider joining staff and volunteers this Saturday, May 4th from 9 am - 1 pm to help spruce up the Farm and prep the Heritage Garden! No experience necessary, all skill and ability levels welcome. Please bring work gloves if you have them and clothes that you don't mind getting dirty. Lunch will be provided.

Tasks may include:

• Painting & scraping
• Garden prep
• Trash pick up
• Brush removal

Please sign up here so we know how many to expect (and more importantly, how much pizza we need!).

Thank you for all you do!

Historic Committee Update & Artifact Corner

The restored farmhouse porch is scheduled for completion this summer and will be close to the

original appearance.

There will be some antiques in the garage sale this year. Recently discovered in the farmhouse are three folk art framed pictures of antique cars made with nails, thimbles, wire and other metal objects. They include a 1909 Rolls Royce (pictured), a 1908 Ford and a 1920 Pontiac. They

are not antiques, but pictures of antique cars.

Barb Johanningmeier, Chair of Historical Committee