URBANDALE — Living History Farms’ longest-running community event, Grain Harvest, will take place Saturday, August 6, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can attend presentations by two National History Day award winners and experience threshing by hand power, horse power, and “newfangled” steam power, as well as a tractor parade.
NATIONAL HISTORY DAY WINNERS
Winners from national and state-level competitions will bring their projects about Nikita Khrushchev’s historic 1959 Iowa visit to Grain Harvest day:
Caleb Sinnwell, a sophomore at Nashua-Plainfield High School, will present his website titled “Khrushchev, Corn, and Cold War Diplomacy: Garst Grows Relations with Russia One Ear at a Time,” exploring the Soviet premier’s visit to a Coon Rapids farm. “I’ve always loved agriculture,” says Caleb, who works summers and weekends on his grandparents’ hog farm. The Khrushchev visit gave him an opportunity to explore history through that lens. Among his favorite facts: “They made a pig squeal on cue.” At the state level, Caleb received Living History Farms’ award for Outstanding Entry in Agricultural History–Senior Division. He went on to win first prize nationally. “Caleb is clearly one of our most brilliant young historians,” said Hanna Howard, National History Day Coordinator at the State Historical Society of Iowa. “His project demonstrates agriculture’s capacity to build bridges between even the bitterest of enemies.”
Daniel Hommel, a freshman at Grundy Center High School, will present his performance piece titled “Khrushchev Visits Garst Farm: Debating Diplomatic Expansion of Ideas and Methods.” He plays the role of a reporter interviewing key players from the farm visit. “I live on an Iowa farm and have entertained international visitors, so this topic was interesting to me,” he said. “I wanted to be a reporter so I could interact with multiple characters in the story.” Daniel received Living History Farms’ award for Outstanding Entry in Agricultural History–Junior Division.
“We are delighted to welcome Caleb and Daniel to Grain Harvest Day,” Living History Farms President Ruth Haus said. “Their projects highlight an incredible chapter in Iowa’s agricultural heritage, a moment that marked a rare thaw in the Cold War.”
THRESHING DEMONSTRATIONS
At the 1850 Pioneer Farm, historic interpreters will demonstrate the hard work of flailing by hand. At the 1900 Horse-Powered Farm, they will use vintage engines built in 1910 and 1929 to show the advance of farming technology. Visitors can watch as museum staff feed the fire for the boiler and will learn how farmers of the time had to be their own mechanical engineers. At midday, there will be a demonstration of a threshers’ dinner.
TRACTOR PARADE
The Central Iowa Tractor Club is an organization dedicated to promoting preservation and restoration of antique tractors, accessories, lore, and literature. They have participated in agricultural events—including the Iowa State Fair and the fair parade—for 32 years and will parade their collection of tractors through the 1876 town of Walnut Hill. They will be parked on the Baseball Field for viewing before and after the parade.
For more information go to https://www.lhf.org.