Yesterday was a special treat
because we enjoyed a little “field trip” in honor of my husband’s recent
birthday. We left home early in the morning and traveled about an hour west to first
visit a dear church friend who is in a nursing home in that area. Then afterward, we drove
down the road from there to Hermann, MO. Established in the 1830s, the quaint
town is nestled in the hilly wine country on the Missouri River. It’s an interesting
spot to visit, but our reason for going was to tour the new Hermann Farm.
Having opened eight weeks ago, it’s a 200 acre living history farm and museum designed to
illustrate the lives of the German immigrants in those early years. Authentic buildings dot the farm and docents in period costumes educate the visitors.
Even the furnishings inside the dwellings are from the time period.
Seeing this wash house is enough to make one appreciate our modern laundry conveniences, but seeing it in yesterday's heat and realizing how horrible it would be to accomplish the task on a summer day in the 1800s makes one particularly grateful!
This stately Ginkgo tree was planted in the mid 1800s and is beautiful!
We considered a highlight of the tour seeing the same breed of horses which were raised and used on this land in the 1800s. We were able to meet and pet Serenity and her filly, Katie. These English Shires are bred for their strength and speed. Larger than Clydesdales, they are gentle giants.
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Thankfully, a tractor tram transports visitors to the stops throughout the 200 acres. It is a paid admission, but the tour lasts 90 minutes and is well worth it. The farm is a project of the Dierbergs---a family name well-known by our locals. As founders and underwriters, Jim and Mary (of First Bank) have attended to details in such a way that the farm is of high quality. It is in its infancy, but already offers so much. Additional buildings are currently in the works and grand plans will unfold for years, and decades, to come. What a gem it is to the area! If you're from here, you should check out the hours of operation and make a day trip. If you're from out-of-state, you should plan a visit when you're in the area. You can enjoy lunch in downtown Hermann (we had bratwurst sandwiches) and stroll through many nearby antique shops. Field trips are always good and this one definitely was!