Chickens, guinea foul, goats and more will be part of the newest exhibit being compiled at the Cherokee Strip Museum in Ark City, museum officials said Monday.
The Bill Beard Memorial Farm and Garden will be a teaching farm and garden set in the early 1900s. Along with the livestock, a garden will feature heirloom vegetables like black beauty tomatoes, peppers, and okra, among many others.
Corn in the back of the garden will be grown using the three-sister method utilized by Native Americans. A hive of honeybees is also expected to be part of the exhibit.
The museum plans to offer a number of classes in the Spring to coincide with the opening of the farm exhibit. Animal husbandry, raising chickens, harvesting and cleaning eggs, tools used for gardening in the pioneer times, Native American plantings, upkeep of a natural garden, how to compost, canning and preserving, and back yard chick keeping are just a few of the classes planned.
Funding for this project is through a grant from UFM that was awarded to the Cherokee Strip Museum Dec. 3.
UFM is a non-profit campus and community education program serving the state of Kansas and K-State.
A number of donations have been made to get the project under way.
Murry McMurry Hatchery has committed to donating 30 rare heritage hens, Steve Beaty has committed to donate four does and one billy goat, Mell Kuhn has donated lumber for a coop, McCools flower shop has donated lumber for a picket fence.
There are still many items needed for this exhibit. If you have anything you would like to donate please feel free to call Steven Walker or Heather at the Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum at (620) 442-6750.
