Hallockville Museum Farm: Naugles Barn Project | Two New Board Members | The Tuesday Crew ….

News from the Farm – December

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Season’s Greetings from Hallockville Museum Farm

As the winter solstice approaches, we find ourselves reflecting on another wonderful year at Hallockville Museum Farm. From lively community events to educational programs, workshops and more, this year has been filled with wonderful memories.

We count our lucky stars to have the members, volunteers and supporters like you as part of the Hallockville Family.

In this edition, we’re excited to share updates, upcoming events and ways you can stay connected to the farm through the colder months. Whether you’re an old friend or a new visitor, there’s always something to discover at Hallockville.

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The Naugles Barn Adaptive Reuse Project Has Begun

Thanks to a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts and donations from many generous sponsors, Phase I of the Naugles Barn Adaptive Reuse Project is now underway.

We still have a way to go to be fully funded for the complete project. If you’d like to donate to help us reach our goal to have the Barn be available for year-round use, please click the donate button below and enter Naugles Barn donation in the Donation Purpose box, or send a check to Hallockville Inc. to 6038 Sound Avenue, Riverhead, NY 11901 and write Naugles Barn donation in the memo. Thank you for your support!

Donate Today: Naugles Barn Adaptive Reuse Project.

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Welcome Aboard!

We are pleased to announce the addition of two new board members –

Samantha Moore and Jonathan Zenir.

Samantha is a dedicated real estate professional with extensive experience in affordable housing development, distressed asset redevelopment, and luxury construction. She has a proven track record of successful project management, compliance with regulations, and relationship building with stakeholders. Samantha is co-owner of Mercury Property Management and Long Island Pool & Spa Service Group Inc.

“I am happy to have been invited to join the board of Hallockville Museum Farm. I have always been inspired by North Fork farms and the value that local produce and pastured animals and the whole farm culture bring to the community and beyond. I look forward to working alongside the talented team of volunteers here to ensure that Hallockville continues its mission of preservation and education well into the future.”

Jonathan brings over 20 years of expertise in technology and business transformation, focusing on team leadership and development. At Microsoft, he leads global technical strategy for Hybrid Work, overseeing aspects from go-to-market strategies to product and program incubation. Jonathan thrives on building teams, organizations, and innovative ideas. His extensive experience covers various industries with a strong emphasis on enterprise technology and managing change programs and transformations.

“I’m excited to join the Hallockville Museum Farm Board because it offers a unique opportunity to help preserve and promote the rich agricultural heritage of Long Island. Contributing to this vibrant community and supporting educational programs for all ages truly aligns with my passion for history and sustainability.”

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Out and About

We had a terrific turnout for our Speaker Series presentation with Bill Bleyer at the Hallock State Park Preserve about the Battle of Long Island and the British Occupation.

The Speaker Series was sponsored by a grant from Suffolk County.

We are very grateful to the Long Island Farm Sanctuary for providing funds to build a nice new feeding platform for our heifers Rosie and Darla. We know they appreciate it and so do we!

Thanks also to the Tuesday Crew for building the new feeder.

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It Takes A Crew – The Tuesday Crew

It takes a crew of volunteers to maintain the structures at Hallockville and we are enormously grateful to the Tuesday Crew, a group of skilled crafts people who volunteer their time, labor and expertise to keep Hallockville intact.

In addition to the feeding trough for Rosie and Darla, during the past year the Tuesday crew has replaced roofs, built fences, and generally used their carpentry and construction skills to keep the buildings and our animals safe and dry.

They have spent thousands of hours here on more than 165 projects since they first started in 2003.

Thank you to each and every member of the Tuesday Crew. We don’t know what we would do without you!

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Historic Holidays at Hallockville

Thank you to everyone who came to Historic Holidays at Hallockville, and a special thanks to all of our volunteers without whom the event would not be possible.

We had some new additions this year with carolers, outdoor games, a traditional bread-baking demonstration and a mobile bar.

It was a merry time!

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UPCOMING EVENTS

We’re already planning an ambitious schedule of workshops, lectures, fairs and festivals for 2025. Mark your calendars for the Fleece and Fiber Festival on May 17 and the Country Fair on September 27 and 28.

Hallockville will host a virtual beekeeping presentation in January (see below), a candle-making workshop in February and a Women’s History month author talk in March about the life of a North Fork farm wife in the late 19th century.

That’s just a sampling of what’s in store for 2025. – stay tuned! We look forward to seeing you on the farm.

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The Book and the Bees Virtual Presentation

For the beekeeper or bee curious, join Theresa Martin on Zoom on January 23 as she shares tips from her book Dead Bees Don’t Make Honey about ways to strengthen managed bee colonies and increase honey production.

Theresa is a Cornell Master Beekeeper, President of the Whitley County Beekeepers Association, and serves on the Board of Directors with the Kentucky State Beekeepers Association. She has achieved near perfect survival and high production in her six years as a beekeeper, with 20–25 colonies.

The virtual presentation on January 23 at 7 p.m. is free. To register, click here: January 23 Bee Presentation.

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Speaking of bees, you can support the Hallockville Beekeeping Program by sponsoring a hive. A Hallockville Hive Sponsorship helps keep honey bees healthy and maintains bees as a resource for farm education programs as well as for local pollination. A Hive Sponsorship also makes a great holiday gift for the person who has everything. In addition to supporting our beekeeping program, hive sponsors have access to activities in our educational bee lab throughout the year. Sponsors may learn how to feed bees, participate in inspections or simply observe the beekeepers. Hive sponsors are also invited to the honey harvest and may take home up to 5 lbs. of honey, based on bee production. A one-year Hive Sponsorship is $500 and the cost may be shared among family members and friends.

For a more hands-on approach for the serious or aspiring beekeeper, consider enrollment in Hallockville’s educational, open-air Bee Lab. Our Bee Lab teaches hands-on skills such as analyzing inspection data, how to apply classroom learning to field work and more. Participants help maintain hives in Hallockville’s apiary throughout the year under Master Beekeeper Chris Kelly’s guidance and direction. Members meet on Saturday mornings approximately twice a month from April-October. Bee Lab membership is $250 for the year for Museum members, $285 for non-members.

For more information, click here: Hallockville Bee Program

Did You Know?

In the 18th and early 19th century, the Sound Avenue community celebrated almost none of the holidays we know today. Social life was mostly limited to church meetings and family get-togethers, barn raisings, weddings, and similar community events. Not until the second half of the 19th century do we begin to see at least sporadic references to Thanksgiving and — still later — Christmas. Neither, however, looked much like modern holiday celebrations. We also start to see parties, organized social events, and other evidence that, despite their Puritan heritage, Sound Avenuers knew how to have a good time.

Excerpted from A Farm Family on Long Island’s North Fork: The Lost World of the Hallocks and Their Sound Avenue Community by Richard A. Wines (SUNY Press, 2024).

Hard cover available for purchase on Amazon. Paperback will be available in the spring of 2025.

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Give the Gift of Membership!

At Hallockville, membership truly does have privileges from free or reduced admission to many of our events to discounts at the Miss Ella’s Gift Shop and more.

We have moved to a rolling membership so you will have one year from signing up to enjoy all it means to be a member.

To join or to give the gift of membership, head to: Hallockville Membership!

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