UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State’s Pasto Agricultural Museum Will Again Feature "winter On The Farm" During Ag Progress Days, Aug. 16-18. Several New Items Have Been Added To A Repeat Performance Stimulated By Popular Demand From Last Year. One New Piece Is A Rare And Unusual Hand-powered Rotary Ice Saw With A 1909 Patent Date. It Came From A Fifth-generation Farm In Centre County. "the Inventor And Manufac

Wintertime farm life was a rugged experience in years past, according to Braund, who points out that centralized heating did not exist. "Bedrooms were not heated," he says. "Horses pulling a variety of specialized vehicles equipped with runners provided transportation for people and produce. Refrigeration wasn't available. Our exhibit, Winter on the Farm, covers the days before electricity and refrigeration."

Harvesting ice was a big-time winter activity in northern Pennsylvania, New York and New England, Braund notes. It provided extra work for rural people. "Ice harvest required specialized equipment and tools," he says. "In addition to the horse-drawn ice scorer and ice plows, a variety of hand tools are exhibited. These include axes, saws, tongs, breaking bars, picks, pikes and sleds."

A model icehouse complete with double walls filled with sawdust for insulation contains blocks of "ice" to demonstrate storage practices. A wooden trough filled with water and a block of real ice will illustrate how cans of milk were cooled overnight in summer before being transported to town and cities.

"As you look at the ice-harvesting process and imagine the grueling and cold physical labor involved, give thanks for modern refrigeration," says Braund. "The ice man commeth no more!" The Pasto Agricultural Museum serves nearly 10,000 child and adult visitors per year. Tours can be scheduled from late April through October 15; call 814-863-1383, e-mail http://apd.cas.psu.edu.

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Editor: Jeff MulhollemOffice 814-863-2719 FAX 814-863-9877