Out and About: Kickin’ It 19th-Century Style at the Justin Morrill State Historic Site

Strafford — Participants in a farmstead skills workshop next month at the Justin Morrill State Historic Site will get to snack on the bread and hand-churned butter they make, and take home their other creations, including, soap and, probably, candles.

There’s no need to bring a bag; the items will fit nicely inside a woven basket, which they’ll also make. But how, one might ask, can so much be accomplished in a mere five-hour class?

“I’m good at planning lessons and getting the most out of face time with students,” workshop leader and award-winning Hartford High School art teacher Andersen Thorp said in a telephone interview.

The program, on June 17, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., is among many being offered this season by Friends of the Morrill Homestead.

It will provide “a taste of the handiwork that was the center of life on a small 19th-century family farm,” according to the group’s website.

The workshop will build on some of the skills that were common during Justin Morrill’s time, and which carry over into modern-day uses as well, said Thorp, who was speaking from personal experience — she hasn’t bought a loaf of bread in three years or purchased soap in almost a decade.

The historic site’s “many special treasures” include examples of the resourcefulness reflected in the motto “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without,” said Thorp, who co-founded the homestead’s friends group.

“A lot of New Englanders were known for being frugal and resourceful. I think it was a way of life everyone lived.”

The cost of the workshop is $65, which includes materials. Space is limited.

To register, visit the homestead’s website, morrillhomestead.org, send email to director@morrillhomestead.org, or call 802-765-4288 by June 11.