JHU museum exhibit to show early farming practices in Baltimore

A museum at a Baltimore college is opening its doors to an exhibit that traces the city's early food and farm practices, according to a published report.

"Federal Foodies: From Farm to Table in Early Baltimore" has been on display at the Homewood Museum at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Scheduled to run through April 29, the exhibit will be augmented by Historic Farm Day on April 1.

Historic Farm Day focuses on Baltimore's early agricultural history and the Homewood farm. Built in 1801, Homewood was the summer resort for Charles Carroll Jr., whose father signed the Declaration of Independence from Maryland.

Now the primary campus of Johns Hopkins University, the property once encompassed 130 acres and entailed fields of grain, fruit orchards and vegetable gardens. The property had a farmhouse, an ice house, a smoke house, dairy products and cattle.

Set to kick off by paying tribute to Historic Farm Day, the exhibit will feature interactive activities and demonstrations.

Visitors who partake in Farm Day may enjoy educational activities that are set up both indoors and outdoors and are germane to gardening and farming.

Historic rifle display to be exhibited next month at Pennsylvania farm museum

At least 50 long rifles steeped in tradition and heritage will be presented early next month at a museum in Southeast Pennsylvania, according to a press release.

The Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum in Lancaster County is presenting "The Golden Age of an American Art Form: The Lancaster Long Rifle" and the display pieces will be drawn from the museum, other museums and and private collections. Some of the rifles to be displayed will be presented for the first time ever.

"Lancaster County gunsmiths were craftsmen who excelled at producing exquisite, hand-made pieces incorporating highly refined artistic carving, engraving and inlaying while at the same time satisfying the need for accurate hunting weapons," museum site director James Lewars said.

Some rifles were crafted by renowned gunsmiths and demonstrate detail and effort that establish the rifles within the purview of artwork.

Also on display will be pistols, powder horns, game bags, gunsmithing tools and contemporary images of the long rifle.

Opening March 11, the exhibit - which is receiving funding from a Richard C. von Hess Foundation grant - runs through December.