Farm Connections
Almost everyone in the group had some association with farms. They looked at the photos of tractors and the intriguing farm related artwork of Grant Wood and started sharing stories. A few recognized Wood's famous, "American Gothic" portrait. We could have talked for an hour, about the odd story behind the curious portrait. But this group had too many stories of their own to share, about tractors and crops... |
Toys
The vintage toy tractor was a hit. The tiny milk bottles inspired stories of cow-miking. I held up the tiny wheel barrow and shared my own memory, of my brother giving me wild wheelbarrow rides. Robert talked about using a wheelbarrow to clean out the horse stall. We all laughed about that smelly chore.
From Corn to Cotton Picking Machines
The props and photos prompted stories and advice from both groups. "Oh, you know the corn is fresh, when the husk still feels moist! " "I rode on the cotton picker with my daddy..." "Always stagger your planting rows, a week apart, until the first frost..."
I left both groups in good spirits. Talking about farms and gardens just feels healthy. I felt like I got a few of the benefits, without all the hard work!
The dynamics in both groups are very unique. They come from different worlds with different experiences and abilities. My morning group is closer to my age. My afternoon group is older and most deal with Alzheimers. But, whatever the background, all seemed to share a special joy in handling the veggies. Some breathed in the earthy smell of the dusty potato, some seemed to delight in the cool corn silk. Other hands just fiddled with the beans, as if tempted to take a bite. For all there were memories, connected to the vegetables. For some it brought back hard, but satisfying farm and garden work. For others, cooking and recipes came to mind. For all, the flavors of fresh veggies was a fun topic.
I'm not sure this topic would have the same impact in 20 years. I wonder.