COLUMN: Village News – Did you know?

Most of us focus our attention on our daily routines and on the people who are close to us, our neighbours, our friends and our family. It’s not uncommon to be familiar with places in our city, knowing where they are located, but not ever stopping to visit. Until I joined the staff at Mennonite Heritage Village (MHV), the museum was a place like that for me. I had visited the museum with my parents as a child. I had been there once or twice as a young adult during Pioneer Days. But mainly, I drove by on the highway hundreds and possibly thousands of times over the decades, without any idea of the sites on the grounds or the activities occurring throughout the various seasons. What was I missing?

Did you know that several dedicated volunteers maintain our working windmill with regular maintenance and cleaning of the many moving gears, shafts and sails? This allows it to continue to function as a flour mill. During event days, the sails are engaged, and the entire windmill becomes a very big machine, harnessing power from the wind and making it possible to use the grindstones on the second level, to turn wheat into flour. Several times a year, this flour is sifted and bagged for use in our famous stoneground whole wheat bread recipe at the Livery Barn Restaurant. It is also packaged for sale in our gift shop.

Did you know that the General Store on our village Main Street is an actual, operating store open seven days a week from May 1 to Sept. 30? The store carries local artisan handmade items for sale and is staffed by the same artisans on a rotating basis. You can stop by any day during museum hours to shop and speak with the artisan on site that day. No admission is required. Step back in time to the early 1900’s as you hear the creak of the wooden floor, shop for that special handmade gift, and imagine your great grandparents making their monthly trip to town to pick up supplies for their home.

Did you know that the Steinbach and Area Garden Club looks after the museum orchard and gardens? Each spring they prepare the soil and plant traditional vegetables like our grandparents did. We have three garden plots dedicated to growing rhubarb for the tasty plautz dessert in the Livery Barn Restaurant. And many of the vegetables find their way into our restaurant-made soup recipes. When you eat at the restaurant with family and friends, you are enjoying home grown goodness.

Did you know that we have a gravel walking path around the pond and that the shoreline has been rebuilt with the assistance of the Seine Rat Roseau Watershed District to prevent erosion and to create a natural habitat that invites exploration and enjoyment of nature? Whether you are enjoying a peaceful walk through the village homesteads and gardens or strolling through the grove of saskatoon and chokecherry bushes to follow the path around the pond, you will encounter the chirping of crickets, the songs of small birds, and the sights and smells of nature all around you.

Did you know that we have farm animals in our barnyard all summer? We have generous farmers who look after these animals in winter, but during the summer months our visitors can get close to cows, miniature horses and donkeys, sheep and goats, pigs and multi-coloured chickens. They are looked after by our staff and volunteers to ensure that they are cared for and well fed. Several local families use their memberships to visit the animals on a weekly basis, watching the lambs play tag with each other, petting the miniature horses, and feeding grass to the curious chickens.

For many years, I drove by Mennonite Heritage Village on my way to somewhere, but I rarely stopped to find out more about the museum and its 40 acres of heritage buildings, its manicured gardens, and its natural environment. As you plan your summer activities, think about visiting MHV for a few hours. Find out what you have been missing.

Upcoming events

May to September – The museum, the Livery Barn Restaurant, the General Store, and Village Books and Gifts are open 7 days per week.

July 26 – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Country Classic Car Club – Show and Shine at MHV.

Aug. 2 to 4 – Pioneer Days: Celebrate the 151st anniversary of Mennonites arriving in Manitoba this summer during the August Long Weekend.

Aug. 16 – Peace Trek: An annual cycling fundraiser highlighting certain historic sites between The Mennonite Landing and the MHV Peace Exhibit. Details at www.mhv.ca.

Sept. 6 – Tractor Drive: Our annual antique tractor fundraising drive including a 50 km countryside ride through several local communities.