The Longmont Museum Presents Family Farming At Its Most Tasty
from:Longmont Museum category:Arts and Entertainment posted:June 7th, 2008
In the modern world of agribusiness and factory farms, some family farms survive, and even thrive. Photographer Jane Gabrilove has spent the last two years photographing Zweck’s Farm, a Centennial Farm on the western edge of Longmont. An exhibit of her photographs, On Zweck’s Farm, opens July 19 and runs through August 24, 2008 at the Longmont Museum.
Zweck’s farm, located on the west side of Airport Road at 9th Avenue, was first homesteaded by George and Mary Zweck in 1865. While business reversals in the 1880s nearly cost the family the farm, Mary’s hard work reclaimed it from foreclosure. The land passed to a second generation of Zwecks, and now the third and fourth generations make this place their home and work. The land, through the Boulder County Open Space program, will never be developed. It will be perpetual farmland.
Gabrilove’s photographs record the richness of the land and its products. Bright red tomatoes, vibrant carrots, rainbow chard, and luscious raspberries provide mouth-watering evidence of the farm’s success. Wildlife co-exists with agriculture, and more than a century of history permeates the landscape. As Gabrilove puts it, “The family, the land and the fruits of their relationship sing a song of life that, I would hope, would inspire us to appreciate the food that sustains us.”
The vegetables and cattle produced on Zweck’s farm contribute to the growing “local food” movement. This movement aims to reduce the impact of agriculture on the environment by reducing the distance from farmer to consumer. It also allows food to ripen naturally and arrive in stores fresh from the land.
On Zweck’s Farm will include more than one hundred photographs, a locally-made Gibson tractor, and beekeeping equipment.
Public Programs
Local Food Reception
A public reception featuring local food from area farms, including Zweck’s Farm, will be held on Friday, July 25, at 7 pm, at the Longmont Museum & Cultural Center. Free.
Backyard Beekeeping
On Saturday, August 16, from 10:30 am to noon, find out a simple approach to having a beehive in your backyard from organic beekeeper Corwin Bell. Free.
Date: July 19 and runs through August 24, 2008.
Location: The Longmont Museum.
