Harvest exhibit opens

...

DEL NORTE — Fall has arrived and with it, the time of harvest. The farm and ranching families throughout the history of Rio Grande County found this to be the time of seed shows, fairs and with some of the rural churches, time for the “Harvest Home” celebrations. It is a time of hard work, but also the time that the money from the year’s work will soon be coming so that the farmer and rancher can make it through the winter and to the next growing season.

Rio Grande County Museum is honoring the farmers and ranchers in our long agricultural history who helped to build our county as well as the farmers and ranchers who continue working and are a major part of the economy of the county. The story of the German Prisoners of War who helped with the harvests for three years during World War II has been put into a display and is taken from the point of view of the Extension Agent, A. A. Goodman, who was in the office during that period of time.

On September 23rd from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. a reception will be held to open the exhibit showing photos, stories and artifacts related to agriculture. The exhibit will run through November. The refreshment will reflect the cultures of the German, Swiss, Austrian and Hispanics.

The museum is always interested in stories from the area and not only agriculture, but family stories that need to be preserved. Just a simple phone call to the museum can bring these stories to life.

For more information, please contact the Rio Grande County Museum at (719) 657-2847 or by email at [email protected].  Follow us on our Facebook page or on our website of Rio Grande County or Museum Trail Association. The museum is located at 580 Oak Street in Del Norte.

Captions: Potatoes are picked on the Fritz Kernen farm on Pinos Creek about 1932 with the help from neighbors including Adolph Kernen, Frank Hanna, Jess Sprague and Lloyd Kernen. Note the single horse drawn sorter and sacker. Photo courtesy of K Kernen

Alex Colville and his son, Alex, Jr. work the fields Photo courtesy of Alex Colville