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The Northville Farm Heritage Centre was founded in 2000 by a group of people interested in preserving the tools, implements and farming methods of the past. Its fifteen acre site is situated at the foot of the North Mountain, which defines the northern edge of Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley. The Bay of Fundy, behind the Mountain, is only four miles away as the crow flies. The family farm was once a way of life in the Valley. Farms would have orchard, beef or dairy cattle, a pig or two, some sheep and poultry. Potatoes were once a major export commodity, and everyone grew a vegetable garden for their own use. Apples became a major commodity roughly between 1880 and 1945, and were the main impetus behind all the railway lines going to rural communities. Since World War ll most farmers have specialized in just one or two kinds of livestock or crops, so that the small mixed farm has become a threatened species. Northville Farm Heritage Centre is located in the midst of the best agricultural land in Nova Scotia. A dedicated group of volunteers with farming blood in their veins have been erecting buildings one at a time, beginning with Heritage Hall. Our functioning windmill previously was used to supply water to Hayes Mill at Coldbrook. The sawmill and shingle mill are often demonstrated at our special events. The Bentley Barn, Carriage House and Sawler Building are filled with antiques. The Cookhouse supplies drinks and hot foods whenever a crowd gathers here. A blacksmith shop and a cooper shop are the most recent additions, with blacksmithing demos given at some of our events. If you’d like to see the place, just attend one of our special events, or ask for a private tour. One of our volunteers will be happy to show you around. Volunteers and new members are welcome! Please visit our website for current events. We hold annual Planting and Harvest Days, Tractor Pulls, School Programs and more!
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