Break The Ice In Mercer County This Weekend

Howell Living History Farm will open the 2017 season with its annual ice harvesting operations this weekend. On Saturday, Jan. 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors to the 130-acre historical farm can help cut blocks of ice with saws and other tools used in the days when farmers faced with warmer winters filled their ice houses with commercial ice.

Inside the farmhouse, children can peek into an ice box, learn how a wood-burning stove works, and help make (and taste!) a batch of hand-cranked ice cream.

“Ice Candles,” a craft program for kids of all ages, will be offered inside the Visitor Center Barn from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Crafts take 20 minutes to complete and cost $3.

Those needing to “take the chill off” can relax inside the heated Charles Fish Barn at the Visitor Center, where hot chocolate and other warm fare will be available.

In the barn's mini-theatre, there will be continuous showings of a silent film about ice harvesting. Throughout the day, visitors can see farm animals, tour a sugaring operation where maple syrup is already in production, and enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides. Rides cost $5 for adults, $3 for children.

Howell Living History Farm is owned by the County of Mercer and maintained by the Mercer County Park Commission.

It is located on Valley Road, just off Route 29, in Hopewell Township. The GPS address is 70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell Township, NJ 08530. Parking and admission are free.

For more information, call the farm office at 609-737-3299 or visit www.howellfarm.org or www.mercercountyparks.org.

The attached images were provided by Mercer County officials: Farmers and volunteers unload a block of ice from a horse-drawn wagon as part of the annual ice harvesting activities at Howell Living History Farm.