Volunteers Needed to Plant Trees, Saw Firewood at Howell Living History Farm

Howell Living History Farm is looking for helping hands to plant trees, saw firewood and ready logs for the mill.

Visitors of all ages are invited to roll up their sleeves and grab a saw, shovel or cant hook on Saturday, April 30, beginning at 10 a.m.

Farmers will use a sawmill to cut lumber for barn repairs and restoration projects. Visitors can help by using spud bars to de-bark logs and cant hooks to roll them to the mill.

Those who like working the old-fashioned way can use a two-man saw to cut rounds that will then be split into firewood, wheel chocks and barn peg blanks.

Mallets, froes and draw knives are among the tools that visitors can try. Youngsters can make and take home a barn peg like the ones used to hold together a timber frame barn.

Howell 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.