‘The Farm’ at Schiele opens Saturday

The Schiele Museum is in the heart of Gastonia, but its newly expanded outdoor exhibit, “The Farm,” aims to show the vital link between agriculture and urban dwellers.

“The Farm” will be open at no charge to visitors beginning Saturday, May 30. Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

“Our nature trail has been open for a couple of weeks now,” said Director of Development Elysabeth Utick. “And we thought it would be a great show of good will to the community to make ‘The Farm’ and our other outdoor exhibits open at no cost.”

In the past, “The Farm” represented what a colonial farm would have been like in the Piedmont of the Carolinas more than 250 years ago.

Now, according to Head of Interpretation Tony Pasour, ‘The Farm’ has been re-purposed to reflect the connection between agriculture and modern society.

“We think that’s an important story to tell,” he said. “It provides a snapshot of the current agricultural community.”

“The Farm,” which is sponsored by the Gaston County Farm Bureau, will now include:

• New and expanded gardens to showcase a variety of plants and growing techniques.

• Agricultural equipment, past and present, to demonstrate how technology on the farm has changed over time.

• Farm animals including chickens, goats and honeybees. Later this summer, Pasour said sheep, an alpaca, pigs, and a turkey will be added to the barnyard brood.

The museum’s nature trail, open during the same hours as “The Farm,” is a 0.7-mile trek which includes a pine forest, mixed hardwood forest, and pond and stream communities typical of the North Carolina Piedmont.

The Catawba Indian Village reviews 400 years of Catawba Indian culture, adaptation, and survival. The village includes a prehistoric bark-covered house, a council house, and log cabins.

In addition to the exhibits, the Schiele will be offering limited outdoor educational programs on some days. Visitors may check the sign at the nature trail entrance for the topics, times, and locations of these programs.

Visitors to the outdoor exhibits are urged to maintain proper social distancing.

And, because the museum itself is not yet open, no restrooms are available during visits to the nature trail and the outdoor exhibits.

Of course, Utick noted, she and all other staff members at the Schiele are preparing for the day when the museum is able to reopen.

“We are ready to go as soon as we get the green light,” she said.

Bill Poteat, who has rejoined The Gazette staff after a brief retirement, may be reached at 704-869-1855.