CHIT-CHAT: History to sprout at Heirloom Garden Show

Capture the flavor of the past by stepping back in time to the lovingly preserved 1840s setting of Garfield Farm Museum, where the annual Heirloom Garden Show offers up bountiful vegetables and flowers that preserve a rare horticultural heritage.

It will be a cornucopia of unusual shapes and colors for produce and fruits that were once common mainstays of the American table, presented by a variety of Midwestern growers and members of the Seed Savers Exchange, a group that works to ensure genetic diversity. Jerry Johnson, executive director of the living history museum, talks about the show and other events planned at the rural attraction, which boasts its own heirloom vegetable garden, antique flower garden and native prairie.

Jerry Johnson, executive director of Garfield Farm Museum, stands outside the visitor’s center of the 281-acre farmstead, an 1840s living history attraction. STAFF PHOTOS BY STEVE BITTINGER

What may surprise visitors?
One family has grown as many as 60 varieties of tomatoes. You have a wide range — all shapes, sizes, colors, textures, cooking traits, flavors ... keeping abilities. Some are better for sauces and some for cutting and putting right on the table. People ... are used to seeing a couple (types) in the grocery store. We’ll be getting people familiar ... that there’s a wide range of things out there that we don’t have typical access to. Some are just fun in and of themselves.

What other veggies will be available?
Eggplant, Swiss chard, the alliums: onions and garlic. Pretty much whatever is coming into season. We welcome more exhibitors that grow old varieties, and we can register those up to a few days before. Usually someone will bring some homemade wines like rhubarb and dandelion. The Natural Garden (nursery will offer) native plants. (Compared to our) ancestors, the approach to food consumption has ignored a lot of the wonderful varieties and cooking methods and working with ripe fruit and vegetables.

What is the mission of the Seed Savers Exchange?
It is working to preserve varieties of vegetables, crops, you name it, by both obtaining seed and growing it and producing it at their site in Decorah, Iowa, as well as establishing a network of individuals who grow these varieties. They publish a catalog in January of backyard gardeners willing to sell seed.

Will other activities be part of the event?
There will be tours of the 1846 tavern. Refreshments and food will be available from Inglenook Pantry in Geneva.

The 1840s rule at Garfield Farm Museum, where site manager Thomas Hillier (left) and assistant site manager Bill Wolcott do some weeding in preparation for the Heirloom Garden Show.

Describe this fall’s Harvest Days, another upcoming event at Garfield Farm.
It will feature demonstrations of historic household and farm skills, with music and tall tales by Reid Miller — Sunday, Oct. 4, for the general public, and Friday, Oct. 2, for students. Schools need to reserve as soon as possible.

SAVOR THE HISTORY
WHAT Garfield Farm Museum presents its Heirloom Garden Show
WHERE On Garfield Road just north of Route 38 between Geneva and Elburn, about three miles west of Randall Road; (630) 584-8485; info@garfieldfarm.org; www.garfieldfarm.org
WHEN 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23
HOW MUCH $6, $3 for youth