The Wessels Living History Farm

[Bill who putters]

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2010.

1.  The Wessels Living History Farm, the Story of Agricultural Innovation [Flash Player, Quick Time] Nebraskan David Wessels passed away, he left a vision in his will for a "living history farm". A committee formed in 1995 made sure that his vision would come to fruition, and the result was the creation of the Wessels Living History Farm. The farm was started in York, Nebraska, and it has a long-standing partnership with the Nebraska Educational Television Network. For visitors who can't make the trip out to York, this website is the next best thing. The site does a great job of providing visitors with information about how farm life has changed since the 1920s. The sections on the site describe the farming experience chronologically by decade, and each decade contains seven sections, including "Machines", "Crops", and "Pests & Weeds". Each of the sections contains a short introductory paragraph or two, but the real highlights are the video clips that feature people talking about changes in farm technology, farm life, and other germane topics. Some of the subsections here include "Harvesting Wheat", "Tractors", and "Fertilizing". The "Learning Resources" area contains materials for teachers, complete with grade level suggestions, objectives, and so on. Some of the featured materials here include "What Do You Believe", and "Life Before Electricity". Finally, the site is rounded out by a web camera that lets you peer into life down on the Wessels farm. [KMG]