It may seem absurd to wake your kid up early on a Saturday morning for morning chores, but we did exactly that this past weekend in order to visit Coggeshall Farm for their Breakfast in the Barnyard program.

Starting at 8 am, our Early American costumed hosts selected volunteers to carry a basket of corn husks, a container for milking and and a basket for vegetables.  We then headed to the garden to collect some rotted vegetables to feed the swine (unnamed, but you can call her bacon).  We watched the cow get milked, met her new calf (which the cow seemed a bit touchy about), let the sheep out to graze, saw a chicken find food for her baby chicks, and brushed the cattle. And all the while, we learned about customs of the late 1700s and life on a heritage farm.

We then headed into the original 18th century farmhouse to wash up and sit down for a breakfast of old-fashioned jonnycakes, some fruit and apple cider.

It certainly was the best time I ever had doing chores, and Madeline loved it even if she did spend most of the time there wearing her pajamas.

Coggeshall Farm Museum
Breakfast in the Barnyard takes place Saturdays August 21, 28 and September 4, 11, and 25
Poppasquash Road
Bristol, RI 02809
(401) 253-9062
www.coggeshallfarm.org