Jackson Free Press

On most days of the week, people can walk through Small Town, Mississippi, at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum and experience life the way it was for people in the 1920s. They can see an old-time letterpress at The TBZH Print Shop; the tools of the metalworking trade at the blacksmith shop; and the Bisland cotton gin, which is the oldest operating cotton gin in the United States. They can even tour the General Store and buy candy, snacks and products made in Mississippi.

But for a few days, Small Town comes to life for the annual Harvest Festival.

"It's literally all of the amazing artifacts that we have on site here actually operating," says Emily Summerlin, the marketing and events specialist for the museum. "It's kind of like you literally stepped back in time into the 1920s, rural Mississippi 1920s."

"No flappers to be found here," she jokes.

The museum has organized this event for a few years, but for its latest installment, Summerlin says the staff is changing it up a bit, with two weeks and two different ways to tour the area. From Nov. 10 to Nov. 12, the museum offered special industrial demonstrations on the large machines and exhibits such as the cotton gin, the sawmill, and antique tractor and engine displays.

Nov. 16 through Nov. 18 is "living history week," which will focus on man-powered, hands-on demonstrations at the blacksmith shop, the print shop and other areas. Animals will also be on site this week, and the museum will serve biscuits with syrup and offer $1 train, hay and carousel rides.

Summerlin says one reason that the museum decided to add to the event's format is the number of volunteers that sign up to participate each year. The event normally has around 30 people who specialize in the different demonstration areas and know the history of their exhibit.

"If we broke it down, we can cater a little bit more to the volunteer staff and make sure that the public gets what they came to see," she says.

The museum also wanted to expand on the industrial aspect of the event. Summerlin says the museum is in the process of working with businesses to set up demonstrations with large-scale modern machinery such as tractors and combines.

"We're going to do that so that people can see, 'Yes, these are the old antique tractors. This is what we have, but this is the new era of harvesting. This is how we harvest crops now. This is how we get our forestry industry, how they do things now,'" she says. "It's a nice dichotomy between those two—the new and the old, if you will."

Summerlin says the annual event serves to highlight the history of Mississippi's agriculture and forestry industries, and the impact these have had on the state.

"The industry now versus what was literally 100 years ago basically is much the same but very different," she says. "... The agriculture and forestry industry in Mississippi is a huge piece of our commerce, and the harvest fest just gives us an opportunity to really just share that with our ... visitors."

Summerlin says the staff often does introductory talks when younger school groups come out to tour the grounds, and one of the questions the guides ask the students is "Where does your (insert produce here) come from?"

"Ninety percent of the time, they say, 'The grocery store! Kroger!' 'Yes, that's true, but where do they come from before there?' A lot of kids, especially in more of an urban setting, are not introduced to agriculture as much as kids were before," Summerlin says.

"I just think it's really important for not just children but everybody to understand your food comes from hardworking farmers, and that food gets here through the commerce system. It's a large process to get that carrot on your table, and ... I think it comes back to pride. Mississippi has such a large stock in ag. It's really important for all of our citizens to be aware of that, to have pride in that, and not only that, but supporting local. If you know where your food is coming from, then you have more of an opportunity to support your local farmers markets or your local groceries. (Knowing) where your food comes from makes your more knowledgeable and makes you happier in the long run, I think. No surprises."

The Harvest Festival continues Nov. 16-18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum (1150 Lakeland Drive). Admission is $6 for adults ages 19 and up, and $4 for children from ages 3 to 18. For more information, visit msagmuseum.org.