Since even before the founding of Hatfield in 1670, farming has been an important part of family and community life. Whether it was beef cattle or broomcorn, tobacco, onions, cucumbers, asparagus, potatoes, or something else, raising livestock and crops has been familiar to a great many people in this town over the last 350-plus years.
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It’s the families who are the focus of this virtual exhibit, though – not the crops. How does one instill the love of the land and the taste for hard work that raising the next generation of successful farmers requires? How does one step into the roles, or sometimes literally climb into the seat left vacant by a parent or grandparent? What is it like to experience market-changing conditions or acts of nature that derail your plans or erase your profits? How does it feel to take chances with something as precious as the family farm?
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Meet the farming families
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Each of these farms has been worked by at least two generations of the same Hatfield family. Click on a family's picture for slideshows, audio clips and more.
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ANTOSZ
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BARDWELL
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BELDEN
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GOLONKA |
WENDOLOWSKI
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ZGRODNIK |
The farms featured above represent only a portion of Hatfield's multi-generational farming families
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This exhibit is a work in progress. In the future, hopefully with support from a grant, we would like to add more families and more stories. Thanks to all the current participants and volunteers, and if we’ve gotten something wrong, please let us know!
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