The Kelley Farm, located in Elk River, Minnesota, will be hosting a series of workshops this winter, including Candle Making, and Hot Beds and Cold Frames.

The Candlemaking Workshop will be held on February 12, 2011 from 10:00 - 12:00 Noon.  Discover how kerosene lamplight was a great improvement over candlelight on a mid-19th century farm, especially for jobs done frequently at night such as sewing, letter writing and reading. During this workshop held in the Visitor Center, partiticpants will compare lamplight and candle light and try some of those typical tasks for themselves, then make a pair of hand-dipped, beeswax candles to take home, just in time for Valentine’s Day.  The cost is $3.00 per pair of candles. 

The Kelley Farm has has been a leader in seed saving activities in Minnesota since 1981. The 29th Annual Seed Savers Exchange will be held on March 13, 2011, at 2:00 PM.  The program, which is free of charge, will be offered in the historic site's Visitor Center.  It will include a gardening presentation. Participants need not bring seeds in order to take seed home. Seed Art will be available for children to make and take. This event is open to novice gardeners as well as those with more experience.

The Hot Beds and Cold Frames Workshop workshop will teach participants how to make hot beds and cold frames to expand the Minnesota gardening season in the spring and fall. This workshop will be held on March 26, 2011 from 9:00 AM to Noon. Through illustrated discussion and hands-on activities, participants will learn the difference between hot beds and cold frames, see several different types in use and help construct one of each. Dress for the weather and wear sturdy shoes. There is a $15.00 materials fee per person.  Reservations and pre-payment required.

Oliver H. Kelley and his wife Lucy began farming the land on the banks of the Mississippi River in 1850. Kelley was the founder of the first successful national farming organization, the Patrons of Husbandry, better known as the Grange. The Kelley Farm is recognized as "The birthplace of organized agriculture in America."

The working 1860's farm is located at 15788 Kelley Farm Rd., 2.5 miles southeast of downtown Elk River on U.S. Hwy. 10. It is a National Historic Landmark operated by the Minnesota Historical Society. For more information, or to make reservations for the workshops, call 763-441-6896.  You can visit their website at http://www.mnhs.org/places/sites/ohkf/