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Agricultural Fields & Gardens at
Jamestown Settlement, Yorktown Victory Center
'Seed to Stalk' programs June 1-30
Beauty meets function in fields and gardens at Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center, where agriculture is included in the story of the nation’s beginnings. Varieties of crops and herbs and vegetables grown in the 17th and 18th centuries are cultivated at both museums. During a "Seed to Stalk" theme month in June, visitors can assist historical interpreters with turning earth, watering and weeding.
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“Seed to Stalk” Theme Month
June 1-30, 2013
Jamestown Settlement & Yorktown Victory Center
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American agriculture of the 17th and 18th centuries is the focus of interpretive programs and hands-on activities. Throughout the month, visitors can join in tending gardens, and learn about the many practical uses of herbs and plants.
At Jamestown Settlement’s re-created Powhatan Indian village, lend a hand with field crops to learn how Powhatan Indians obtained half their annual food supply.
At the Yorktown Victory Center’s 1780s farm, see what’s in season on kitchen garden tours held throughout the day. See periodic demonstrations of spinning fiber and dying cloth. Discover the process of growing tobacco, an 18th-century cash crop.
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Corn, a food staple of the Powhatan Indians that English colonists adapted to their diet, is planted in early spring at the Powhatan village and fort, as well as at the 1780s farm. At Jamestown Settlement, beans and squash are later planted around the emerging corn stalks, a Powhatan practice also adopted by English colonists.
Tobacco, Virginia’s premier cash crop during the colonial period, is grown at both museums, with seedlings planted in mid-spring. Nicotiana rustica, a native variety, grows in the Powhatan village, and Nicotiana tabacum, a type brought to Virginia in the early 17th century, is cultivated outside the Jamestown Settlement fort and at the Yorktown Victory Center farm. Cotton and flax – crops used in making cloth – are grown at the Yorktown Victory Center, and grain is planted at both museums.
Dozens of varieties of vegetables and herbs used in the 17th and 18th centuries for food, medicine, fabric dye and insect repellant are cultivated year-round in gardens and beds at both museums. Peas, carrots, lettuce, chard, onions and radishes are among vegetables planted in the spring. Some items have two growing seasons and others, like kale, cabbage and parsnips, thrive in cool weather. Feverfew, wormwood, savory, rosemary, yarrow, coriander, sage, thyme, dill, oregano, chamomile and lemon balm are among the herbs – mostly perennials – grown at both museums.
At the Yorktown Victory Center farm, peanuts, collards, cowpeas, okra, peppers and gourds are grown in a small garden representing foods a slave might have cultivated for personal use or to sell at market. Sunflowers, a food source native to the Americas, are grown here as well as at Jamestown Settlement’s Powhatan village.
 It's the perfect season to explore the roots of American history at Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center. Take in the beauty and function of field crops and kitchen gardens of the colonial era with a three-day, two-night package. Lend a hand at turning soil for the season’s new crops and tending heirloom plants and herbs. Now’s the time to dig in — packages start at $199 for two adults and are only available online. Free parking. Seasonal shuttle available.
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Administered by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, an agency of the Commonwealth of
Virginia that is accredited by the American Association of Museums.
©Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, P.O. Box 1607, Williamsburg,
Virginia 23187-1607 (757) 253-4838 or toll-free (888)593-4682; fax (757)253-5299
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