Public invited to Carlisle farm to watch horse-drawn harvest

PHOTOGRAPHER: Edward Munger Jr.

The public is being invited onto a farm this weekend to join in the harvest and watch farmers work the fields the old way: with horses.

The Homestead Farm of Debra and Frank Bradt on Ice Cave Road in the town of Carlisle will hold a Corn Harvest on Saturday and Sunday sponsored by the Eastern Regional Draft Horse Association.

Debra Bradt said in addition to the family’s draft horses, she is expecting association members to bring horses, so there will likely be 10 or 12 teams on the job.

Visitors, including children, will get to ride on the horse-drawn wagons used to gather up the cut corn, Bradt said.

“Even the little kids love to pick up ears of corn on the ground; some of the ears fall off. It’s a good old country time,” she said.

The farm has been in the family’s hands since 1920, when Frank Bradt’s grandfather bought it, Debra Bradt said.

The former dairy farmers stopped milking cows and now plant hay and corn and sell silage to feed other farmers’ cows.

Bradt said the family has been holding the event for the past 16 years. Horse teams will include large draft horses, miniature horses and medium- to smaller-sized draft horses.

There’s about eight acres of corn ready to be cut, and Bradt said she believes roughly five acres could be cut and collected in the two days.

Though it’s a fun event that lets people get a taste of farming, Bradt said the family appreciates all the help they get from visitors during the harvest.

There is no charge for the event, but the Carlisle Fire Department’s Ladies Auxiliary will have refreshments for sale.

The Corn Harvest will start at 10:30 a.m. both days. Saturday’s harvesting will be complete by roughly 4 p.m., and on Sunday the work will end between 2 and 3 p.m.

The farm is located at 321 Ice Cave Road in Carlisle.