[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Cate Sharper was a woman enslaved in Maryland in the mid to late 1700s. Her name, and that of her son, appear in the probate records of the Prince George’s county family that enslaved her. How she came to this land and what happened to her and her son we do not know from the records that survived the intervening 250 years. But because she was a real woman who lived and worked this land, we want to remember her. With the help of staff and re

The National Colonial Farm imagines a fictional family—the Boltons—to reveal the realities of life for non-wealthy landowners and enslaved people in early America. How like a winter hath my absence been From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year! What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen! What old December’s bareness everywhere! - William Shakespeare The spring equinox is just days away, purple crocuses have emerged as small pools of color among the brown landscape, a

“Now Letter-Writing is, to me, the most agreable Amusement and Writing to you the most entertaining and Agreable of all Letter-Writing” —John Adams to Abigail Smith, April 12th 1764 Were your Valentines this year a bit… uninspired? Are you tired of the endless stream of stale and saccharine sentiments that line the shelves of every stationery store? Do you shudder to think of sending yet another card to “my hubby” and sigh to see texts proclaiming “ay bb ily”? Fear not, dear

At the heart of the Accokeek Foundation’s mission is the preservation of an awe-inspiring space where people of all ages, and from all backgrounds, can learn about Maryland’s rich cultural and natural heritage. In this space–Piscataway Park–we interpret life on the Potomac during the 18th century, culturally-significant agricultural practices, and land management practices that are beneficial for the environment. For many decades, this space has been providing a backdrop for

We began recruiting volunteers for this year’s Twilight Tales over the summer, and the dedicated group of people who answered our call have been working tirelessly, despite the shutdown, to make this year’s event a spectacular one. After a jam-session to learn the songs (yes, you heard right–songs!), a prop design day to help transform the farm, and two rehearsals of the script, we are only one dress rehearsal away from event day. This year’s Twilight Tales will follow Gemmy

by Meg Nicholas Each year, despite the season, we come across a number of photographers out wandering our trails, or pausing near the farmhouse and fences for shots of our heritage breed chickens, cows, sheep and pigs. Some of these visitors share their shots with us via email or the Facebook pages for the Accokeek Foundation, the National Colonial Farm, the Ecosystem Farm, and the Center for Agricultural and Environmental Stewardship (CAES). Some we find through searches on