Ice Harvest Is Too Cool, Pun Intended

My Uncle David Booker who grew up here and moved to California to be a musician use to sing a very naughty song about the ice man. Let's just say the guy got around.   Hard to imagine now a fella driving around a horse draw wagon selling blocks of ice but at one time it was one of Maine's largest exports and now we can experience this history for ourselves right in Orrington.

CURRAN HOMESTEAD HOSTS ICE HARVEST

Bring the Family to cut some fresh native blocks of ice together!

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2013 • 10am – 2pm

Organizers write:

"Less than a century ago, cakes of ice from Maine waterways were shipped around the globe to keep the world's food supply cool. Ice was the state's second-largest crop, one which brought millions of dollars into thousands of homes at a time of year when most farmers' daily activities were severely limited by deep winter snows.

On Saturday, February 16, from 10 am to 2 pm, The Curran Homestead Living History

Farm and Museum at 372 Fields Pond Road in Orrington will hold its fifth annual ice harvest on Field's Pond, taking participants (young and old) back to a time when large, fresh native blocks of crystal-pure ice were sawn and gathered from our ponds, lakes and rivers, and stowed away in anticipation of summer heat.

"Museum personnel are most enthused at the prospect of horses being involved in this year's harvest, the first time that such draft animals have been present on Field's Pond to cut ice in over seventy years," according to Bruce Bowden, The Curran Homestead's Museum Director. Teamster Earl Strandell of Greenbush has graciously volunteered his team and their services for the event.