Rural Hill Piper Spring Newsletter 2016 Rural Hill Where History Springs Alive P.O. Box 1009 Huntersville, NC 28070 4431 Neck Road Huntersville, NC 28078 704-875-3113 www.ruralhill.net office@ruralhill.net Facilitated in cooperation with Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation K. Franklin photo Jeff s Corner Mark Your Calendars! Summer Food Truck Rally July 15 Miss May s Summer Tea August 21 Rural Hill Amazing Maize Maze September 10 through November 6 Whew! Spring was amazing here on the farm and we are thankful for great events, gorgeous weather, and all of the wonderful people that participated in our Spring Food Truck Rally, Loch Norman Highland Games, Brewers and Music Festival, and Scotch Dinner. The farm was a flurry of activity with Bark in the Park, Warrior Dash, weddings, meetings, and so much more. Nothing would be possible without the support of our members, our donors, and our incredible volunteers. Everything at Rural Hill is only possible through the countless contributions of the energy, time, money, and goods, that we are overwhelmed with gratitude. Thank you does not seem sufficient, but sincerely, from every member of our staff and on behalf of our Board of Directors, THANK YOU. If you have visited Rural Hill and want to get involved, we would be honored to have you for a day, for an hour, for one event, or for every event. If you have a skill or talent to share, interest in history, gardening, farming, or if you like to greet people, introduce the Maze whatever you enjoy, we would love to have you as part of our team. Please give us a call or drop us an email and we will help to get you plugged in! Huntersville Halloween October 22 Rural Hill Sheepdog Trials November 12 & 13 Never ready to rest, we are planting corn for the fall Maze and planning for our summer events. Mark your calendars so you can join us. Hope to see you on the farm!
Around the Farm Hay Season Though most visitors see Rural Hill in fullswing at our events, we are a working farm striving to sustain our Highland cattle and help other livestock in our area. A huge thank you goes to Freddie Brown, Eric Ferguson, and our volunteers Chris Christenbery, Bruce Parks, EH and Henry Cook. The crew filled our barn with our first cut of hay for the season! Other local farmers and volunteers pitch in with time and sometimes their equipment too. This hay goes to feed area horses and cattle including our own seen enjoying it below! These volunteers work year-round and are vital to the farm. Without them, we would not be able to keep up with all the mowing, repairs, maintenance, and general farm work that keeps Rural Hill going. Chris is here almost everyday and is usually the first person here each morning! Historic Rural Hill Piper - Spring 2016 - Page 2
Scenes from Spring Food Truck Rally The Rural Hill Spring Food Truck Rally was #1 on the The Charlotte Observer s 10 things you MUST do in April! Throughly enjoyed this year s events; one of the best years ever for us. - Jean R. via Facebook A big thank you to M. Bigsby for the Food Truck Rally photos and JR Arsenault and Lisa Margolis for the photos from the Games! Scottish Festival and Loch Norman Highland Games Well, I can still fit into my kilt. - Michael L. via Facebook Historic Rural Hill Piper - Spring 2016 - Page 3
North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival We love this picture that The Destination Magazine caught as the sun was going down on the 2016 North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival! A huge thanks to Midwood Entertainment, Tryon Distributing, and all our great volunteers for making our sixth year one of our best yet! Thanks to Rural Hill for a great event! - Jason B. via Facebook We were honored to present Newgrass Brewing Company of Shelby with the NC Brewer of the Year Award sponsored by Gravity Magazine. Congratulations! Scotch Dinner Thank you to everyone who came out last night to our Scotch Fundraising Dinner. We walked away knowing a lot more about Glenfiddich thanks to Mitch Bechard, and we appreciate your support of Historic Rural Hill. Another huge thank you to BOUK Catering for the delicious dinner and our appreciation to Daniel Coston for the photo. Historic Rural Hill Piper - Spring 2016 - Page 4
My Falconry Journey By April D. Rice As a girl growing up on Long Island, New York, I didn t see or know of any raptors. Yes, they were probably all around me at the time, but between sports, school, part-time job, etc., my outdoor time was limited. But I did love birds. We had robins, sea gulls, starlings, and cardinals, but the only owl I knew of was on the Wise potato chip bag and the only other large bird I knew of, the bald eagle, was our national symbol living out in the middle of the country somewhere. I acquired my first bird when I was about six years old. A pretty blue parakeet named Tootsie. Mom was deathly afraid that it would stick in her hair if it got loose, so she would put it out on the porch in the cage so I could clean him. My little brother Ken opened the door and Tootsie flew away. No more birds after that, so we stuck to dogs and hamsters. I really missed him and promised myself I would get another bird when I was older. I moved to North Carolina 20 years ago with my two parrots, a Blue and Gold macaw and gold capped conure. They are 20 and 25 years old now. Driving around one day in Huntersville, I happened to see a small sign that read Carolina Raptor Center Living Museum. Oh boy, animals and maybe some birds! I went in. I was mesmerized. There were these BIG birds in display cages along the nature trail and a volunteer had one on his ARM in the weathering area. That day I learned all about real owls, hawks, falcons, vultures, and eagles. I was hooked and became a volunteer. From that day on I worked my way up the ladder handling and caring for screech owls to eagles, and became a master level handler and trainer of the golden eagles. My passion for the preservation of these creatures was unbelievable. In between work I traveled with the CRC education van to schools and organizations including exhibiting at some events at Rural Hill where we set the birds out for all to see up close and personal. I taught about the importance of raptors in our environment. One day behind the CRC rehabilitation building I was holding a non-releasable hawk waiting to do her health check, I met Cynthia and Larry Dickerson. I was so happy to meet bonified falconers! Soon after meeting them, I attended the North Carolina Falconers Guild workshop and was later invited to go to their field meets where they hunted with their hawks and falcons. I always brought along one or two non-releasable falcons or hawks from CRC for folks to see. I still remember the comment made jokingly to me, Why don t you get your falconer s license so you can have a real bird that can fly? All in due time. I knew my work-life schedule would not allow me to practice falconry yet. When it did, I first needed a sponsor. I was very, very fortunate to have Cynthia Dickerson as my sponsor. I lost sleep over how was I going to ask her and if she said no, then what? She s a wonderful lady and excellent sponsor. I learned so much from her about the falconry side of the raptor species and how to man the bird for reasons other than for education. I met my husband Garry at Carolina Raptor Center. He is the best carpenter I have ever known and he built the Tahj Mahal of a mew for me to house my hawk. As an apprentice falconer, I flew a 28 oz. small male red tailed hawk that I named Rookie. Although I was the rookie, he fit the bill. In the spring of his second year I released him back into the wild and had a nice summer off with no feeding or cleaning for five months! continued...
In the fall of 2010, I trapped a 44 oz. female red tailed hawk. I named her Cazzadora, which means huntress in Spanish. In our fourth year together she got better with age, but I didn t. As the years go by, pulling vines and beating brush while hunting with a hawk is getting harder to do. I rescued a five year old Jack Russell terrier named Benny that I hoped to hunt together with Cazzadora. He has a battery that never shuts off when he picks up a scent on the ground or up a tree! So where were all those falcons when I grew up in New York? Hiding in plain sight with the gulls in the sand dunes of Jones Beach? What about the barred owls? Was that sound of who-cooks-foryou? was it not a raccoon? And as I trudged along Central Park South in Manhattan every day to work I never looked up. No one looks up that isn t a tourist. The two red tails in love were there that whole time keeping the pigeon population in check, but I never knew it. I m sad I didn t realize growing up how close raptors were to me, but I m very thankful now that they are a part of my life. I released Cazzadora on March 5, 2016. I really miss her but she is a wild bird and deserves to fly free. The beauty of falconry is that you can build this wonderful hunting partnership with a wild bird then release it when you need to and the bird goes on about living their normal life in the wild. My plans are to trap another red tailed hawk in the fall and continue my journey as a Master Falconer. April Rice is president of the NC Falconers Guild, a certified master level eagle handler/trainer and a Rural Hill Auxiliary volunteer member. Releasing Cazzadora How high will she soar? Where will she go? It s all in the plan for me not to know Our journey together has come to an end But her life will continue and soon begin Back to the wild Where she ll be free once again Historic Rural Hill Piper - Spring 2016 - Page 6
Historic Rural Hill Piper - Winter 2016 - Page 7
Education at Rural Hill Field trip time! Mountain Island Charter School visited with about 80 students for a field trip with Mr. Zac (our Education Director). The students learned what life would ve been like in the 1700s when John Davidson first came to Historic Rural Hill. Educational encounters like this are one of the many reasons we work so hard to raise money throughout the year - to keep the history alive! Historic Restoration A huge thank you to Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation and the great folks at A. W. Haigler Construction Services in Midland, NC for the recent work to our Historic Ash and Well Houses. Built around 1788, the mortar had begun to washout in many places and was in dire need of repair. This ensures that the thousands of students and families who tour the historic property each year will enjoy these structures for years to come! Historic Rural Hill Piper - Spring 2016 - Page 8
Thank You to Our Donors A huge THANK YOU to Syngenta US for donating ALL of our corn seed for this year s Amazing Maize Maze! We are honored to work with you and so grateful for your donation. And thank you to KIND Snacks for supplying us with over 200 snack bars for our volunteers! This was such an unexpected yet needed donation. With spring weather comes many of our animal friends. Here are two that were recently seen on the farm. When you visit, please watch for wildlife and remember that it is best to leave them undisturbed. Snakes like the rat snake shown here are great to have around. They eat rodents and even other (poisonous) snakes! Historic Rural Hill Piper - Spring 2016 - Page 9
Weddings and Events at Historic Rural Hill The Historic Rural Hill Cultural Center continues to grow in its popularity for weddings, rehearsal dinners, and other special occasions and retreats. The rustic atmosphere of the venue offers a unique combination of vast outdoor spaces and inviting indoor comforts. The 2000 square foot May Davidson Hall accommodates up to 200 guests for cocktail style receptions and there are options to expand the space and guest capacity with the covered patio and tent annex. The decorative and functional finishings include aptly appointed restrooms, a generous catering kitchen, pleasing architecture of soaring barn-style rafters with ironwork chandeliers, a barn door opening to the west end covered patio (perfect for admiring the sunset), four sets of French doors leading to the wraparound brick walkway, and turn-key audio/visual amenities. Don t miss securing the date for your special occasion at the Historic Rural Hill Cultural Center. Contact our private events director Lauren Petervary to schedule a personal tour. Call 704-875-3113 or email Lauren@ruralhill.net. Historic Rural Hill Piper - Spring 2016 - Page 10
Rural Hill Living History Fund With funds raised dedicated to the restoration and support of this historic site and its heritage, we can maintain and expand the incredible offerings Rural Hill provides through living history for its thousands of visitors annually. While all donations are greatly appreciated and tax deductible, becoming a donor has a variety of benefits associated with your generous gift. Various memberships are available and you can lend your support with a one time gift or a three year pledge. Through your support, we can keep history alive! Please consider the Rural Hill Living History Fund for your annual charitable giving. Visit us at www.ruralhill.net for easy, secure online giving. Give online at www.ruralhill.net Volunteer at Historic Rural Hill Historic Rural Hill s events exist because of the generous and enthusiastic support of volunteers. For more information on volunteering, please contact us at (704) 875-3113 or connect with us on Facebook. Historic Rural Hill Piper - Spring 2016 - Page 11
Board of Directors Robert G. McIntosh, Chair Jim Puckett, Vice Chair Sam Fuller, Secretary Brent Lewis, Treasurer Maurice D. McIntosh Sarah Belk Gambrell Beth Eakes Martina John Cherry Henry Mummaw LD Bass Danny Phillips Matthew Cooper Fary Cachelin Staff Jeff Fissel, Executive Director Zac Vinson, Education Director Lauren Petervary, Private Events Director Jessica Bustamante, Controller Michelle Barbeau, Development Director Freddie Brown, Farm Manager Eric Ferguson, Farm Manager Carolyn Campbell, Administrative Assistant Mission An educational organization that provides for recognizing, celebrating and preserving the rich heritage of Rural Hill. Celebrating more than 250 years in history Rural Hill is located at 4431 Neck Road (off Beatties Ford Road) in Huntersville, 28078. The former homestead of Major John and Violet Davidson, the 265 acre site is maintained and promoted by Historic Rural Hill Inc. and features annual events such as the Rural Hill Scottish Festival and Loch Norman Highland Games, the Rural Hill Amazing Maize Maze, the Rural Hill Sheepdog Trials, and the NC Brewers and Music Festival. Historic Rural Hill Inc. is a non-profit organization supported through membership and donations, and with proceeds from its events utilized for the preservation of Historic Rural Hill and its education efforts. For more information on events or for financial support accepted securely online, please visit www.ruralhill.net Historic Rural Hill Piper - Spring 2016 - Page 12