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The History of
Chesterfield, New Hampshire
 
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September 18,
2000
Oak Glen, California
Dear
Friends and Family,
For
the last three days, we've had the delightful experience of playing host
to nearly 500 Japanese high school students, here in California for a
sightseeing expedition that included our farm as a representation of
American rural life.
The
girls picked apples, pears, raspberries and sweet
corn. They ground wheat, baked bread, pressed cider,
and even milked a cow. After their work was completed, they
were treated to a lunch of roasted chicken, wheat bread, corn, and apple
cider.
We are now the proud owners of a Kyushu Girls' High School banner,
presented to Uncle Scott during the final day of the tour.
We were also charmed to see that the appeal of children is
international. Young Robbie Moyneur, on hand for the
festivities, (the tow-headed kid on the right, taking a ride) seemed to
be a big hit.
But you don't have to come all the way from Japan to enjoy Riley's
Farm. We can arrange a day in the country for you and your
group, complete with a guide to help you pick apples and press them into
cider. We can even arrange for a picnic lunch by the
stream. Contact us
for details!
Your humble servant,
James
Riley
Don't
Forget...
This
year, over 10,000 school children will take part in our Living
History Field Trips. Click here
to make it 10,001! The price is
$12.00 per participant, with one free adult for every 15
students. This includes lunch and four
hours of participatory living history, covering either the American
Revolution, Civil War, or Early California.
After
an early March visit this year, a fifth grade teacher from San
Diego wrote us to say, "Thank you for the most wonderful field
trip I have ever hosted for children. Your knowledge of
history, the authenticity of your facilities, the beauty of the
surroundings, and the love of history that you shared with the students
are very much appreciated."
Thanks!
Mark
your calendars! We look forward to
visiting with you soon.
Your
Humble Servant,
James
Riley
P.S.
For the sake of those "web portals" constantly browsing the
internet to update their search engines, we include the following
boiler-plate. (Feel free to read this, if you're new to our site.)
Riley's Farm is a working apple orchard and living history farm in the Oak
Glen area of Southern California. In addition to farming, we love
history and we have provided a venue for re-enactment units comprising
many different eras. The farm regularly hosts banquets, birthday
parties, weddings, and office parties. Every year, literally thousands
of students participate in one of our school tours, where they
experience everything from weaving, candle-dipping, and cider pressing
to the drill and muster of a Revolutionary War or Civil War battle. Our
farm has appeared on the History Channel and in the recently released
feature film, Amistad, as well as many other film and television
productions. (We even try to get the producers to include us as on
screen talent, but that's another story.) On selected weekends
throughout the year, we offer "farm-stay" weekends, where
families can experience--clothing, wood stoves, muskets, and all--the
life of an 18th or 19th century American farmer. We grow sweet corn,
apples, raspberries, pears, and sunflowers, just to mention a few of our
crops. Our nephew, Devon, keeps some beautiful Belgian draft horses for
country hay-rides. We love America--its traditions, its people, its
history, and its cherished heritage of liberty in Christ. Have we said
enough? Well, one more thing: In the fall, thousands of families make an
annual pilgrimage to the farms of Oak Glen to experience the closest
thing to a New England fall California has to offer. Why don't you stop
by and say hello?
P.S.
Stay
Clear of this "Cider House"
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