In a charming town tucked in the northwest corner of Ohio lies Historic Sauder Village, a little piece of history that will take you back in time to the old ways of the old days. Sauder Village offers a unique experience that goes beyond typical reenactments; from sheep shearing in the traditional way to harvesting and preserving in the fall, the Village offers a glimpse into life in a much simpler time. But where do whole grains fit in here?

About a year ago, Sauder Village planned to renovate their Grist Mill. During initial discussions, the curatorial staff thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to create an exhibit that would introduce people to grain and its importance in the region. This brought about two exhibits to coincide with the Grist Mill renovation.  One would be located in the mill and deal directly with the milling process and the other would be a larger exhibit in the temporary gallery focusing on Grain.   

It quickly became evident that many people, especially young folks, have no idea what grain is or how important it is. Inspired by this, Curator of Collections and Exhibits Tracie Evans created an exhibit that focuses on what is grain, planting and harvesting grain, and milling/processing grain. Evans wanted to create an exhibit that was not only a history lesson but also explained how grain relates to people’s lives today.

The exhibit, “Grain: From Field to Flour,” explains the actual process of growing and harvesting grains and why this particular region of Ohio was so successful in growing grains (and still is!). It takes you through planting the seeds to growing the grain, explaining the ideal weather to make it thrive, to harvesting the grains and finally to the milling process, as it was done in the pioneer days. 

Using the Whole Grain Stamp, the exhibit discusses grains in a more contemporary manner. It explains the benefits of eating whole grains, how they fit in in your diet, and what is or isn’t a whole grain. Visitors are also invited to play fun, interactive games such as the “Name that Grain” matching game which asks people to match images of grain in their natural form to their name and answer yes or no to “Am I a whole grain?”

Even if you can’t make it to Ohio, enjoy the virtual museum visit and all of its whole grain rich information below: 

(Mallory)