On the weekend of September 13-15th, students from the Cormier Honors College payed a visit to Hull Springs Farm for their fall semester retreat and weekend of service.

CHC students taking care of some weeding around the Big House.

“One group spent early Saturday morning straightening and arranging items for sale at the Shoppe for Haven’s Sake Thrift Shop, a non-profit enterprise affiliated with The Haven, an organization that provides shelter for victims of physical and sexual abuse. As some students cleaned the grounds outside of the building, others dusted and re-sorted items for daily living so that concerned neighbors are encouraged to purchase merchandise allowing for 100% of the income received by the Thrift Shop to be donated for the welfare of the mothers and children housed in the community…others travelled to a nearby parish to assist in preparing the parsonage for the newly appointed rector. Lots of windows to be washed inside and out did not deter our students from their dedication to community service.Eager to offer their energy, comraderie, and good will to the lush grounds that are in fact the lab for which myriad interdisciplinary studies avail at Hull Spring Farms, guided and directed by an ever-enthusiastic and knowledgeable Brian Barbre, Education Programming and Facilities Coordinator, for the Longwood owned farm, students divided into groups to clear overgrown gardens, prune shrubs away from the Grand House, paint window frames, and clean out years of accumulation in sheds dotting the property…As the afternoon progressed, upperclassmen shared the fun adventure of canoeing and kayaking with freshmen and sophomores. As they practiced their paddling skills, students kept a watchful eye on each other as well as the shoreline for which they were determined to retrieve each and every speck of trash that might litter the waters surrounding Hull Springs Farm…”I love this place…how awesome…I feel better than ever… when can we return?” were among some of the applauding and appreciative exclamations that peeled through the clear, crisp air as students boarded the Longwood bus for the ride back to Farmville.” All I can say here is, thanks! The HSF team is eternaly greatful for the students enerdy and enthusiasm and look forward to the next trip.

We’ll call this one a team building exercise.

            From September 25^th to the 27^th Dr. Jim Jordan’s Honors Anthropology course visited Hull Springs Farm (HSF) while exploring the cultural and historical character of the Northern Neck of Virginia. Dr. Jordan and 14 honors students settled into the Camp at HSF for a home base during their trip. They were able to practice the tools and techniques of anthropology to gain insight into the lives of the people of the Northern Neck, past and present.

            Several notable artifacts were found at Nomini Hall, a home built in 1729. There were a total of 149 artifacts discovered. A prehistoric projectile point was one of the unexpected artifacts. Also of note were three kaolin pipe stem fragments. In non-archaeology terms they are fragments of long clay pipe stems. Pipe manufacturing techniques changed over time, which allows archaeologists to date finds by measuring the cross sectional dimensions of the stem fragment. One of the three pipe stem fragments found, one was the artifact ever found in 14 years of digging at Nomini Hall. The dimensions date it to 1620 – 1640.

            The students enjoyed their time both exploring the Northern Neck and relaxing at HSF. We were pleased to have them and look forward to future students enjoying the cultural heritage of Virginia. Glad that Hull Springs Farm could make your class “seem more like a family.”  

Honors Anthropology students digging at Nomini Hall, a Northern Neck neighbor to Hull Springs Farm.

This time of year the Canada Geese, Branta canadensis, are making themselves comfortable on the farm. They are native, year round habitants of North America, but fly to Canada and northern latitudes of the United States for breeding during the winter. In the mornings and evenings they can be found congregating in the small beaver pond on the northern edge of the farm. They share this wet real-estate with other aquatic species, primarily the Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos. The geese are a monogamous species and begin reproduction in the second year of their lives. They have been known to make nests around and on beaver lodges as safe havens near open water. Maybe we can expect to see some nests being built on the lodge here. We’ll have to keep an eye out for nests and eggs! Goslings would make a nice addition to the Hull Springs Farm wildlife diversity. 

Canada Geese (Branta canadensis)