The Agricultural Heritage Center at the Lohr/McIntosh Farm
I am nostalgic for farm life. I don’t know why. I did grow up in a small town where black and white cows outnumbered people, but I did not grow up on a farm. Perhaps I was a farmer’s daughter in a former life. I have no idea, but when I walk into a place like The Agricultural Heritage Center in Longmont, Colorado, I become wistful.
The Agricultural Heritage Center is on the property of the former Lorh/McIntosh Farm, on Hwy 66, just minute outside of Lyons, Colorado. I’ve driven by many times, but this time, on a whim, I pulled into their parking lot.
The site focuses on the years between 1900 and 1925, when local families prospered as farmers. The farm, which passed through the hands of the McIntosh family and then the Lohrs family was sold by Lorh’s son Shorty to Boulder County in 1985. He also donated $250,000 to establish an educational center on the property. Boulder County leases much of the land to ranchers in the area, and black cows dot the landscape around the center.
You may think a place like this is just for children, but you’d be wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed walking the property and photographing history under a stormy Colorado sky.
While a visit here is a glimpse into Colorado’s rich agricultural history, it’s important to remember that agricultural is still Colorado’s number one industry and many Coloradans still depend on the land for their livelihood.
While at the Center you can tour a number of buildings, including the Lohr Farmhouse, built in 1909. You can also visit with a variety of farm animals including horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, pigs and cows. Of course, there are free range chickens too, and volunteers here get to take home the eggs.
There’s even a small garden that’s representative of a “war garden” of 1910, also known as “victory gardens.” These small plots of land would yield just enough food to feed a family.
The Agricultural Heritage Center is open April 1 through October 31, and admission is free. The Center welcomes visitors Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are closed on Friday, July 4 and Friday, July 18. You are welcome to take a self-guided tour or join the guided tour at 11 a.m. during visiting hours. The Center is online here.
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