Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village Hosts Harvest of the Past

Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village Hosts Harvest of the Past

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, (UCHV) hosted its Harvest of the Past event on Sept. 10.

The event celebrated all things agricultural with a variety of historical activities, some of which included: threshing, binding and field work demonstrations, flailing and winnowing, kapusta making, canning, wool carding and spinning, and garlic braiding to name a few.

Threshing demonstration engineer Jerry Lysyk.

(Michelle Pinon/Photo)

Jerry Lysyk has been volunteering at UCHV for more than 15 years and served as engineer for the threshing demonstration. “It was my job to set and adjust the machine so I get a clean sample.” Lysyk, along with a crew of around 10 volunteers, harvested wheat. It was his sixth year of participating in the threshing demonstration.

Lysyk said Bruce McGregor approached him. “He knew I had run the machine.” In fact, Lysyk said he learned from his dad at an early age how to operate a threshing machine. “I was about 10 or 11 years-old at the time,” said Lysyk.

Even though a lot of families were already running combines, Lysyk said his dad purchased a 20 inch Case threshing machine in 1957. “It was one of the last years it was made.”

Threshing demonstration.

(Michelle Pinon/Photos)

Threshing demonstration.

(Michelle Pinon/Photos)

Lysyk resides on his dad’s farm near Mundare and has been farming all his life. At 69 years of age, he still puts up crops. He has one and a half quarter sections. This year he seeded barley and he also puts up hay for the five Percheron and Percheron- Morgan cross horses.

Lysyk said it’s very gratifying to volunteer at UCHV. He welcomes all questions and was happy to see children and adults asking questions after the threshing demonstration. With one foot in the past and one in the present, he is able to combine the two, and plans to help out again next year.