Lecture: Birge Hill Farm, A Family Legacy

In the Hudson Valley agriculture has played an immense role in shaping our community. The Columbia County Historical Society presents Families and Farms of Columbia County: A look at historic farmsteads, three talks focusing on family farms and the varied tools and outbuildings needed on a farmstead in the Hudson Valley. The talks will discuss the shift from subsistence to commercial farming in the early 1800s and the rise of mechanization in the late 19th century through the challenges of today.

LECTURE #3: Birge Hill Farm: A Family History of Farming in Columbia County since 1785
Van Calhoun, a 7th generation member of the Birge family and owner of Birge Hill Farm, Chatham, NY, will speak about the history of his family and farm. The Birge Hill Farm was established in 1785 by Revolutionary War veteran Hosea Birge, and remained a working farm for much of the next 200 years.