The Preservation Society

04/19/2026

04/13/2026

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Step back into the 1930s at the Gallant Farm for an afternoon of tradition, craftsmanship, and countryside charm 🐑

Join Preservation Parks for the Sheep Shearing & Wool Festival on Sunday, April 26 from 12–3 PM. Watch skilled shearers in action as sheep are shorn every half hour, then explore the journey from fleece to fiber through wool crafts, spinning demonstrations, and historic farm experiences. ✂️🧶

📍Gallant Farm | 2150 Buttermilk Dr, Delaware, OH

04/12/2026

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03/29/2026

🌱 Join Our CSA for Fresh, Local Food All Season Long! 🌱

Looking for delicious, farm-fresh produce you can feel good about? Become a member of our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and enjoy a weekly share of locally grown fruits, vegetables, and more—harvested at peak freshness just for you.

🥕 What you’ll get:
• A rotating selection of seasonal produce
• Grown using sustainable, responsible practices
• Opportunities to connect with your local farmers

📅 Pick-up available at our farm on Thursday evening, just in time for the weekend. We are located three miles north of Chesterville.

👨‍🌾 Support local agriculture and your community

Spots are limited—sign up today and taste the difference fresh makes! More information is the comments below.

👉 Message us to reserve your share!

12/11/2025

Colonial women were responsible for making the family’s soap. They made soap from leftover animal fat and lye, saving grease and wood ashes throughout the year. One barrel of soap usually required about six bushels of ashes and twenty-four pounds of grease. The wood ashes were packed into a barrel with layers of straw between them, and a little water was poured in from time to time. A seep hole at the bottom allowed the lye to slowly drip out, while the straw kept the larger pieces of ash from clogging the opening.

The grease and lye were then boiled together in a large iron kettle over an outdoor fire because the smell was strong and unpleasant. The mixture had to be stirred constantly in one direction. Soap-making was a difficult and sometimes unsuccessful process, so it was not unusual for neighbors to wish a woman good luck on her soap.

This process created a soft, jelly-like soap that showed no trace of the grease it came from. This soft soap was used for monthly washings, as laundry often accumulated for a month or sometimes even three months in certain households.

Women also made a hard soap using bayberry tallow and salt. This soap was especially desirable for toilet use, but it was rarely made in order to preserve the salt for cooking. The most challenging part of soap-making was judging the strength of the lye. The strength was tested with an egg or a potato. If the lye could perforate it, the mixture was strong enough. It was common to hear people say, “We had good luck with our soap,” or “We had bad luck with our soap.”

12/06/2025

We had such a great time last night! A wonderful turnout despite the cold. This is the best part about Village life 🙂 Happy holidays!

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12/05/2025

Vendors are getting set up!

12/05/2025

We still need 5 parade walkers for tonight!

Due to illness and other reasons, we've lost a few walkers for tonight so we have more posters than we do people. If you or anyone you know might be interested, you still have a chance! Please contact us if you are interested.

The parade is in Mount Gilead and starts at 7pm. Walkers are being asked to arrive at 6:15 to carpool to the parade starting point. You can sit in your cars from that point until we need to line up, since we know it will be cold out. Walkers must be 16 and over. We'll send you all the details if you want to help out!

12/04/2025