Island Farm

06/22/2026

Island Farm recently participated in Somerset Place State Historic Site "Days Gone By". Somerset hosts this annual event and Gabe and Terri were able to pack up and head that way. Gabe demonstrated woodworking and Terri did weaving and fibers. We look forward to being invited again next year!

06/16/2026

Gather your best spuds and join us for Tater Day tomorrow!

Last week, the Dare Co. Youth Garden Camp visited the Farm to dig their own potatoes. Campers learned how Adam Dough Etheridge grew crops in 1847 and how we grow potatoes at Island Farm today.

After harvesting their taters, they helped staff prepare a delicious 19th-century recipe in the cookhouse and enjoyed a refreshing cup of tea after their hard work. Yum! 😋

Their visit was a sneak peak into the potato-party we’re hosting tomorrow — see you there! 🥔☀️

06/02/2026

We are hosting TWO special activities this Saturday, June 6! 🐑⚒️

From 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. we invite visitors to stop by for our “Meet the Sheep” program to meet our heritage-breed sheep and listen to a sheep story read by our historic interpreters.

Chat with interpreters about how the Etheridge family used these wonderful animals on their farm – and how we steward the Hog Island breed today.

Additionally, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. stop by the Blacksmith shop to make your own mini-swords! Test your mettle, and see if you can take the heat in the forge. 🔥

All activities are included with admission. Activities are weather dependent and subject to change. 🌦️

06/01/2026

Jo Anne Mathus, one of our longstanding volunteers, has been awarded a 2026 North Carolina Governor’s Volunteer Service award!

On Monday, May 4, the 2026 North Carolina Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards were presented to five individuals during the Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting. Jo Anne received the award through her dedication to preserving the culture and history of Roanoke Island and Dare County through her work at Island Farm.

Jo Anne works closely with Island Farm’s livestock staff to care for the site’s heritage breed sheep. The flock members serve as ambassadors for the Hog Island breed, to the history of the Mid-Atlantic states in the Antebellum period, and help connect Island Farm visitors to the agricultural practices of the Outer Banks’ early settlers.

From her nomination, “Jo Anne’s initiative and the level of responsibilities she carries put her in a class all her own.” We appreciate Jo Anne’s spirit, dedication, and enthusiasm immeasurably. Way to go, Jo Anne! 💕🌸

05/20/2026

🐑🌿 Fiber Day at Island Farm was a success! Visitors enjoyed a full day of fiber arts, from fleece to finished thread.

Wool was washed, carded, and spun, and one of the Farm's lambs was happy to make new friends along the way. 🐑 Flax was broken on a wooden brake, combed, and spun — a process largely forgotten today but essential to 19th-century life.

One of our favorite highlights? Natural dyeing using marigolds grown right here at the farm AND lichen harvested from a tree we had removed on the property — dried for six months and yielding a stunning deep red. Nature's own color palette. 🌼❤️

And over in the blacksmith shop, the forge was hot and the little ones went home with their very own mini swords. ⚒️

Thank you to everyone who came out and experienced the skills that sustained families like Adam and Fannie Etheridge and their children right here on this land. We hope to see you at our next event!

05/13/2026

The Farm was on the Hampton Roads Show this morning! Thanks to Jane for making the trip to Portsmouth and representing the Farm! And thanks to Aaron Tule from Visit The Outer Banks for reaching out to us recently.

OBX Week on HRS: Conserving the history of the OBX