We received the most wonderful, hand-written Thank You Note and we wanted to share it with our followers. It just warms our hearts. Here’s the note.
June 1, 2022
To: All Staff: This is a thank you note.
I don’t know how to write or how to address so I guess I will keep it simple.
I am referring to a wonderful book: Barn Quilts, Carver County, Minnesota by Barb Hone and Jerry O’Dair. The book is fantastic in every way – expert work by so many people.
On pages 70-71, Waconia Edible Classroom is the Quilt pertaining to the Brown Family. That’s where 6 Brown kids grew up and worked on the farm. None of us was spared when the garden needed weeding, Our Mother’s large garden is now the Orchard. The writeup pertaining to the Quilt is beautifully written. I wish I could put words on paper as it appears in that writeup. It means so much to our family. That is the only recognition pertaining to the farm which was in the Brown family since 1933.
Two years ago, I returned to Waconia after 60 years is St. Paul. Now I walk through the farmyard and around the school property. I never miss looking at the beautiful Quilt. So many memories . . .
When I lived in St. Paul, a lady told me she had been on a Quilt Tour of Carver County and loved every minute of it.
Again, thank you one and all. A great book!
Florence (Brown) Regan
The Flower Basket Barn Quilt Block was hung in 2014 on an original Brown Family barn. You can see it by visiting the farmstead adjacent to Clearwater Middle School, 1650 Community Drive in Waconia, MN.
Here’s the excerpt from Page 70 in the Barn Quilts Carver County MN book, written by Barb Hone…
As described by Food Service Director, Barb Schank, who is also the lead person on the barn quilt project:
“The Waconia Public Schools’ Edible Classroom took up residence on the Brown family farmstead in the spring of 2009. The half-acre garden provides the District with over 25 varieties of vegetables and herbs to enrich the school meal program. The one-acre orchard is home to 60 assorted semi-dwarf fruit trees – apple, cherry, plum, apricot, and pear. The flower-basket barn quilt block was hung in 2014 on an original Brown Family barn; the calico, brown woven, basket holding the flower arrangement is meant to symbolize the family as the host of our gardens and orchard. The quilt block is strategically hung on two doors which, when open, allows students to “walk through” into the beautiful working and classroom space within. The block design was selected by the District’s high school quilting class and further fashioned by influences from students, staff, families, nature, gardening, and nutrition. Within the calico print are symbols representing key concepts of the District’s mission to promote healthy lifestyles for our students and community. Hidden images and notions encourage balanced nutrition, active living, farm to school food sourcing, resource conservation, nature, Waconia Wildcats logo, and community support.”
