Cane Days: A stroll through time at Dudley Farm

How I treasure living history where you can experience a snapshot of another time even if it is sanitized and perhaps a skewed view.  Still better than learning from a history book.

The Barn
An essential farm structure

Each day Dudley Farm Historic State Park offers a step back into Florida farm lifestyle from 1840 to 1940.  To be exact, the park is open Wednesday through Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are reserved for maintenance when modern tools can be used on the property. 

(Sugar) Cane Grinder

Park staff and volunteers walk you through the evolution of Florida farming in this authentic working farm.   The homestead has 18 buildings used by three generations of the Dudley family.  You can tour the family farmhouse with original furnishings and the 1880s kitchen outbuilding.  Consider, no logical person would have a kitchen in their house due to the heat in summer and chance of fire. 

Cold Store

 You will also find a general store, post office, and a functional cane syrup complex. Perhaps the gest part are the staff in period clothing who provide us a glimpse of early Florida life while performing daily chores, raising crops and tending to livestock.


Florida is over-run with vines 
that are often tamed for human use. 


 Each December the park holds a festival to celebrate the farm traditions know as Cane Days.  This is a fun event with special exhibits, craft vendors, food vendors, community awareness, and music.  You guessed it, Bill and I came as musicians from the 1880s.


Dudley family re-enactor


 It was cold Sunday morning when we left White Springs for an hour drive down to Newberry.  Arriving it was still cool but we found a warm front porch at the visitor center to provide period music from the 1880s.  Eventually the air warmed and we figured it was time to head to the farm proper.  This is a short quarter mile walk through the woods as you travel back in time. 



Ms Dottie
Fiber artist and historian



The head ranger asked us to play at the farm house and the back porch, though shady and cool, was the best location.  On the back porch sat Ms Dottie knitting and speaking with the pilgrims, she invited us to sit a spell and play her a few tunes.  Well, two hours flew by as people stopped to chat, ask questions, and listen to the tunes.  Finally, as the sun began to sink and the air chilled again it was time to pack our instruments and depart for home.  My wish is the visitors to the park enjoyed the day half as much as I.