South Mountain Speakers Series to Explore Importance of Region's Farms to Union and Confederate Troops During the Civil War

HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Learn about the unique role that Pennsylvania's farms and farmers played supporting the Union troops during the Civil War, and about their allure and resources that drew Robert E. Lee across the Mason-Dixon Line and into the "Pennsylvania Bread Basket," during the next South Mountain Speakers Series on Thursday, Aug. 12, at the Historic Round Barn in Biglerville, Adams County.  

The event, entitled "Feeding the Troops, Nourishing a Nation: The Pennsylvania Bread Basket During the Civil War," is free and open to the public. It runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Lenwood Sloan, director of cultural and heritage tourism for the Pennsylvania Tourism Office, will conduct a spirited open dialogue concerning preservation, conservation and commemoration projects for the upcoming Civil War 150 celebration.

"Agriculture, which still defines the South Mountain region today, was a key attraction as a source of supplies for Union and Confederate troops during the Civil War," Sloan said. "This area had rich soil, allowing the South Mountain region to provide wheat, grain and oats important for survival.

"The unique assets, including the fruit belt and historic and cultural attractions, make the region a great tourist destination today, supporting sustainable economic development and related businesses," Sloan added.

Sloan also will share information about the United States Colored Troops (USCT) Hallowed Ground project through the conservation of a league of important historic sites in Adams, Cumberland, Franklin and York counties.

He will conclude with an invitation to participate in the identification of USCT descendants throughout the South Mountain who will be invited to march in memory of their ancestors during the Grand Review Parade Nov. 6 in Harrisburg. For more information on the parade go to www.visitPA.com/GrandReview.

After the lecture, a panel including Sloan; Tom Vossler, farmer and Gettysburg battlefield guide; and Ellen Dayhoff, director of the Adams County Agricultural Land Preservation Program will discuss contemporary agricultural issues and respond to questions from the audience.

The South Mountain Speakers Series is organized in the spirit of the Michaux Lectures, a series of talks given by Joseph Rothrock as part of his work to restore Pennsylvania's forests during the late 19th century.

The series is led by the South Mountain Partnership, which is a unified group of private citizens, businesses, not-for-profit organizations and government representatives in Adams, Cumberland, Franklin and York counties.

The partnership works to advance agricultural conservation by encouraging best-management practices in agriculture and forestry, and supporting and promoting working farms, forests and watershed by creating connections between producers and consumers.

The South Mountain Partnership, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the Historic Round Barn and Knouse Fruitlands Farm Market are sponsoring this event.

The next event in the speakers series will be "From Mountain to Sea: The Chesapeake Bay," on Thursday, Sept. 16, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Wildwood Conference Center, Harrisburg Area Community College, Harrisburg.

To learn more about the speaker series, visit southmountainspeakers.blogspot.com or contact Kim Williams at 717-258-5771.

The South Mountain Partnership was sparked by DCNR's Conservation Landscape Initiative—an effort to engage communities, local partners, state agencies and funding opportunities to conserve the high-quality natural and cultural resources while enhancing the region's economic viability.

The 400,000-acre South Mountain region is at the northern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

For more information about the partnership, visit southmountaincli.blogspot.com or call the Appalachian Trail Conservancy at 717-258-5771.

Media contact: Christina Novak, 717-772-9101

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources