The Welsh Threshermen’s Association will recreate an old-fashioned fall harvest Saturday, Oct. 22 during its annual Old Time Rice Threshing Day.

The free family-friendly event will be held 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Welsh Airport Field at the end of Rowson Road.

Association treasurer Suzie Marcantel said local farmers and their families will recreate the threshing and binding of rice using antique farm equipment, just like it was harvested in the early 1900s. Guests may participate in some of the events.

“This is just an important part of our history,” she said. “If we just let it go, we won’t have our past to pass down to future generations. This is our history. This is who we are.”

The old time rice farming method involves cutting rice while it is still green, binding or tying it into bundles, which are stacked into what are called “shocks.” The shocks are then dried naturally in the fields for about two weeks, at which time they are loaded on wagons by men using pitchforks and taken to the threshing machines where the clean rice is separated from the straw. The rice is sacked, sewn close and hauled off for storage or to the market.

“It is important that we learn to appreciate the value of modern technology and getting meals on our tables today, compared to back in the day,” Marcantel said.

Antique farm equipment, including old steam engines and tractors, will be on display with some of the equipment being used to demonstrate how rice was harvested before the invention of the combines and other machines used today.

The highlight of the festival will be the binding, threshing and milling of the rice.

Other activities will include food booths, sweets and t-shirts. Children are welcome to play in the pile of rice straw.

Rice Threshing Day began in the early 1960s and has been held on and off over the years. It was revived in 2012 and has been held every year except for 2020 when it was canceled because of the hurricane.

Marcantel said the event began after several local farmers started reminiscing about the way rice was harvested at the turn-of-the-century and wanted to share it with future generations.

“We know that the original Threshermen realized the value of our rice farming history and began to collect, restore and maintain the machinery and practices used in this process,” she said. “They later relinquished their duties and knowledge to younger generations, which continue to pass it down through the generations.”

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For more information on the event, contact Marcantel at 337-602-8300.