Scale farming, or carpet farming – call it what you like – there is a group meeting weekly at Jolley’s Farm Toys working on 1/64th scale farm scenes.
They range in age from three to 53 years of age and are all passionate about crafting a farm display that showcases their favourite farm scenes.
Some try to reproduce their family farm while others just want to showcase tractors working the fields or combines harvesting. They joined the Farm Diorama Club to learn how to craft farm details and share secrets of the trade.
At the start of each weekly meeting they share their latest discoveries – from sources of supplies to how to craft a scene. Sandpaper is glued down to be a dirt road, brown carpet cut up in thin strips and placed in close rows looks like a freshly plowed field. Twigs are used to make tree trunks; cotton batten dyed with green food colouring is shredded and glued to the twig to look like a tree. Alternatively sawdust can be mixed with a little food colouring then glue can be brushed on the twig, which can be sprinkled with coloured sawdust. Shredded green sponges give a different leaf look when glued to twigs. You just have to experiment to see what look suits your diorama. Miniature marshmallows look liked wrapped bales of hay.
Tweezers and recycled dental tools are used to put the items into place on the diorama. Shoe polish can be rubbed on wood to make it look warn or old. Popsicle sticks, Q-tips, wire, scissors, string and glue are all part of the crafting kits. Members bring photos to share that illustrate what they want to portray and they help each other discover ways to create it in 1/64 scale. Manufactured terrain materials can be purchased. There is prefabricated grass, trees, rocks but it can get expensive. It is possible to make a lot of it out of items found around the farm.
Nicholas Grose, owner of Jolley’s Farm Toys, is heading up the club. He has been crafting and designing 1/64 scale farm displays since he was 8 years old. He had the opportunity to travel to farm shows and steam shows across Canada and the United States with his parents. As a youngster he would sit and watch the exhibitors design and set up their displays.
“It is a hobby that takes a lot of creativity, and patience,” said Grose. “You have to learn to pay attention to detail, … learn how to … plan ahead and follow a plan, a skill set that can be applied to my job today.”
Visitors to Jolley’s Farm Toys would get a glimpse of his private collection on display in the upper level of the shop and ask how he created the farm settings to showcase his toys.
He would tell them how he did it, but people kept asking him to show them how to do it, so he decided to organize a club where different skill sets could be taught and shared each week.
After learning a technique, club members can then decide whether they want to use it in their own diorama. It is a challenge to make things look realistic.
This is a hobby where attention to detail pays off. Club members lay out detail plans before they start construction. Often they have photographs of the scene they want to create. Other times they have hand drawn a lay out.
Once the plan is finalized construction begins on the landscape for the diorama. Styrofoam and plaster of paris is used to give some depth and variety.
Then it is painted and trimmed with sand and sawdust and fine stones. Trees and bushes are added. Farm buildings are created or bought and finally the farm machinery is added.
Club members will be showcasing their displays at the end of the month at Jolley’s Farm Toys (7808 Side Road 9, Arthur), with an open house on April 29 from 10am until 6pm. Jolley’s is hosting an All Ages Toy Display Contest.
Anyone wishing to participate must register providing their name and display name to nick@jolleysfarmtoys.ca or call 519-848-2332.
The grand prize is a $100 Jolley gift card, second prize is a $75 Jolley gift card and third place gets a $50 gift card.
Displays must be 1/64 scale agriculture theme and 32 by 48 inches is size. All participants will receive a limited edition medallion.
There will be a peddle tractor ride and drive and Bruder sandbox for little visitors.
The Damascus Cookie Club is hosting a 4-H fundraiser barbecue at Jolley’s Farm Toys (7808 Side Road 9 Arthur) for their 4-H club.
Club members will be selling burgers, drinks and cookies at the event from 11am until 2:30pm.
