Nothing beats the smell of sweet cane syrup cooking on an autumn afternoon.  

Visitors to the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Georgia Museum of Agriculture will take a whiff of that delicious aroma on Nov. 14 at the always popular cane-grinding and syrup-making event.

Museum Director Garrett Boone said June, the ever-faithful Museum mule, will be grinding the cane for the syrup kettle as the experienced cooking crew turn out this unique sweet treat.  The Museum is open that day from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.  Syrup cooking will take place from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Boone said that although the Museum will be operating at a reduced capacity due to current COVID regulations and guidelines, Museum staff still look forward to offering special demonstrations and programs, such as cane grinding, just on a smaller scale.

Cane syrup will be available for sale at the Museum’s Country Store along with grits, corn meal, and turpentine, all made on the Museum site at 1392 Whiddon Mill Road, just off I-75 in Tifton.  The Country Store has also expanded its offerings to include freshly made pound cakes, popcorn, cotton candy, and hand-dipped ice cream. 

Boone said the Museum’s steam powered cotton gin will also be running on Nov. 14.  Visitors can take in the spectacle of Eli Whitney’s invention turning out a bale of cotton. Also, the Museum’s own blacksmith will be forging iron at the Blacksmith Shop in the Historic Village. 

The 1917 Vulcan steam locomotive runs every Saturday around Agrirama Lake and straight through the center of the Historic Village. The steam train is always a source of wonderment for children who climb aboard as their ears perk up and their eyes grow wide at the sound of the historic train whistle.

The Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.  The Country Store has expanded its hours of operation to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and from noon until 5 p.m. on Sundays.