HOLIDAYS 2021
HOLIDAY 2021: 43
would have grown way back
then. Sweet potato, Seminole
pumpkin, pineapple and
mango abound.
WORKING THE LAND
The homestead worked with
the University of Florida in
experimental plantings of
disease-tolerant citrus, but
even Welch’s mothering
did not make for a success
with the project. With
the university’s guidance,
he is experimenting with
pomegranate, loofah,
dragonfruit and peppers as
crops that would be viable
alternatives for the ailing
Florida citrus industry.
A small band of volunteers
help with a range of projects. Kim McCourt and girlfriend Mary
Scibone, for example, are preparing items from the old citrus
packinghouse so they can be displayed.
Field Manor joins Zonta Club’s
holiday ornament lineup
This year, Field Manor joins the lineup of historical
and/or eclectic landmarks that comprise
the collection of ornaments from Zonta Club of
Melbourne.
Since 1999, the nonprofit has issued a holiday
ornament in the shape of a Brevard landmark, from
Cocoa Village Playhouse and Strawberry Mansion
to Del’s Freez and the Kennedy Space Center
Rocket Garden.
The sale of the ornaments helps fund Zonta’s
scholarships and programs, including its initiative
to raise awareness of human trafficking.
“It gives us the capacity to spread the word about
Zonta,” says club member Sandy Michelson, who
developed the idea for the ornaments.
The 3½-inch ornament retails for $25, or $30 with a
stand. Each piece is handcrafted and hand painted
at Massachusetts-based Hestia Creations.
Meehan’s in downtown Melbourne carries the entire
collection, which can also be ordered through
zontaspacecoast.org.
These stocking stuffers are perfect for residents, for
folks who have left the area but remember it fondly,
and even for tourists eager for a unique souvenir.
Field Manor grove manager Darren Welch
oversees experimental plantings, as well as
heirloom gardens.
SCOTT LEVIN
At Field Manor, the Elf on the Shelf prefers
to perch in the orange trees.
STEVEN R. HICKS
SCOTT LEVIN
With views like this, it is not surprising that
Field Manor is a popular venue.
“Taking things from the past and making them work again and
setting them for display so people in the future may see them seems
worthy of the time spent,” McCourt said.
For many years, the Fields struggled hard, fighting freezes, crop
failures, heat, mosquitoes, snakes, alligators and other critters to
eventually achieve success.
“They were the very definition of pioneers in a land that was far from
kind to its early inhabitants,” archivist Boonstra said. “The house and
landscape at Field Manor are rare survivors and provide us with a
unique opportunity to go back in time…and to do it with less bugs!”
/zontaspacecoast.org
