Greetings
I want to give a shout out to Minnetrista Museum & Gardens this month. For many years Minnetrista has been the “home” of the Midwest Antique Fruit Jar & Bottle Club.
Minnetrista Museum & Gardens is a beautiful facility just north of downtown Muncie. It opened in 1988 and is a legacy foundation of the Ball family (of Ball jar fame, of course).
For many years Minnetrista has furnished our club a room for our monthly meetings, at no cost. They also have an extensive collection of Ball jars, equipment and associated ephemera, as well as research archives, associated with home canning.
They currently have an exhibit chronicling food canning during difficult times called “Crisis Canning.” This will still be available during our 2025 convention in January.
Our club has been searching for a suitable home for the club’s library, as has been mentioned in these pages previously. We are currently working with Minnetrista on this matter and are close to finding the library a home with them. The library would be accessible to members of the club. I personally view this as a very positive solution to a difficult situation. Libraries may have fallen out of favor with the advent of the internet age, but there will always be a need and desire to have them available.
We are very grateful for the generosity and the opportunities provided us by the Minnetrista Museum & Gardens.
Wishing good health and happiness to everyone.
Jerry Dixon