CROSS CREEK, Fla. (WCJB) -Residents of North Central Florida started their New Year by participating in First Day Hikes, with one farm providing a history lesson alongside the traditional outdoor activity.<\/p>\n
First Day Hikes took place across the country on Thursday, but visitors to Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings\u2019 Historic Farmyard in Cross Creek also learned about the nation\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
In celebration of 250 years of American independence, staff taught hikers about Florida\u2019s role in World War II and how the farm played an integral part.<\/p>\n
After propaganda popularized the state\u2019s citrus, growers like Rawlings found increased demand as most crops went directly to the war effort.<\/p>\n
\u201cA gentleman told us about orange production. They were canning the juice then cause during the war it was being canned. It doesn\u2019t taste as good but, just something they had to do during the war effort is to can the orange juice,\u201d said John Netcher from Jacksonville.<\/p>\n
Hikers were served concentrated orange juice from the World War II era and recipes from Rawlings\u2019 own cookbook.<\/p>\n
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