Interpreting Agriculture at Museums and Historic Sites

Why should our museum accept and exhibit that tractor? Why do we need to keep those old seed samples or those plows? No one cares about farming anymore. This book provides the context that can help you respond to these conundrums in proactive ways based on local research that will link your history organization to compelling national (even international) stories. All history organizations, whether a living history farm or a historic house or an archive that has farm account books, try to engage a public with no direct connection to farming and agricultural history. But itΓÇÖs important to clarify the stories about farming and agriculture, historically and today, because the general public has very few opportunities to interact with historic artifacts and the built environment from that remote past. And the lessons can be profound. Seed samples from the late 19th century retain DNA that plant geneticists can utilize in their research, ubiquitous farm tools such as shovels and manure forks help people realize the physical demands of stoop labor, and tractors and other large equipment can speak to visitors when layers of interpretive support engage them mentally. Interpreting Agriculture in Museums and Historic Sites orients readers to major themes in agriculture and techniques in education and interpretation that can help you develop humanities-based public programming that enhance agricultural literacy. Case studies illustrate the ways that local research can help you link your history organization to compelling national (even international) stories focused on the multi-disciplinary topic. That ordinary plow, pitch fork and butter paddle can provide the tangible evidence of the story worth telling, even if the farm land has disappeared into subdivisions, and agriculture seems as remote as the 19th century. Other topics include discussion of alliances between rural tourism and community supported agriculture, farmland conservation and stewardship, heritage breed and seed preservation efforts, and antique tractor clubs. Any of these can become indispensable partners to history organizations searching for a new interpretive theme to explore and new partners to engage.