Interpreting Agriculture at Museums and Historic Sites

by Debra A. Reid

Overview

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 local, national (even international) stories focused on the multidisciplinary 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 nineteenth 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442230125
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	01/23/2017
Series:	Interpreting History , #12
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	284
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Debra A. Reid is curator of agriculture and the environment at The Henry Ford, and professor emeritus in the Department of History and Historical Administration Graduate Program at Eastern Illinois University. Since 2006 she has also served as adjunct professor at the University of Illinois in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

Table of Contents

Foreword – Tom Kelleher
Part 1: Developing Interpretation with an Agricultural Perspective
Chapter 1 Interpreting Agriculture: Introduction to Terms and Themes
Chapter 2 Once a Field, now Suburbia: Interpreting Agriculture in Any Context
Chapter 3 Agriculture: Developing a Humanist Point of View
Chapter 4 Agriculture and Historical Thinking
Part 2: Agriculture in Time and Place: Research as the Foundation for Interpretation
Chapter 5 Documenting Agriculture in Two Dimensions: Background Research
Chapter 6 Documenting Agriculture in Three Dimensions: Artifacts
Research Summaries:
Chapter 7 You Can’t Eat Gold: Agriculture in Early Colorado City, 1858-1867, Carol Kennis Lopez
Chapter 8 Changes in Corn-Belt Crop Culture: Iowa, 1945-1972, J.L. Anderson
Chapter 9 A Curator’s Legacy, William S. Pretzer
Part 3: Thematic Studies to Inform Localized Agriculture Interpretation
Chapter 10 Roads and Bridges in Rural Agricultural Interpretation, Cameron L. Saffell and Debra A. Reid
Chapter 11 Horses, Harness, and Transport: Informing Interdisciplinary Interpretation, Barbara Corson, VMD
Chapter 12 Livestock in Agricultural Interpretation, Jonathan D. Kuester and Debra Reid
Chapter 13 Sex, Drugs, and GMOs: Crops and Agricultural Interpretation
Part 4: Developing Interpretation
Chapter 14 Interpreting Agriculture: A Multi-Step Sequential Process
Chapter 15 Case Study – Interpreting Rural Life in El Paso, Texas, Cameron L. Saffell
Chapter 16 Case Study: An Exhibit – Reaper: Nettie Fowler McCormick and the Machine that Built Tusculum College, Peter M. Noll
Conclusion
Appendix: Links to Useful Information

Editorial Reviews

Too many museum sites neglect the history of farming in spite of the current issues of food production, animal welfare, water quality and usage, and others directly tied to agricultural history.This work is a valuable contribution for any museum on the how and why to incorporate agricultural interpretation and education into their programs and exhibits.

Leo E. Landis

Humans depend on agriculture as a source of food, fiber, and fuel. However, there has been a dramatic shift in the number of farmers who supply these raw materials. Agricultural museums provide a view of the history of agriculture and present the different aspects of agricultural inventions, products, and progress. This volume attentively describes how museums and historic sites offer a view of agriculture that helps explain the progress that fostered this abundant supply of agricultural materials. Throughout the book, there are descriptions of the changes made in agriculture. Examples include the transition from hand picking to machine harvesting corn; the need to change methods for storage, processing, and management; and how agriculture prompted the need for road improvements and the creation of bridges to deliver products to markets. It is important to note that this work should be regarded not as a how-to guide for museums but as a unique vision of how humans depict and understand agriculture from the viewpoint of individuals who did not grow up on a farm. The insights provided in this effort reveal why it is necessary to tell the story of how agriculture has benefited humanity.

Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above; faculty and professionals.

Choice Reviews

Interpreting Agriculture at Museums and Historic Sites is an excellent tool to help create compelling agriculture-related programs and experiences. It provides many examples of how humanities themes and agricultural topics can be combined, supported by excellent case studies and resource lists. The book can be a great benefit to both greenhorns and those with experience in the field.

Jim McCabe

This much needed volume makes a persuasive case for interpreting agriculture at any museum or historic site. Chapters contributed by experienced leaders in the field cover both the related scholarly literature as well as the practical nuts and bolts of specific examples. Sections on interpreting agricultural artifacts, live animals, and modern agriculture will be especially useful to refreshing existing interpretation or adding new programming.

Todd Stockwell

Humans depend on agriculture as a source of food, fiber, and fuel. However, there has been a dramatic shift in the number of farmers who supply these raw materials. Agricultural museums provide a view of the history of agriculture and present the different aspects of agricultural inventions, products, and progress. This volume attentively describes how museums and historic sites offer a view of agriculture that helps explain the progress that fostered this abundant supply of agricultural materials. Throughout the book, there are descriptions of the changes made in agriculture. Examples include the transition from hand picking to machine harvesting corn; the need to change methods for storage, processing, and management; and how agriculture prompted the need for road improvements and the creation of bridges to deliver products to markets. It is important to note that this work should be regarded not as a how-to guide for museums but as a unique vision of how humans depict and understand agriculture from the viewpoint of individuals who did not grow up on a farm. The insights provided in this effort reveal why it is necessary to tell the story of how agriculture has benefited humanity. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above; faculty and professionals.

Choice

Humans depend on agriculture as a source of food, fiber, and fuel. However, there has been a dramatic shift in the number of farmers who supply these raw materials. Agricultural museums provide a view of the history of agriculture and present the different aspects of agricultural inventions, products, and progress. This volume attentively describes how museums and historic sites offer a view of agriculture that helps explain the progress that fostered this abundant supply of agricultural materials. Throughout the book, there are descriptions of the changes made in agriculture. Examples include the transition from hand picking to machine harvesting corn; the need to change methods for storage, processing, and management; and how agriculture prompted the need for road improvements and the creation of bridges to deliver products to markets. It is important to note that this work should be regarded not as a how-to guide for museums but as a unique vision of how humans depict and understand agriculture from the viewpoint of individuals who did not grow up on a farm. The insights provided in this effort reveal why it is necessary to tell the story of how agriculture has benefited humanity.

Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above; faculty and professionals.

CHOICE