ALHFAM FARM PIG Launches New Workshops in 2026
Real Work for a Real Purpose: ALHFAM FARM Professional Interest Group Launches New Workshops in 2026 The ALHFAM FARM Professional Interest Group (PIG) is launching a multi-year initiative to fulfill the operative phrase of the ALHFAM mission statement: Sharing practical knowledge and skills. Besides a lineup of workshops and sessions for the annual conferences, we…
ALHFAM President’s Fall 2025 Message
“From the President’s Pen” An unexpected weather change brought gloriously cooler temperatures to the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in late August. Like flipping a switch, the air became crisper, the shadows cast by a sun lower in sky become longer, and the sky a richer blue. Miraculously, fall seems to have arrived early…
250th Spark: Grassroots Power in a Time of Uncertainty
When we first started talking about the U.S. Semiquincentennial a few years ago, many of us expected a top-down roadmap: a coordinated, well-funded national vision that would cascade down to local museums and historic sites. But the reality of 250th planning has been very different. This anniversary is being shaped not by grand commissions or…
250th Spark: Two Lights for Tomorrow Kicks off 250th Celebration Next Month
In 1775, two lanterns in Boston’s Old North Church signaled the start of a revolution. Now, 250 years later, museums and byways across the country have a chance to bring that spirit to life through “Two Lights for Tomorrow.” (You can learn more about Two Lights for Tomorrow here; although this link is for Virginia,…
President’s Message Feb 2025
Hello ALHFAMily, In some ways, it is hard for me to believe we are already two-thirds through the first quarter of 2025. It has been a very busy two months for the ALHFAM Board of Directors. The Committee on Organizational Partnerships (COOP) has been in conversations with board members of EXARC about the possibility of…
Yeast & Bread at Fort Nisqually in the 1850s: Unpacking the Mystery of Bread Leavening
By Sarah Hoenig Bread is a staple at Fort Nisqually Living History Museum’s period kitchen, representing one of the many food traditions in this globally connected community. But when it comes to recreating authentic bread from the 1850s, the type of leavening agent used—whether sourdough, hops, or salt-rising starter—can be surprisingly elusive. With the popularity of…
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