From the President’s Pen: Spring 2026
Spring has sprung all over the world. Flowering trees, shrubs, grasses and plants of every imagination put forth a cornucopia of color to attract pollinators to set their fruit and seed. Songbirds sing cheerful melodies to attract mates, while the lambing and farrowing season brings newborns to our farm and agricultural museums. The happy chatter…
Who Cares About History?
I have been teaching living history in Oregon for 20 years and have met people who are curious and thoughtful, and also encountered those who are distrustful of ideas that challenge their beliefs. With the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this year, I began considering why I do this work. Why do people…
LAVENDER SPRIGS: Wear it with Pride!
by Nancy Kimberley Phillips Heritage Park is a large living history museum in Calgary, Alberta (Treaty 7[1]) that has been in operation since 1964. The primary focus of the Park is to share the history of Western Canada between ~1880-1940. In recent years, a central part of our mandate has been to diversify the stories…
ALHFAM President Mark Texel’s Post – Winter, 2026
“From the President’s Pen” Winter weather to date has this year has been unpredictable and challenging for much of the ALHFAMily. Much of the New England, Mid-Western, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States have been buried by snow, ice, and/or enveloped by a three- week “polar vortex” unseen for many years. But most…
“WHY THIS WAY?”: The Requirement for Rote Skills in Living History
by Jim Slining 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 are launching Farmers Bootcamps at ALHFAM sites across the country that use the…
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 