Dear ALHFAMily,
We find ourselves again at a major crossroads in our daily lives and one that is shaping the trajectory of world history. Founded over 50 years ago, ALHFAM is an international organization that uses living history to preserve and bring the past to life. Throughout our organization’s history, we have faced plenty of challenges, both internal and external, yet have always emerged strong and vibrant. 2026 is proving another seminal moment testing our mission’s survival, as threats to eliminate fact-based history and/or promulgate false narratives to achieve short-term political gain, with destruction of cultural resources, along with generations of scholarly, fact-based research to interpret their relevance, are growing. This also includes the expanding use of AI technology in education and interpretation.
The work of ALHFAM is built upon generations of rigorous, scholarly research, in addition to preserving the skills and knowledge of hundreds of years of agricultural, domestic, and industrial trades and techniques by practicing, teaching and collecting them for the present and the future.
ALHFAM remains an organization based on partnerships outside the decisions of our governments. We have grown both in numbers and in our professional standards and credibility as practitioners of public and living history, despite efforts to politicize how the past is preserved and presented. In an effort to shape historical narratives to reflect certain world views, governments are undermining established practices of scholarly research and the independence of historians and eliminating or distorting significant parts of the historical record. At its core, ALHFAM is an organization that exists through international networks of practitioners who share a dedication to rigorous scholarship, inclusive programming and a willingness to follow the evidence to find the difficult and compelling stories.
For these reasons, ALHFAM opposes any efforts to tell blatantly false or disingenuous stories of the past that are not based on meticulous research and study. We also reject efforts to erase inclusive storytelling and historical interpretation: core elements of ALHFAM’s Values and Guiding Principles. We stand in strong solidarity with our members across twelve (12) countries – Australia, France, New Zealand, Scotland, Spain, Denmark, Romania, United States, Canada, Iceland, UK and Germany – who may also be experiencing threats similar to those occurring in the United States.
Agriculture remains essential to the survival of our species. Preserving historic agricultural practices and agrarian lifestyles are at the core of our mission. Recent decisions on energy production and the rollback of measures intended to slow sea level rise and curb CO2 emissions are threatening the overall health of the planet and harm agriculture in profound ways. For those reasons, ALHFAM also stands arm in arm with farmers and growers throughout the world who are being harmed by decisions made for short-term political and/or financial gain. Maintaining crop and plan diversity—essential to our survival—is an essential service ALHFAM members provide in propagating and helping preserve historic plant and livestock varieties.
ALHFAM’s recent international regional meeting in Iceland has reaffirmed its commitment to serving the international community of living history practitioners and agricultural historians, regardless of the efforts, intentional or otherwise, of governments or other entities to undermine or distort scholarly narratives. We will strive to explore creative possibilities to make our work and knowledge accessible to everyone during these exceptionally challenging times. We will continue to achieve success despite politicization within the field and explore ways to mend the broken pipeline for many young professionals and provide economic sustainability for managing the many historic sites within our organization.
We are all living history/museum professionals who pursue best practices in an honest and spirited effort to tell accurate history, giving justice to all the voices who shaped the past and who continue to shape the future.
The Mission of ALHFAM
The Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM) shares practical knowledge and skills among those who make history relevant to contemporary lives. We draw strength from our diverse network of members, sharing experience, research and passion for participatory learning.
ALHFAM Values and Guiding Principles
Values
Preservation and sharing of skills and knowledge
ALHFAM values and encourages the preservation and interpretation of historical skills and knowledge. This knowledge and these skills have not only been useful in the past but can be relevant to our lives today and in the future.
ALHFAM supports the growth and professionalization of members and member sites and supports this through conferences, publications, SkillClips, virtual workshops, etc.
Relevance
ALHFAM believes that the stories of our collective past still resonate in our lives today, informing and influencing the decisions of today and tomorrow.
Inclusive History
ALHFAM values the telling of everyone’s history, reflecting the stories of the communities we serve. ALHFAM values the necessity of a diverse membership, of all backgrounds, identities, and regions, in achieving this objective of telling inclusive and accurate history.
Collaboration
ALHFAM values the power of collaboration, leveraging the knowledge and experiences within our own organization and other organizations and with our community partners.
Sustainability
We promote sustainable practices in the operation of ALHFAM events and support the membership with knowledge of sustainable practices for their operation.
Guiding Principles
- Everyone’s history has equal value and, at ALHFAM events, should be shared with participants with the same respect and attention to detail.
- While some language and terms may be historically accurate, we will avoid language that may do more to divide rather than educate and inspire.
- Skills should always be presented in context of their space and time, in order to give a fuller understanding of not only the process but how that skill was important to the people of the time and place where it was practiced.
- ALHFAM values the interpretive technique of living history as a way to bring the stories and processes of the past to people of today.
- ALHFAM’s main reason for being is to support our members, both individuals and institutions, in the important work of sharing history in a way that helps our guests understand the past, see its relevance to the present and imagine their own impact on the future.
Mark has worked professionally in historic sites, living history/outdoor museums and public parks since 1988. He holds B.A.’s in American History and American Music, and a Certificate in Historic Preservation from Drew University. Currently administrator for the New Jersey Office of Historic Sites, Mark is responsible for stewardship of over 50 state historic/cultural sites and guides the work of 20+ history professionals and 24 nonprofit partners. He previously served as director of the New Jersey State Park Service (including its Office of Historic Sites) from 2012 – 2021. He became the president of the Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums in June 2025. He has portrayed both civilian and military as a member of progressive living history units and is active with the New Jersey Living History Advisory Council. Mark is directing the overall visitor readiness preparation, including capital and programmatic planning, of New Jersey’s state historic sites for the Semiquincentennial commemoration in 2026.
