the Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums
Hidden in the stories of African American involvement in agriculture are the truths that African Americans struggled, sometimes at the cost of their lives, to obtain land and to become productive citizens by cultivating it. In addition, African Americans were involved in the creation of educational institutions and business organizations dedicated to the self-help and economic and spiritual improvement of Black farmers and their families in the South.
Since I began working for the Oklahoma Historical Society, Tillers International has been on my bucket list of places to visit. When ALHFAM announced the first STP (Skills, Training, and Preservation) plowing workshop was going to be held at Tillers I was excited.
by Jessica Michonski Monticello Gardens, photo by the author To visit the home of a historical figure is always an experience to be partaken…especially for a historian. In July 2019, I had the privilege to visit Monticello – Jefferson’s estate in the mountains of Virginia – while on vacation with my family. I was enthralled… Continue reading Farmer Tom…Forgotten?
by Tom Kelleher, Old Sturbridge Village & Past President, ALHFAM “I am setting hooks to capture your interest and imagination!” I have been a costumed historical interpreter for a long time now, and have enjoyed visiting living history museums since I was a child. For many decades the best sites strove for ever-greater historical authenticity.… Continue reading What are you doing?
By Jochen Welsch, Old Sturbridge Village Visitors to Old Sturbridge Village routinely ask if, and usually assume, that early nineteenth-century farmers were "organic." Most look perplexed when we answer that no, early nineteenth-century farmers were not organic. The public assumes that agricultural history and organic farming go hand in hand. This reveals a basic misunderstanding… Continue reading The Myth of Our Organic Past
By Barbara Corson, Department of Agriculture, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Most people feel some discomfort when confronted with the idea of killing an animal that they know as an individual. There are different ways of dealing with the discomfort, including trying not to think about it and buying the meat once it is not recognizable as… Continue reading Philosophy in Raising and Butchering Livestock
Today's guest blogger is Ross Gould who contributed a post about the walking plough in September. Thanks Ross for sharing your stories! As an eleven year volunteer at Heritage Park in Calgary, and a farmer for 18 years in an earlier life, my favourite venue to interpret is the farm machinery shed. There are many stories that can… Continue reading The Threshing Crew
Today's guest entry was submitted by Ross Gould who has volunteered at Heritage Park in Calgary, Alberta for the past eight years. Staff at the Park recently directed Ross to the ALHFAM website. Intrigued by the request for blog material, he reached out to share the following story. As a senior interpreter, now 86, at Heritage… Continue reading The Walking Plow
I’m certain that many of you agree that some of the best things about ALHFAM are those unique learning opportunities –: the chance to get your hands-on history, to learn about past trades, techniques and technologies--, more than you could ever experience from the printed page. In my role as a senior administrator, the “hands-on” part… Continue reading Kindred Spirits
by James Macklen Living history museums are great places to visit to see different lifestyles. We need to show our support as we are able. One of the best ways to show support is to incorporate some of the newly-discovered practices in our homes. That’s what I do on my farm, and antique equipment is… Continue reading Walking the Talk
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