the Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums
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… Continue reading LAVENDER SPRIGS: Wear it with Pride!
“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… Continue reading ALHFAM President Mark Texel’s Post – Winter, 2026
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… Continue reading “WHY THIS WAY?”: The Requirement for Rote Skills in Living History
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… Continue reading ALHFAM FARM PIG Launches New Workshops in 2026
As a member of the Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM), I’m excited to share the latest development that promises to inspire creativity and collaboration within our community: the formation of the Arts and Culture Professional Interest Group (PIG). The conversation I facilitated during the 2024 virtual conference sparked a lot of… Continue reading Launching the Cultured Professional Interest Group (PIG) at ALHFAM: A New Adventure in Arts, Culture, and Collaboration
Hello ALHFAMily, Having just celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States, I am mindful of all we can be thankful for within this organization. Our organization is run by an all- volunteer Board of Directors who give freely of their time and mental resources to tackle the issues we face at the institutional… Continue reading President’s Message December 2024
The 2024 ALHFAM Annual Meeting and Conference Howell Living History FarmJune 7-10 and September 9-10, 2024 Learning by actually doing. Sharing practical knowledge. That is what ALHFAM is all about, and this conference is focused on the important skills that ALHFAM preserves, both for future staff at our sites as well as for generations to… Continue reading Curating Living History: Preserving Skills and Intangible Culture
Greetings and Happy New Year! While reading a recent call for workshop proposals, I was struck with a thought I decided to contemplate for a few days. This thought is how much things have changed, but also how much they have remained the same. Prior to the pandemic, the Association for Living History, Farm and… Continue reading President’s Message Jan 2024
A Social Historian's Perspective on Living History and the Interrelation of Controversial Issues Excerpt of an article written by David Vanderstel, Conner Prairie, Noblesville, Indiana. To read the entirety of this paper, join ALHFAM to explore the A.S.K. database, full of challenging insights and ideas, past and present, for our members. Join today! For decades,… Continue reading Death, Racism, and Intemperance:
Nestled in the fields of rural Northwest Ohio is Sauder Village, Ohio’s largest living history museum. Since opening in 1976, Sauder Village has grown to a 235-acre complex with more than 350 employees and 200 adult and youth volunteers. The Historic Village preserves more than 75 historic structures and over 50,000 artifacts, which allow us… Continue reading Sauder Village to Host 2023 ALHFAM Conference
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