Farming practices in the Midwest have changed dramatically over the past century. Mechanization of planting and harvesting of grain, consolidation of the meat packing industry with its large-scale livestock raising and marketing, the introduction of monoculture and its single-crop fields expanding far and wide: These changes and more have contributed to an agricultural landscape that farmers of the nineteenth century – and before – couldn’t have foreseen.
Preserving the farming practices of earlier times, by relying upon historical records and legacy plant seeds, has taken on greater urgency in the face of these changes. In this plenary session, speakers representing organizations dedicated to such preservation will discuss their programs’ missions and the challenges they face. Audience members will have an opportunity to ask questions following their presentations.
Speakers:
Jaime Nicolet Rutan (she/her) is the Curator of Collections, Archives, and Exhibits at Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa. A native Iowan, Jaime holds a bachelor’s degree in art history from the University of Iowa and a master’s degree in fine and decorative art from Sotheby’s Institute of Art.
Sara Straate (she/her) is the seed historian at Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa, a non-profit organization that maintains and distributes a collection of over 20,000 varieties of heritage garden seeds and apples. Seed Savers Exchange promotes the importance of preserving biodiversity through seed stewardship and provides programming and other opportunities that engage gardeners, farmers, seed savers, and breeders with the collection.
Moderator:
David McCartney (he/him) is University of Iowa Archivist Emeritus and a past president of MAC. He has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and master’s degrees in history and library science, both from the University of Maryland at College Park. David is a native of the northern Iowa town of Charles City, long considered the birthplace of the farm tractor.
