An agro-industrial complex in the Eure departement, France, in the early 20th century. These Salers cattle belong to the Nassandres agro-industrial complex, made up of a sugar beet factory-distillery (in the Risle valley, between the Seine and the Eure) and six farms (Chrétienville, Les Rufflets, Bigards, Feuguerolles, Beauficel , Beaumontel), very close to the factory, representing… Continue reading From Farm to Fork
Rural History
Childcare on Farms in the First Half of the 20th Century
Until the middle of the 20th century, children were an integral part of the farming economy from an early age. Their care by adults (parents, family members, farm labourers) and their learning and work were closely interlinked and could hardly be separated from each other in everyday life. The animals working on the farms, especially… Continue reading Childcare on Farms in the First Half of the 20th Century
A load of old rubbish? But it still has lots of stories to tell…Glass from the middens of Auchindrain Township
Editor’s Note: This post will also introduce you to the pleasure of reading names in Scottish Gaelic – like Auchindrain’s name here, “Bail’ Ach’ an Droighinn”, or the for the people who live there, Na Droighnich. Bail’ Ach’ an Droighinn/Auchindrain Township (spoken “achan-dray-in”) is a 9-hectare museum and historic site in the west of… Continue reading A load of old rubbish? But it still has lots of stories to tell…Glass from the middens of Auchindrain Township
Hay harvesting calendar in Romania
In 2021, the cultural intangible heritage connected to hay was included in the National Inventory of Intangible Heritage in Romania, with the title “The Culture of Hay: knowledge and traditional practices concerning hay harvesting in semi-natural meadows, in the mountain and sub-mountain areas of Carpathians Mountains”. It is a complex document, including the description of… Continue reading Hay harvesting calendar in Romania
Did anybody care about, or for, bees in the European Middle Ages?
Abstract: Medieval texts and iconography have much to tell us about beekeeping in Europe, from how hives were constructed to who took care of them, and… for whom. Résumé: Les textes et l’iconographie du Moyen Âge en Europe recèlent une pléthore d’informations sur l’apiculture, sur les ruches, sur qui s’en occupait et… pour qui. Keywords:Honeybees… Continue reading Did anybody care about, or for, bees in the European Middle Ages?
How has beekeeping changed over time? An archaeobeekeeper and an archaeological open-air museum in Germany showcase pre- and proto-historic beekeeping methods
Abstracts: Archaeological finds provide proof of beekeeping in man-made places for bees to live in for the first sedentary cultures. Tubular wooden constructions (log hives) and skeps are the typical bee habitations for (pre-)historic beekeepingin Central Europe. Only two really groundbreaking changes can be pointed out that have led to the modern type of beehives… Continue reading How has beekeeping changed over time? An archaeobeekeeper and an archaeological open-air museum in Germany showcase pre- and proto-historic beekeeping methods
What can law do for bees? A touch of history
Abstracts: We have evidence for honey-gathering from rock art dating back to the Mesolithic, but there is also information about beekeeping in the context of laws (and literature) in early Ireland – what do you do when a neighbour’s bees invade your property? Worse still, what happens if one stings you? Even worse, what happens… Continue reading What can law do for bees? A touch of history
Why all the buzz about bees? AIMA bloggers encourage us to Bee Aware!
Bees – one short name accounts for 16,000 to 20,000 species of hairy flying insects classified into seven families. All live within social communities that depend on strict work routines. They all seek the same food sources – pollen and nectar – and each processes their harvest and preserves it in hives built in the… Continue reading Why all the buzz about bees? AIMA bloggers encourage us to Bee Aware!
AIMA Executive Board gathers in New Delhi, India
Board members of the Association Internationale Des Musées D’Agriculture (AIMA) met for their annual meeting in New Delhi, India, November 25-30, 2018. Surajit Sarkar, Ambedkar University, coordinated the visit. Nerupama Y. Modwel, director of Intangible Cultural Heritage Division of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) greeted AIMA board members on November 26 at… Continue reading AIMA Executive Board gathers in New Delhi, India
Rural History 2019
Rural History 2019, the fourth biennial conference of the European Rural History Organisation, will take place in Paris from Tuesday 10 to Friday 13 September 2019. For information about the conference – which incorporates numerous topics of interest to agricultural museums.
American Literature and Agricultural Lessons
I’m pulling a panel together for Rural History 2017 (Leuven, Belgium, 11-14 September) on the following topic: American literature with rural or agricultural content taught in European schools. If you studied an American novel in school in Europe (grades before university) please post the author, title and brief summary of how the literature was included… Continue reading American Literature and Agricultural Lessons
Rural History 2017
Call for Panels Rural History 2017 11-14 September 2017 Leuven, Belgium It is a pleasure to announce Rural History 2017, the third biennial conference of the European Rural History Organisation (EURHO). The EURHO conferences aim at promoting the exchange of research questions and results, fostering co-operation between scholars engaged in the history of rural Europe… Continue reading Rural History 2017