The Oscar L. Farris Agricultural Museum Association in Tennessee is getting a financial boost for its agricultural celebration, having been awarded a $17,365 grant by the Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial. The money, a slice of the $6,435,000 statewide pot for America 250 initiatives, is earmarked for creating a new exhibit and educational programs that honor both the state's farming roots and the country's 250-year-old narrative.
This Exhibition and Programs Grant is slated to highlight the Tennessee Century Farms program, which nods to the state's longstanding farming families and their contributions, and will underpin a variety of educational endeavors designed to engage visitors with both the past and the present of American agriculture. According to a statement obtained by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, the museum will also develop interpretive materials to explore the intricacies of Tennessee’s agricultural history and America's Semiquincentennial celebrations.
Elaura Guttormson, Ph.D., the Director of the Tennessee Agricultural Museum, shared her enthusiasm for the opportunities the grant presents. "Tennessee's century farms honor generations of farm families whose stewardship of the land helped form the agricultural roots that define our state," Guttormson said, recognizing the grant's role in bringing these stories to the fore and linking them to the larger American historical tapestry.
The Tennessee Agricultural Museum, which falls under the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, is a repository for thousands of artifacts that trace the trajectory of the state's rural and agricultural progress, it welcomes upward of 15,000 visitors each year with a suite of educational programs exhibits and artifacts, and special events, and maintains a commitment to preserving these histories for forthcoming generations to uncover and digest. With the new funding, the museum aims to broaden its outreach and continue its mission to ensure the agricultural legacy of Tennessee remains a vital part of the larger American story.
