Wow, what a great couple of weeks and excitement reconnecting with Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area! 120 partners networked and shared what’s new and talked about new Heritage Area opportunities in expanding our agricultural story.
Expanding Our Agricultural Story
Participants talked about building upon some of our lesser told stories, while connecting our heritage story with modern day agriculture. Although there was local uniqueness, there were also common regional stories identified:
Connecting the Farm to Town
Food to Table – value of knowing where your food comes from
Land Stewardship and Natural Resources
Family Farm Stories – historic and modern
Women in Agriculture
Agricultural Landscapes and Architecture
Many resources were identified to help develop these stories. Money, staff, volunteers were expected, but it was highlighted repeatedly the need for solid research and documentation of these stories was essential.
Partner Takeaways
Each participant was asked to identify one thing they planned to do as a result of what they learned. Here are some of the most commonly mentioned:
Use Other Sites as a Resource and as Collaborators
Use the Silos & Smokestacks resources and people
- Enter information on the website, especially EVENTS.
- Curriculum connections with Iowa Core and agriculture
- GRANTS – Bus, Intern and General
- Interpretive Assistance and Signage
Show Affiliation to Silos & Smokestacks
- Use Silos & Smokestacks logo
- Link to www.silosandsmokestacks.org and thru social media
- Add Silos staff to your media distribution and newsletter list
Telling Our Ag Story – Past and PRESENT
What’s Next?
You can access the entire results and resources discussed online. Remember to share them with your other colleagues and volunteers.
