Topics
Archive
Recent Comments
    Archives
    For media inquiries, please visit the Contact page.

    Silos & Smokestacks Funds Projects Telling America’s Agricultural Story

     

    WATERLOO, Iowa – Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area (SSNHA) has awarded $50,000 to 10 Heritage Area sites, communities and organizations. Projects funded through the Large and Small Projects Program Awards are dedicated to telling America’s agricultural stories, both past and present. Recipients of SSNHA’s 2022 Large Project Program Awards are:

    1. Indian Creek Nature Center, Sign of the Times: Adding Interpretive Signage at Indian Creek Nature Center, Cedar Rapids, $5,750
      Add new features to their property and seeks funds to create and install interpretive signage to educate and welcome visitors.
    2. Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation, Extending the Visitor Experience: Tour toolkit and teacher professional development, $7,660
      Educating Iowans regarding the breadth and global significance of agriculture by providing professional development for educators and a tour site toolkit.
    3. Iowa’s Dairy Center, Iowa’s Dairy Story Interpretive Enhancement, Calmar, $5,367
      Update and expand areas of the Iowa’s Dairy Story Program and enhance the visitor experience by sharing stories of Iowa’s dairy community.
    4. Living History Farms, Story Station, an exhibit to collect oral histories, Urbandale, $11,305
      Story Station is an interactive exhibit kiosk allowing visitors to record personal oral histories to preserve their relationship to agriculture and rural heritage.
    5. Motor Mill Foundation, Expanding Interpretive Resources at Motor Mill Historic Site, Elkader, $8,945
      Create more accessible on-site interpretive opportunities, expand educational resources, and incorporate digital interpretation techniques to enhance visitor experience at Motor Mill.
    6. Sunflower Child Care Center, Inc., Interpretive Planning and Design for the Decorah Discovery Center, Decorah, $3,000
      interpretive planning and preliminary exhibit design for a new children’s Discovery Center.

    Recipients of SSNHA’s 2022 Small Project Program Awards are:

    1. City of Cedar Rapids Iowa, Ushers Ferry Exterior Interpretive Signs, Cedar Rapids, $1,300
      Assist with the development, fabrication, and installation of eighteen exterior interpretive signs for the exhibit buildings at Ushers Ferry Historic Village.
    2. The Floyd County Historical Society, The Floyd County Museum, Tractor Information and Services Expansion Project, Charles City, $2,911
      Preserve collections related to Oliver/White Corporation.
    3. University of Northern Iowa, Underground Iowans Fieldwork & Pilot App, $2,962
      Undertake fieldwork to document graves in the heritage area and create the public-facing piece of the Underground Iowans app.
    4. Wright County Historical Society, Dows Historic District Welcome Signs, Dows, $800
      Revise, replace, and restore the signs that welcome visitors to this historic district.

    Projects funded through SSNHA Program Awards must provide non-federal match to the grant award. Since the program began in 2001, Silos & Smokestacks has funded more than $1.9 million to non-profit organizations, local governments and communities with projects dedicated to preserving America’s agricultural heritage.

    “We are excited partner with and support a wide-variety of ag-related projects across the heritage area that will improve visitor experiences and accessibility and preserve Iowa’s cultural heritage,” said Candy Welch-Streed, director of partnerships for Silos & Smokestacks.

    Through a network of sites, programs and events, Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area tells the story of farm life and agribusiness—past and present. Visitors can learn about and experience agriculture at a variety of museums, historic sites, and farms. One of 55 federally designated heritage areas in the nation, Silos & Smokestacks is a partner of the National Park Service. The heritage area covers 37 counties in the northeast quadrant of Iowa.

    To learn more about Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, visit www.silosandsmokestacks.org.

    Topics: Press Releases