The Manitoba Agricultural Museum is creating an exhibition called Farmers of Manitoba
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
A Manitoba museum is calling on the province’s ag community to submit items for a special exhibit.
Until April 15, the Manitoba Agricultural Museum is accepting portraits and stories from farmers that will be used to create the Farmers of Manitoba display.
Producers can submit photos and stories about themselves, a friend, an ancestor or the next generation of Manitoba farmers.
The museum will keep the submissions and add them to its permanent collection to help tell the story of Manitoba agriculture.
“We want to feature farmers themselves and their voices,” Anaïs Biernat, the museum’s executive director and curator, told Farms.com.
The Farmers of Manitoba exhibit will be part of the Manitoba 150 celebrations to honour the province’s 150th anniversary throughout 2020.
Agriculture is an important part of the province’s history and identity.
In 1812, for example, the Selkirk Settlers, also known as the Red River Settlers, were Manitoba’s first recorded agricultural immigrants when they settled near what’s now downtown Winnipeg.
And in August 2018, farmers operated 303 combines for five consecutive minutes to set a new Guinness world record and raise money for Children’s Camps International.
Showcasing the past, present and future of agriculture is important for the community, Biernat said.
“We feel that we have a role to play in representing today’s farmers as well as their parents, grandparents or other family members,” she said. “This helps our local communities, but also our urban ones and people who may not speak to farmers on a daily basis.”
Anyone interested in submitting a portrait and a story for the exhibit can contact the museum at 204-637-2354.
The Farmers of Manitoba exhibit is scheduled to open May 16.
A full list of Manitoba 150 programs and celebrations can be found on the organizing committee’s website.