Chew on This: Interpreting Food in Massachusetts History

11th Annual Massachusetts History Conference

At this, the eleventh annual Mass History Conference welcomed the many small historical organizations and practitioners preserving, interpreting, and deepening the exploration of Massachusetts history. This anniversary conference explored the meaning and availability of food in Massachusetts History: what we grow, what we eat, food and identity, scarcity and quality. We will once again present a program that is chock-full of excellent hands-on examples of, and workshops in, the best practices in public history. We enjoyed the keynote address by Filmmaker Ian Cheney, creator of The Search for General Tso and co-founder of Food Corps. 

Agenda

8:30 AM -1:30 PM

Registration, Continental Breakfast, & Networking

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Mass History Commons: A place to exchange ideas and conversation, and to showcase your organization, projects, and products.

9:30-9:45 AM

Welcome
Pleun Bouricius, Mass Humanities

9:45-10:45 AM

Keynote Address
Ian Cheney, Documentary Filmmaker (The Search for General Tso (2014), King Corn (2007)) and co-founder of FoodCorps

10:45-11:00 AM

Break

11-12:15 PM

Food in Massachusetts Archives
Sponsored by New England Archivists
Archivists from various organizations share their collections of food-related archival materials of interest to curators and historians at small historical societies (including records of Agricultural Extension, community cookbooks from around New England, records of farming organizations and cooperatives, and records of regulatory agencies and food producers) and share their insights on what is available around the Commonwealth. In the question-and-answer period, they will answer questions about archival resources relating to food-related exhibits and projects and share their insights into doing food-related research.

Archivists:
Rob Cox, Head, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Andrea Cronin, Assistant Reference Librarian, Massachusetts Historical Society
TBA, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Anne Moore, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Moderator:
Marilyn Morgan, Director of the History and Archives Tracks, University of Massachusetts Boston

Bringing in the Harvest: Laborers in Massachusetts Agriculture
Join our panelists as they explore the recent history of laborers in the fields and on the ocean. Although seemingly different, the farm and fishery share an extraordinary diversity of their labor force. Learn how “world farmers,” recent immigrants, and long-time agricultural workers create a distinctive Massachusetts experience that can be explored through history programs and activities.

Presenters:
Diana Limbach Lempel, Working Waterfront Festival Archives
Angel Mendez, Operations Manager, Red Tomatoes
Maria Moreira, Executive Director, World Farmers, Inc.

Moderator:
Jane Becker, Department of History, University of Massachusetts Boston

Beyond the Butter Churn: History, Food, and Social Activism
The current enthusiasm for ‘‘local food’’ offers public historians an opportunity to strengthen civic dialogues about place, land and energy use, labor, economy, health, and governance. Join the discussion about how public historians can move beyond conventional exhibits and living history to reshape both scaled-down food systems and civically engaged museums and historic sites.

Presenter:
Cathy Stanton, Senior Lecturer, Tufts University

Moderator:
David Glassberg, Department of History, University of Massachusetts Amherst

How Fish Sticks Became Food: Massachusetts Food Industry and Changing Patterns of Production and Consumption in 20th Century America
This session will address ways in which food production and consumption changed in Cold-War Massachusetts, focusing on technologies in both domestic and commercial spheres, such as the fishing industry. In particular, Redman will explore the large –scale adoption of refrigeration and freezing and the history of frozen food as both a culture and a commodity.

Presenter:
Emily Redman, Assistant Professor, Department of History, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Moderator:
Rebecca Lewis, Department of History, University of Massachusetts Boston

12:15 – 1:30 PM

Lunch Buffet

Bay State Legacy Award
Brian Donahue

Massachusetts History Commendation
Robert Forrant

1:30 – 4:30 PM

Workshops

You Don’t Know Beans…’Til You Ask Someone: Oral History & Community
Oral history is a method used to document the past—and present—by drawing on the knowledge of individuals and communities. Through recorded interviews, oral histories often create the first tangible record–where none existed except in memory–of people, places, everyday life, historical events, customs, and traditions. This workshop will offer tips on carrying out a successful oral history project, as well as K-12 classroom applications. Case studies from New Bedford’s seafood industry and foodways traditions in Lowell offer programming ideas for all ages to show how food has helped to shape Massachusetts’ identity and sense of place over time.

Presenters:
Laura Orleans, Executive Director, New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center
Millie Rahn, Folklorist

Moderator:
Carolyn Goldstein, Public History and Community Archives Program Manager, University of Massachusetts Boston

Creating Food Demonstration Programs at Your Historic Site
Have you always wanted to develop and run food demonstration programs at your historic site, but wondered where to start? This workshop will cover the basics and best practices in creating a food demonstration program, including the process for deciding if your organization can run such a program, working with your local government regarding health department requirements, how to research and create recipes appropriate to your site, what to do if your site cannot have an open fire, and how to plan the program.

Presenters:
Claire Carlson, Education Program Coordinator, Historic Deerfield
Debra Friedman, Senior Vice President, Visitor Experience, Old Sturbridge Village

Moderator:
Kayla Pittman, Public History, University of Massachusetts Amherst

1:30-2:45 PM

Innovative Partnerships in History to Address Food Issues
What do history exhibits, organic gardens, and food pantries have in common? Join us for a look at how history organizations are pairing with public service agencies to fight hunger while bringing interpretive history programs to the general public.

Presenters:
Tom Beardsley, Site Manager, The Old Manse
Sarah Purgus, Gardener, Gaining Ground
Bill Wallace, Executive Director, Worcester Historical Museum

Moderator:
Jayne Gordon, Education Director, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Molasses and Marshmallow: Food and Trading in New England Account Books
Local archivist and historian Lenora Robinson and maritime historian Mike Dyer will lead participants in exploring the workings of eighteenth-and nineteenth-century account books from local general stores and merchants to long distance trade to help us understand what might be on the table in households and how it got there. A primer in using account books for programming – useful and fun!

Presenters:
Mike Dyer, Senior Maritime Historian, New Bedford Whaling Museum
Lenora Robinson, Archival Librarian, New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library

Moderator:
Pleun Bouricius, Director of Grants & Programs, Mass Humanities

Native American Food Practice and Provisioning
Join our panelists for a discussion of the history, roles, and uses of food in maintaining indigenous cultures.  This panel considers the Native food sovereignty movement and the creative ways that some museums have connected with Native food production; cooking traditions and the perpetuation of culture; and the continuities from past into present in approaches to Native American cuisine.

Presenters:
Elizabeth Hoover, Assistant Professor of American Studies and Ethnic Studies, Brown University
Rachel Sayet, Mohegan Tribal Library/Archives
Loren Spears, Executive Director, Tomaquag Museum

Moderator:
Kathleen Barker, Assistant Director of Education & Public Programs, Massachusetts Historical Society

MA SHRAB Information Session
Sponsored by MA SHRAB
This session will highlight the activities and programs sponsored by the Massachusetts State Historical Records Advisory Board, with special emphasis on the Roving Archivist and Regrant programs.

Presenters:
Beth Galloway, Director, Grafton Public Library
Rachel Onuf, Roving Archivist
Kaleigh Pare, Collections Specialist, Ecotarium

Moderator:
John D. Warner, Jr., State Archivist and SHRAB Coordinator

2:45-3:15 PM

Break

3:15-4:30 PM

Chocolate, Culture, and the Politics of Food in Massachusetts
A sensory and historical exploration of chocolate in Massachusetts that combines guided tastings of the “food of the gods” with a program about the socio-historical legacy of chocolate, and the global and ethical issues connected to the production of one of America’s favorite sweets. This program is suitable for local historical organizations.

Presenters:
Carla D. Martin, Lecturer, Harvard University

Moderator:
Hayley Wood, Senior Program Officer, Mass Humanities

Interpreting Agriculture in Massachusetts through Sites, Artifacts, and Images
Join a historic site manager and local historian as they demonstrate innovative ways to interpret the history of agriculture in Massachusetts. Using artifacts, images, and the landscape, participants will learn how to interpret farming even if there is no longer a farm in sight. ​

Presenters:
Bethany Groff Dorau, North Shore Regional Site Manager, Historic New England
John Ott, Guest Curator, Concord Museum

Moderator:
Electa Kane Tritsch, Director, Oakfield Research

No Food in the Archives: Pest Control and Other Issues in Archival Preservation
Sponsored by MA SHRAB
This session will introduce participants to tools and approaches for creating a disaster plan for their institution. Then the session will focus on steps institutions can take to mitigate the risks of pests and how to respond to an infestation.

Presenters:
Jessica Bitely, Director of Preservation Services, Northeast Document Conservation Center
Gregor Trinkaus-Randall, Preservation Specialist, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners

Moderator:
John D. Warner, Jr. State Archivist and SHRAB Coordinator