The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History launched a web portal in March for the public to submit artifacts and personal accounts about changes in United States agricultural history.

LeAnn Ormsby, ACES Director of Information Technology and Communication Services, said the University is interested in making submissions to the portal in the future, but has not yet done so.

“Because of the outstanding research discoveries that the College of ACES has had since the start of the college, I think it would be really important to have input to what the museum has to offer,” Ormsby said.

The college’s discoveries and accomplishments include constructing Farm Business Farm Management, one of the oldest and largest state-run farm records and analysis programs. Developing the first transgenic pig and establishing the Morrow Plots, the analysis program is the first experimental plots on a U.S. college campus, Ormsby said.

She said she hopes to reach out to the ACES’ agriculture stakeholders to see if they would be interested in participating in the museum’s initiative.

“I’m sure many of our ACES faculty, both former and current, ACES alumni and other college stakeholders would have very interesting stories to share,” she said.

Sarah Maurer, freshman in ACES, said many students in ACES have an agricultural background, and they can use the portal to educate others about agriculture.

“I think that a lot of people have false images of what farming is, so I think that it will be good way to show what farmers actually do,” Maurer said. “I think (students) would utilize (the portal) to show what agriculture really is, how it’s evolved and how it will continue to evolve.”

The web portal can be accessed through the museum’s website, where personal stories and pictures can also be submitted. According to the Smithsonian Museum’s website, the museum is trying to get a more accurate and personal perspective on agricultural history while using modern day technology for the first time to reach out to more people.

According to a Smithsonian press release, the museum will be accepting not only stories involving agriculture, but artifacts as well. For example, a collection of road signs related to organic farming and no-till production was donated to the museum by Jim Rapp, a corn and soybean farmer from Princeton, Ill.

ACES Assistant Dean Jason Emmert said because the population of people involved in agriculture has decreased, it is a wonderful opportunity for people to submit their personal experiences.

“Agriculture has such a prominence in our national history,” Emmert said. “(The portal) gives people an opportunity to see the role that agriculture played in our country and still plays today.”

Megan can be reached at [email protected].