This collection documents the programming, outreach, publications, and interpretive efforts of the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum. Materials date primarily from the late 20th and early 21st centuries and include annual reports, marketing materials, newsletters, exhibit documentation, event programs, workshop materials, and promotional items. The records reflect the museum’s mission to preserve and interpret the history of agriculture and rural life in South Dakota from 1860 to the present.
Included are brochures, flyers, calendars, postcards, and posters related to museum events and exhibits. Exhibits represented in the records include: Dreams Fulfilled and Dreams Forgotten, Groundbreakers, Between Fences, South Dakota Made, FarmHER South Dakota, and several others focusing on agricultural science, machinery, and rural culture. Programs and lectures include the Brown Bag Series, the N.E. Hansen Lecture Series, author events, historical presentations, musical performances, and hands-on workshops such as homebrewing, Dutch oven cooking, scrapbooking, and embroidery preservation.
A variety of outreach efforts are also documented, including direct mail campaigns, community events, holiday promotions, and museum store marketing. Newsletters from both the museum and the Friends of the Museum group offer insight into ongoing operations, donor engagement, and institutional developments. Unique artifacts such as souvenir books, trade cards, historical postcards, and commemorative publications further support the museum’s mission to preserve agricultural heritage.
These records are a resource for their detailed documentation of public history efforts relating to South Dakota agriculture, material culture, and rural life. They provide insight into how a university-affiliated museum engages with diverse audiences through exhibitions, educational programming, publications, and outreach. The collection also reflects broader themes in public history, museology, and rural studies.
