In celebration of Concord's farming tradition, past and present,
The Greatest Source of Wealth: Agriculture in Concord, a new exhibition and related programming, explores the changing agricultural landscape of Concord over time. The exhibition focuses on both the innovations of the 19th century, when Concord was at the forefront of agricultural reform, and the challenges of the 21st century.
Guest Curator John H. Ott, an authority on the history of agriculture in Massachusetts, is organizing the exhibition with Concord Museum Curator David Wood. Drawing from the Museum's collection, the William Munroe Special Collections at the Concord Free Public Library, as well as private collections, the exhibition includes:
an assemblage of 3000-year-old agricultural stone tools
18th-20th century tools ranging from a scuffle hoe to a barking spud to an asparagus cutter
a rare Middlesex County 18th-century plow
paintings of Concord farms
issues of the innovative The New England Farmer, edited by Concordian Simon Brown, 1851-73
a newly-commissioned oral history video featuring Concord farmers and residents who are passionate about the land and maintaining the vitality of local farms
a video of the first robotic milking system in Massachusetts, installed in a state-of-the-art "smart" barn at Great Brook Farm in neighboring Carlisle
Resource materials about community supported agriculture programs, farm stands, training opportunities for young farmers, and special events related to agriculture in Concord