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Richard Greenwood
Out to Pasture: The History of Rhode Island Dairy Farms
Milk and dairy products have traditionally been prominent in Euro-American diets, and the dairy farm has been a constant in Rhode Island history since the colonial era. From the first colonists raising their herds in the Narragansett Country (now known as South County) to today's farmers confronting suburban sprawl, Rhode Island farm families have been adapting an essentially traditional practice to tumultuous change for more than 360 years. This historical overview of dairy farming in a changing landscape provides intriguing insights into the evolution of our attitudes about our food, our land, and our selves.
Needs: If a slide projector and screen are available, the speaker will
use slides. This presentation is suitable for family audiences.
Richard Greenwood was trained as an archaeologist and historian and takes an interdisciplinary approach to studying the American landscape and the cultural forces that have shaped it. He has focused on the intersections of social, economic, and technological forces in Rhode Island history: his research interests include mill villages and the industrial revolution, the Blackstone Canal and the transportation revolution, and the evolution of the Rhode Island dairy farm. He is a staff member of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission.