Archival Collections: Archives of the Agricultural Experience

About the Archives of the Agricultural Experience

The history of Manitoba is in many ways a history of agriculture. In order to identify and acquire valuable agricultural historical records, the University of Manitoba Archives and Special Collections has established the Archives of the Agricultural Experience.

What kinds of materials are sought?

Historians have always found the records of farming families and prominent rural individuals extremely compelling. The types of records that are most useful include:

• journals, diaries, and reminiscences
• family records, scrapbooks and histories
• photographs
• correspondence
• farm accounting documents
• agricultural business or association records

What benefits will this project provide?

• A collection rich in the documents of agriculture will guarantee rural life a larger place in Canadian history.
• Supporters of local history will gain satisfaction, knowing that such valuable material will be professionally protected from decay, fire and flood.
• An archives with records of a large number of farming families will also be an important resource for genealogical inquiry.
• Donors may recieve receipts for significant income tax savings depending on the quality of records and their appraised value.

What kinds of records are already part of the Archives?

The Archives of the Agricultural Experience is home to a wealth of materials depicting western Canadian agricultural history. Materials ranging from the largest corporate collection to a single farm account book all contribute to our knowledge of our agricultural heritage.

Businesses and associations whose records have become part of the Archives include:

• Manitoba Agricultural College and the Faculty of Agriculture
• United Grain Growers
• Ogilvie Flour Milling Company
• Keystone Agricultural Producers
• Winnipeg Union Stock Yards
• Manitoba Rural Leadership Training Committee
• Manitoba Cattle Producers
• CanAmera Foods
• Dauphin Agricultural Society

Numerous farm family records have also been donated to the Archives. The following are some of the Manitoba towns and regions represented by these collections:

• Altona, Brandon, Carman, Cypress River, Dauphin, Deleau, Elmbank, Elm Creek, Emerson, Hartney, La Salle, Lowe Farm, Minnedosa, Moline, Neepawa, Notre Dame de Lourdes, Oakville, Portage la Prairie, Rosser, Russell, Sanford, Sifton, Sperling, Threherne, Vermette, Wattsview, Winkler and many more...

What lies ahead for the Archives of the Agricultural Experience?

The Archives is committed to an ongoing, systematic approach to the development of its agriculture collections. We are determined to expand our efforts to preserve Manitoba's agricultural past and ensure accessibility to the agricultural record for historical research purposes. The overwhelmingly positive response to this project from the agricultural community has helped to ensure that the Archives of the Agricultural Experience will continue to grow.

Go to the Archives of the Agricultural Experience