BROOKINGS — On Thursday the Agricultural Heritage Museum opened On The Farm Front: Agriculture During WWII, an exhibit about how the war affected agriculture and rural life in this region. 

The exhibit highlights the call-to-action American farmers received during WWII and the post war years that followed. What farmers and ranchers did to support the war effort went beyond Victory Gardens and scrap drives. Increase in wheat and sugar beet production, the development of the Harvest Brigade, and planting hemp with labor and equipment shortages just to name a few. 

“Most exhibits focus on urban life during WWII. We wanted to tell a different story about how the war affected life on the farm and the changes in agricultural industries like creameries and farm equipment manufacturers. We designed this to become a traveling exhibit for museums, libraries, and schools to rent. It is a great topic for communities to share their own stories during this time in our nation’s history,” stated Gwen McCausland, Director of the South Dakota Agricultural Museum.

This exhibit is on display at the museum until the spring of 2025. It will be available to rent that summer. 

The South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum’s mission is to inspire a passion for the diverse history, culture, and science of agriculture in South Dakota. It is the official state museum for preserving the history of agriculture and rural life of South Dakota as well as a department of South Dakota State University. 

It is the state coordinator for the National History Day program in South Dakota. It is located in the historic Stock Judging Pavilion on the SDSU campus at 977 11th Street, Brookings.

 The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, call 605-688-6226 or visit www.agmuseum.com.