The Color of Farming in the Heartland: A History of Land, Race and Memory in Wisconsin Since 1820

FAIN: RZ-300027-24

University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh (Oshkosh, WI 54901-3551)
Stephen Kercher (Project Director: November 2023 to present)

Research and writing leading to a co-authored book on the role of race in agricultural development and rural settlement in Wisconsin from 1820 to the present. (24 months) 

This Manuscript project is aimed at the publication of a book titled “The Color of Farming in the Heartland: A History of Land, Race and Memory in Wisconsin Since 1820” with the University of Wisconsin Press. “The Color of Farming” investigates how the dynamics of race shaped the development of agriculture and rural land settlement in Wisconsin. It also examines how intersections of race and farming in Wisconsin helped shape state identity while normalizing the “whitewashing” of formerly diverse spaces. It will excavate little known histories of communities of color in agriculture and explore the dynamics of public memory that have racially characterized the state’s urban and rural spaces. In keeping with the ethos of public humanities, the manuscript will be informed by collaborations cultivated with community partners over the past decade and will include the voices of a wide range of community contributors and the insights of experts in the histories of communities of color.