The Henry Ford

October is National Farm to School Month, and The Henry Ford is celebrating in a big way with the launch of our new Farm to School Lunch Across America program. 🍎🌽 We kicked things off close to home today at Henry Ford Academy! Our food-focused day included a fresh-cooked lunch made with locally grown ingredients by our very own Chef Robbie Bursey and Chef Dave McGregor, as well as a townhall assembly and cooking demos for our students. This evening, we are hosting a community event featuring local chefs, farmers and partners. Learn more about Farm to School Lunch Across America, made possible by Ford Philanthropy: https://lnkd.in/gqjxbMcx. FEED Projects | Deeply Rooted Produce | USDA | #farmtoschool #farmtoschoolmonth #farmtotable #schoollunch

Next time you’re in the museum, look up! Our “Agriculture and the Environment” exhibit has a new artifact — a 2016 Agras MG-1 Drone acquired from Northwestern Michigan College through collaboration with Michigan Soybean Committee. Designed for precision spraying of agricultural chemicals, this drone was used at NMC to train operators after the Federal Aviation Administration began regulating drone use in 2016. Learning to operate uncrewed aerial systems or drones requires formal training, and NMC created one of the first associate degree programs in this field of study. Students learned to maneuver drones to spot-apply small amounts of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides on vineyards, orchards, hay fields and row crops in #Michigan. #uav #drones #museumwork

Recently, Conservator Jeeeun Sims and Conservation Specialist Katrina Herron worked to conserve a hand-operated broadcast seeder as part of a project grant-funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Sharp pieces on the seeder were wrapped with fabric and straw to protect those who handled it, including a well-used grain bag with "J.EDISION" stenciled on the front and back with numerous mends made by previous users. First, the team vacuumed the bag to remove residual substances, including large pieces of dust and insect carcasses. After vacuuming, the bag was submerged in a tray filled with tap water that was changed 14 times. During the cleaning process, soap mixtures were used to remove stains, and the bag was thoroughly rinsed with deionized water to remove all soap residue. Each time the water was replaced, a sample was taken to visually evaluate the level of contamination. After completing the wet cleaning process, the bag was left to air dry slowly on a mesh drying rack, sandwiched between clean towels. The fabric's surface is noticeably brighter after cleaning, but still retains some stains that reflect its previous use. As conservators treated the object, other team members explored clues to help with identification. An attached tag reads: "GRAIN SOWER / FROM: MR. MRS. HAROLD EDISON / GRAND RAPIDS." The description “grain sower” indicates that a farmer used the broadcast seeder to sow wheat or other grains. Cranking the seeder’s wooden handle would have turned a shaft that turned a disc with flanges to broadcast seed onto a field. Who is J. Edison? Is there a tie to Thomas Edison? Learn more about the migration and agricultural history tied to this unique item in this blog post: https://lnkd.in/gwhf_3JH. 🌾 Image 1: Grain sower with grain bag attached before treatment. 🌾 Image 2: Detail of stenciled name “J.EDISION” during cleaning. 🌾 Image 3: Samples of water taken throughout cleaning process. 🌾 Image 4: Rinsing liquid soap with deionized water. 🌾 Image 5: Grain bag before cleaning. 🌾 Image 6: Grain bag after cleaning. #museums #museumwork #preservation #agriculture #history

The Henry Ford is working to shine light on the need for free, regeneratively grown, in-season school lunches with our new Farm to School Lunch Across America initiative. This week, we proudly launched a Commitment to Action at the Clinton Global Initiative 2024 Annual Meeting. Stay tuned throughout October as we hit the road to visit schools across the country during National Farm to School Month! 🍎 Learn more about Farm to School Lunch Across America: https://lnkd.in/gqjxbMcx #CGI2024 | Ford Philanthropy

The Henry Ford is excited to offer special activities for students and the public in recognition of #ManufacturingDay. 📅 THURSDAY, OCT. 3, 9-11:40 a.m.: Ford Rouge Factory Tour will be open exclusively for schools participating in Wayne County MFG Day (https://lnkd.in/gcP_wCb4). Students can talk with Dearborn Truck Plant Ford Motor Company engineers, learn about career possibilities and participate in special activities. 📅 THURSDAY, OCT. 3, 11:40 a.m.-5 p.m. & 📅 FRIDAY, OCT. 4, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.: Ford Rouge Factory Tour will be open to the public with special #manufacturing-related activities to add to your visit: ⚙️ Test Your RPM. This hands-on RPM challenge tests your strength against the powerful engines of a Ford F-150 Raptor. See how well you can hold up against Ford power. ⚙️ 3D Printing. 3D printing has become a critical component in the automobile industry. Learn about the history of 3D printing and see a 3D printer in action. Members save 15% on Ford Rouge Factory Tour tickets. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gvVSQdfb. This event is supported by Ford Motor Company and SME.

Special programs and events, artifact acquisition, conservation efforts and the everyday maintenance that allows The Henry Ford to welcome guests back year after year – it’s all thanks to generous donations from supporters like you! 🧡 Join this Friday as we celebrate our founding with a day of giving and special programming.

What keeps you coming back to The Henry Ford again and again throughout the seasons? Frequent guests know that there is nothing like experiencing the scent of a meal cooked on the coal burning stove at the Ford Homestead, walking around the Daggett Farmhouse gardens, joining in Juneteenth and 4th of July celebrations, or savoring the crisp autumn atmosphere during the Fall Harvest Weekend. All this programming and more is made possible by generous donations to our annual fund. We invite you this Cornerstone Day on September 27 to give and help support everything that makes The Henry Ford special year-round. https://lnkd.in/gwmc-dZi

Back in June, we welcomed over 400 youth inventors and their families to The Henry Ford for RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals 2024. It was an incredible three days celebrating the creativity and inventive spirit of the nations top youth inventors. Relive the excitement and hear what #InventionConvention is all about with this recap video of the event! https://lnkd.in/gT9tvRQE #InventionEducation #InventItForward #ICUSN2024

Come celebrate with us as we mark our annual Cornerstone Day on Friday, September 27, and throughout next weekend. On Sept. 27 in 1928, Henry Ford invited friend, mentor and famed inventor, Thomas Edison, to dedicate the cornerstone of his new museum. Edison walked across wet cement, added his signature and thrust the shovel of horticulturist Luther Burbank into its center, inspiring generations over the next nearly 100 years by activating their potential to help shape a better future. Now, we invite you to be the cornerstone of the institution with your generous support. Your tax-deductible donation will help support the many programs, experiences and initiatives you love at The Henry Ford. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gwmc-dZi

On August 31, 2024, our two-year Institute of Museum and Library Services Agriculture & Environment grant project came to a close. Our IMLS team photographed, conserved, researched, and catalogued more than 1,800 items throughout this project. One of our final big projects in the Photo Studio has been photographing more than 150 milk cartons. They are part of the Gwinn Dairy Collection, which was acquired in 1971 as a gift from David Gwinn, president of Pennbrook Milk Company. Painting a picture of dairy production history across the decades, these final cartons varied in style, shape and size. Because there were so many cartons — some flat sample cartons and some three-dimensional — we decided to use two separate setups to work through photographing them at the same time. The flat items were relatively easy to photograph, but the sheer number of them was challenging. Thanks to funding from the IMLS, you can now explore the variety of shapes, styles and uses of cartons like these, available in our Digital Collections: https://lnkd.in/gzbsRdC6. 🥛 Image 1: Bottle ready for photography 🐄 Image 2: Flat setup with cartons waiting 🥛 Image 3: Photographer with the 2-D carton setup 🐄 Image 4: Heart O’ Grape Bottle 🥛 Image 5: Milk Maid Milk Carton 🐄 Image 6: Pennbrook Standard Milk Sample Packaging