Nancy Berlage, Professor of History at Texas State University

An interview with Dr. Nancy Berlage, professor of History at Texas State University. Her research and teaching interests include public history, the American political culture, and rural culture. Dr. Berlage discusses her most recent work, Farmers Helping Farmers The Rise of the Farm and Home Bureaus was published by Louisiana State University Press in July 2016. Berlage explores how bureaus (more specifically the American Farm Bureau) served as the locus of science-based agriculture for rural communities. Drawing on community bonds and culturally powerful metaphors to overcome skepticism, bureaus played a critical role in circulating knowledge grounded in the new disciplines of agricultural economics, rural sociology, home economics, veterinary medicine, child science, and public health.

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A scholarly association devoted to Midwestern history The Midwestern History Association, created in the fall of 2014, is dedicated to rebuilding the field of Midwestern history, which has suffered from decades of neglect and inattention. The MHA will advocate for greater attention to Midwestern history among professional historians, seek to rebuild the infrastructure necessary for the study of the American Midwest, promote greater academic discourse relating to Midwestern history, support the work of the new journal Middle West Review and other journals which promote the study of the Midwest, and offer prizes to scholars who excel in the study of the Midwest.