03/20/06 Bringing Art down on the Farm

Bringing art down on the farm. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. A unique art exhibit opened this past weekend at the Maryhill Museum in Goldendale, Washington that brings artists and farmers together. Don Stuart is the Pacific Northwest Director of American Farmland Trust helped to bring these two together. STUART: We were getting together with Maryhill and it occurred to us that an art exhibit might be a great way to get the word out to sort of a segment of the, of the population that really doesn't understand agriculture&a little bit more about what farmers do, and in particular about the things they do that makes them such good stewards of the land. American Farmland Trust has been working with farmers and communities for 25 years, helping to preserve the nation`s best farmland and promote sound conservation and stewardship efforts in the agricultural community. Stuart says there was a bond made. STUART: I think it's going to show in the exhibit that the artists understood what the farmers were after and what they were getting at and they really bonded. I think some friendships formed there that are going to be long lasting. According to Stuart the artists have portrayed in words, images and art the complex intersection of U.S. agriculture and societal issues using a variety of materials. "Sustaining Change on the American Farm: An Artist-Farmer Exchange" is a joint venture between American Farmland Trust and the Maryhill Museum of Art and runs now through July 30th. Details on the exhibit can be found on the museum`s website at www.maryhillmuseum.org. I'm Greg Martin and that's today's Line On Agriculture.