Local Farmers Tell Their Stories

Broadcloth Project Captures the Digital Stories of the Eastern Shore

Do you know who your farmer is? Perhaps you’ve exchanged a few words with her at the weekly farmer’s market, but how much do you really know about the person who grows your vegetables, supplies your milk, or collects your eggs? What is her story?

In a series of intensive workshops, the Eastern Shore Regional Library attempted to find out. Over the course of two days, farmers from Centreville to Berlin came together to tell and record the stories behind their lives and livelihoods. From childhoods spent in a grandparent’s garden to the experience of hosting a conference of over 100 farmers, the participants pinpointed the moments that have defined their identities and values. From those moments, along with evocative images, they constructed 2-3 minute digital stories that will be hosted on YouTube as part of the Broadcloth project.

You can view the completed stories here:

http://tinyurl.com/farmingstories

Broadcloth is a region-wide digital storytelling project with a mission to collect and broadcast the stories of the Eastern Shore and its diverse inhabitants. We believe our group process, as well as the first-person narratives that emerge from it, can serve as powerful tools to engage communities and open dialogues. Broadcloth is a project of the Eastern Shore Regional Library.

For more information, please contact Rachael Stein of the Eastern Shore Regional Library at 410-742-1537 or rachael AT esrl DOT org.