The Art of Agriculture

In the antique Roman calendar, February 4th was the official first day of spring and marked the recommencement of agricultural activity. In the revised ancient Roman calendar February 7th heralded the commencement of spring. In Armidale, February marks the change from stone fruit to apple season. Under these auspices, the UNE Museum of Antiquities (UNEMA) and Greenhills Orchards (an 8th generation family farm and the last remaining commmerical orchard in the New England), collaborated to create an interactive exhibition in 2D and 3D reflecting on the ancient and modern Art of Agriculture. Held in Armidale from 4-7th February 2019, the exhibition consisted of diorama recreating ancient Roman garlands of flowers and ox skulls (bucrania), intertwined with edible stone fruit from Greenhills Orchards. The diorama were accompanied by an original photographic display of agricultural life at Greenhills Orchard juxtaposed with excerpts from ancient Roman agricultural treatises, to provide a literary, pictorial, and gastronomic dialogue discussing the rhythm and values of agricultural life on the ancient and modern family farm.