The AFMA is the Federation of Agricultural and Rural Heritage Museums, responsible for undertaking the Rural Heritage Survey and publishing the results as part of the Guide du Patrimoine.
The AFMA’s objectives
Safeguard and promote rural heritage in all its aspects (traditional tools and agricultural machinery, rural architecture and landscape and intangible heritage). “Agricultural” is taken in the broadest sense here, including wine-growing, stock-breeding, the cultivation of textile plants, uses of the forest, hunting, fresh-water fishing, an so on, in all periods.
Members and partners of the AFMA include all enthusiasts of rural heritage – collectors, farmers, museum personnel, students, researchers, teachers, activities programmers, associations and other groups or individuals.
The AFMA’s commitments
Bringing together networks of all the actors in rural heritage; organising forums on any relevant subect (agricultural machinery, oil-production, tillage, animal draft, etc) and debates on the role of rural life museums in local development; carrying out assessments for individuals, associations or other groups and arranging collaborations with French and international partners engaged in similar activities.
In France , the AFMA is a leading partner of public services and heritage associations in the promotion of rural heritage, including the Ministeries of Agriculture, Tourism and Culture, the MuCEM (National Museum of Civilisations of Europe and the Mediterranean), the Society for Ethnozootechnics, the Federation of Open Air Museums and Museums of Society, Maisons paysannes de France (French Country Houses) and the Heritage Foundation, the national Country and Mills Heritage Days JPPM in June .
Internationally , the AFMA represents the French section of the AIMA (International Association of Agricultural Museums)
The AFMA’s actions
Since 2006, the AFMA has extended its services to members by creating Agrimuse magazine in partnership with the Conseil General of the Orne, entirely renewing its website, convening some Agrimuse Café meetings to make our activities better known, and preparing the present edition of the Rural Heritage Guide on line .
The AFMA also represents its members’ interests on the national level by participating in a triennial “Rural Heritage and Local Development” programme set up by the Ministry of Agriculture, sitting on the Permanent Commission on Rural Heritage set up by the Ministry of Culture, related to the “Nature Club of the French Country House” under the aegis of the Ministry of Tourism, as well as being an active partner in the European Cult Rural Program devoted to local commitment to and investment in rural areas as well as the ones on Sheep and on the actual Olive tree one .
The AFMA pursues educational objectives by setting up thematic study groups on agricultural motorization, animal draft, landscape and foods. Any member of the AFMA – individual or group – can create their own thematic study group and organize meetings or colloquia.
The AFMA also publishes the results of its study groups and negotiates republication of classic works that would otherwise go out of print, such as Mariel Jean-Brunhes Delamarre’s renowned La vie agricole et pastorale dans le monde.