2025 Annual Meeting

Registration for the annual meeting is now open on this page through May 4, 2025. A draft copy of the meeting schedule is here. (Submissions are now closed, but you can see the CFP here).

Welcome to Minnesota! 
Welcome to the homeland of the Ojibwe and Dakota people—Mni Sota Makoce [Mini SOta Ma-KOH-chay]!

Mni Sota Makoce, meaning Land Where the Waters Reflect the Clouds in Dakota, beautifully captures the deep connection between the land, its people, and its waters. The legacy of that name, and of ongoing Indigenous care for this land, lives on. We hope that the conference encourages deep thought about how land, people, and waters remain entwined.

As your plane descends into the Twin Cities this June, take a moment to observe the landscape—glimmering lakes, expansive wetlands, and the mighty Mississippi, Minnesota, and St. Croix rivers weaving through the land. These waters have shaped the region’s agricultural practices for centuries, sustaining Indigenous communities, immigrant farmers, and a diverse range of agricultural enterprise and the Indigenous, immigrant, and native-born Minnesotans who continue to grow food in this place.

Today, Minnesota is the U.S. top producer of sugar beets, oats, wild rice, and kidney beans while also holding prominent positions in the corn, soybeans, and sunflower markets. The University of Minnesota has also developed 29 apple varieties, including the Honeycrisp. The state is home to some of the nation’s largest agricultural, food, and distribution companies, such as General Mills, Cargill, CHS, and Land O’Lakes. However, the expansion of industrial agriculture has profoundly impacted Minnesota’s waters, altering ecosystems, changing the shoreline, and raising pressing environmental concerns. 

During your visit, we encourage you to explore the intersections of water and agriculture beyond the hotel’s walls and venture into the Twin Cities. Learn about the natural history and culture of the Mississippi River at the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Mississippi River Visitor Center, both located across Kellogg Boulevard from the conference hotel in Saint Paul. Take a stroll along the historic Mississippi Riverfront in Minneapolis, where St. Anthony Falls once powered the nation’s flour milling industry. Join us on our optional Friday tour which includes a visit to the Mill City Museum to discover how water transformed Minneapolis into the flour-milling capital of the world. Visit the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum which prides itself on the long tradition of agricultural and horticultural research. Minnesota offers many opportunities to reflect on the theme of this year’s conference, and we are delighted to welcome you!

Sincerely,
Tracey Deutsch, University of Minnesota
Masha Fedorova, Macalester College
Andre Kobayashi Deckrow, University of Minnesota

Getting to St. Paul

Flights to St. Paul will use the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), which is approximately a 15-20 minute drive from our conference hotel. The airport is a major hub for Delta Airlines and offers non-stop flights to and from many major national and international airports. Ride share and taxi service is available from the airport to our conference hotel. Rates should be in the $30-$40 range, although that will vary based on the day and time of your arrival. The Twin Cities has a modest light rail network, but there is not a direct route from the airport to downtown St. Paul. However, there is bus service from the airport to downtown St. Paul if you take Metro Transit Route 54 to the 5th St. and Cedar St. Station. The conference hotel is a 2-3 block walk from the station. More information about public transportation can be found here:  https://www.metrotransit.org/ 

Accommodations and Conference Venue

Lodging is at our conference venue, the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront, conveniently located in downtown Saint Paul, just off Interstate 35E. The conference rate for rooms is $148 a night plus tax (all rooms booked at the previously announced rate of $169 will also receive this new, lower rate). AHS has signed a contract for a block of rooms at the hotel that we need to fill to avoid penalties, so your consideration in booking at the InterContinental is appreciated. Any rooms in our block that are not reserved by May 4 will be released to the public.

To book a room, please use the link here. Or you may call (651) 292-1900 and ask to be connected to Central Reservations for IHG. Then either mention that you are booking for “AHS 2025 – Twin Cities” or block code “K6P.”

If you are interested in finding a roommate to help share lodging costs, we have created a Conference Roommate Finder. Please click here and fill out and submit the form. AHS staff will share your information in a spreadsheet that will only be made available to those who submit the form. You will then be responsible for making arrangements with someone on the list (AHS only provides the information and does not make roommate matches). After finding a roommate and making your hotel reservation with the booking link, please email aghistorysociety@gmail.com to inform us of the match so we can remove you from the spreadsheet.

Meeting Space

All conference sessions, meetings, and the Saturday closing reception will be held in our conference hotel, the Intercontinental Saint Paul Riverfront at 11 E. Kellogg Blvd. We will occupy the lower level of the building (two floors below the lobby).

Hotel parking is available via valet service for $38 per day (plus tax) for regular-sized vehicles. Otherwise, the nearest parking garage is the Victory Ramp at 344 Wabasha St. N. 

Opening Reception (Wednesday, June 4)

On the evening before the conference begins, the AHS will be hosting an opening reception from 6-8 pm in the Elements Café at the Science Museum of Minnesota. The Science Museum is located at 120 W. Kellogg Blvd, which is a 7 minute walk from the conference hotel. After stepping out of the front of the hotel, cross the street at a light, turn right, and proceed west down the sidewalk to the museum. The museum exhibits will not be open, but you will enter the lobby and take the elevator to the top floor. The Elements Café includes a rooftop terrace with a view of the Mississippi River. The AHS will be providing a spread of complimentary hors d’oeuvres. A cash bar will be available for you to pay for our own drinks. Enjoy the refreshments and conversation with fellow conference-goers!

**NOTE** If you want to register for either or both of the optional tours, you will need to check out separately for each of those and your regular conference registration.

Food

Your registration fee includes hors d'oeuvres at the opening reception (with a cash bar available) at the Science Museum of Minnesota, one lunch in the conference hotel (Thursday), and hors d'oeuvres at the Saturday awards reception (with cash bar available). In addition, graduate students will receive light appetizers at the Thursday evening Graduate Student Reception and Rural Women’s Studies Association members will receive breakfast on Friday morning. All attendees are welcome to attend the opening and closing receptions, as well as the Thursday lunch, but we ask you to indicate if you plan to attend those events on a form that you will receive by email in the coming weeks. The form will also include a space for you to indicate any dietary restrictions. Those who register for the optional conference tours on Wednesday and Friday afternoon will receive a box lunch, with a vegan option available.

Optional Friday Conference Tour (June 6)

As per AHS custom, there will be an excursion on Friday afternoon (June 6). The itinerary includes a visit to two Minnesota Historical Society sites: the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis and the Oliver Kelley Farm near Elk River. The Mill City Museum stands on the site of the Washburn “A” Mill, which was once the world’s largest flour mill complex. The Oliver Kelley Farm is an open-air museum on a mid-19th century farmstead owned by a founder of The Grange. The bus departs from the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront at 12:30 PM and those who book the tour will pick up a box lunch just prior to boarding. The bus will return to the hotel at approximately 5:30. Attendance is limited to 54 participants and pre-registration is required. The cost of the tour is $65 with a box lunch included.

Optional Wednesday Conference Tour (June 4)

Al Singer, Dakota County Real Estate Manager, will be leading a tour to sites of interest south of St. Paul on Wednesday morning and early afternoon (June 4). The itinerary includes visits to three sites: Oheyawahe (a sacred Native American site that overlooks the Mississippi River), the Hmong-American Farmers Association farm, and Sharing Our Roots farm (a space for emerging farmers and community gardeners). The minibus departs from the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront at 10:00 a.m. and those who book the tour will pick up a box lunch just prior to boarding. The bus will return to the hotel at approximately 3:30. Attendance is limited to 20 participants and pre-registration is required. The cost of the tour is $65 with a box lunch included. Those planning to go on this tour should note that due to the morning departure, you will likely need to book a room for the night of Tuesday, June 3.