Growing up, I spent countless hours at our local fairs volunteering, exhibiting livestock and watching countless shows. One of my favorite parts of going to the fair was seeing the different agriculture exhibits and demonstrations. I would be mesmerized watching a sheep being shorn or listening to an antique tractor’s engine roar. Sadly, the older I got, the fewer agriculture demonstrations I saw at our local fairs. Now as an adult, I am realizing just how important these fair demonstrations are to showing our local communities the importance of agriculture.
Bring the farm to the city
One of the last places I would have thought to find a thriving farm demonstration was at the Orange County fairgrounds in southern California. Located just a few miles from the beach, the Centennial Farm is open year-round – not just during the fair – and has a variety of livestock, gardens, and even a milking parlor! This three-acre farm has become an educational hub in an area surrounded by cities, freeways and beaches.
Each year, my family donates a few dairy cows to Centennial Farm to be used in a milking demonstration during the fair which takes place for a few weeks in the summer. When we first started doing this, I don’t think that we could have imagined how popular our cows were going to be. The fair hosts three milking demonstrations during the day in its two-stall elevated milking parlor. A cow is brought into the parlor and a fair volunteer will go through the milking process while explaining everything to the audience. One summer while I was visiting the fair, I went down to the farm to watch one of the milking demonstrations. Even with the bleachers, it was standing room only as people swarmed around to see a real-life dairy cow being milked. This experience made me realize how important it is to bring the farm to the people. The people at that demonstration did not drive to the fairgrounds to see a cow being milked. They were there to see a concert, ride some rides and eat greasy fair food. However, just having the Centennial Farm on the fairgrounds gave people an opportunity to learn more about agriculture and see it up close and personal – something they may not have even known they’d be interested in.
Meeting people where they are
Fair demonstrations are a great way to engage with people about agriculture, but they are not the only way. School presentations, virtual farm tours, and mobile classroom demonstrations are also fun ways to help bridge the gap between the farm community and the general public. Not everyone wants to or is able to visit a farm in person so opportunities like these are great ways to meet people where they are.
How to bring agriculture to others
Places like on-farm creameries, pumpkin patches, and apple picking orchards are all great places to visit to learn more about local agriculture. However, if you don’t have one nearby, there are other online options like the Mobile Dairy Classroom , Agriculture in the Classroom, American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, and Discovery Dairy. These are also great resources to share with kids in school, the PTA, or the school board to teach students about where their food comes from and how it’s raised. So, next time you’re at the fair or looking for a fun field trip idea, don’t overlook agriculture-related options!
All posts are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily represent the view of the Animal Ag Alliance.
