At Agriland, an interactive display at the Kansas State Fair, kids can find a cow to milk; a combine cab to climb into; saddles to sit on; buckets of grain to reach into; a soil tunnel to walk through and more. Several agricultural groups work together in Agriland, located in the Pride of Kansas building. The Kansas corn and Kansas grain sorghum organizations man the exhibit the first day and last day of the fair.
Blossom, a full-sized automated cow that shows children can milk, is a popular stop at Agriland. As a four-year-old girl approached Blossom, the milk cow mooed, causing the girl to jump up and squeal. She finally found her courage to milk the cow.
“It’s fun to watch the kids interact with the displays in Agriland,” according to Jeff Filinger, Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association board member. Filinger, a farmer from Cuba in north-central Kansas who was on hand to help at Agriland. “By climbing into a combine cab pretending the harvest grain, or sitting on saddles pretending to herd cattle, they are learning about what we do on the farm.”
As an 8-year-old boy climbed into the combine cab, his dad commented, “He’ll sit in there all day if you let him.” In front of the combine cab is a large screen television showing crops being harvested. Children pretend they are harvesting, turning the steering wheel as the combine comes to the end of a row.
Tom and Sandy Tibbits, who farm near Minneapolis, are making volunteering at Agriland a yearly event. Tom serves on Kansas Corn Growers Association board.
“I think it is important to have farmers helping out in Agriland,” Tom Tibbits said. “Agriland is aimed at educating kids, but we reach a lot of adults too.”
New to Agriland this year are two feed bunks showing animal food and human food. One feed bunk features examples of livestock feed from prairie hay and alfalfa to grain mixtures and distillers grain from an ethanol plant. The human food feed bunk features the “My Plate” exhibit. The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched “My Plate” in June to replace the food pyramid as a visual guide designed to help Americans have balanced diets.
Agriland is a popular stop for school teachers, who bring their classes to learn about agriculture. Teachers have the opportunity to sign up for a chance to win a classroom presentation by the Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. The presentations focus on teaching students where their food comes from. To be eligible to win, teachers must visit Agriland at the fair with their class.
KCGA and KGSPA have been a part of Agriland since its beginning. Over the years, the display has since grown in size and the number of cooperators. Today, Agriland is one of the main features in the Pride of Kansas building. Cooperators now include Kansas Corn, Kansas Sorghum, Kansas Department of Agriculture, Kansas Soybeans, Kansas Wheat, Kansas Dairy, Kansas Agri-Women, Kansas Beef, Kansas Sunflowers, Kansas Cotton, and the Kansas Foundation for Ag in the Classroom. The Soil Tunnel trailer is provided by the Miami County Conservation District. Agriland is staffed by volunteers and visited by approximately 5,000 people during the fair each year.
The 2011 Kansas State Fair runs through September 18 in Hutchinson. For more information on fair events, visit www.kansasstatefair.com.
