Fairgoers of all ages can connect agriculture to their daily lives with educational, engaging, and interactive activities and games at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair.
Start your day with Storytime with a Princess, sponsored by Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom at 10:30 a.m. every day of the fair. Stick around or come back for Storytime with an Agricultural Ambassador every day at noon. Reading time is educational and acts as a space to relax and listen to agriculture themed children’s books.
Write Fan Mail to Farmers at the MDA booth in collaboration with the Farm Suicide Prevention Campaign. Thank a farmer that you know, or one you don’t, with messages of encouragement around the important work they do for Minnesota.
New at the fair, visit the MDA booth and learn about why Minnesota is a national leader in safeguarding the quality of groundwater, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. You can even see a weather station from the Minnesota Agriculture Weather Network (MAWN) as well as view weather station data.
Visit the Dirt Stage during the second week of the fair to hear about water, weather, and Farm to Kids. At 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 2, join the MDA Farm to School Grants team to learn about Minnesota schools bringing local food, school gardens, and agricultural education into classrooms, cafeterias, and communities. At 2 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4, Brad Jordahl Redlin will talk about all the MDA Programs that protect and improve water. At 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5, hear from Jeppe Kjaersgaard about how MAWN helps farmers and rural communities across Minnesota.
New this year, vote for your favorite school lunch from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. all 12 days of the fair. Cast, your vote through interactive polls featuring real Minnesota school lunches all made with Minnesota-grown, made, and raised ingredients.
Fairgoers can learn more about Minnesota’s invasive pests and noxious weeds, from spongy moths to emerald ash borer. The booth will provide an educational experience through Junior Entomologist kits and a microscope station to take a closer look at invasive pests. Information on managing noxious weeds and steps to protect our environment from pests are also available.
The MDA’s Emerging Farmers Office (EFO) will provide resources that aim to help beginning farmers across the state. Learn about how farmers from under-represented communities across Minnesota are helping shape the future of agriculture through the Emerging Farmers Working Group and play the trivia wheel to meet emerging farmers and test your agriculture knowledge.
The MDA State Fair exhibit is in the North Hall of the Agriculture/Horticulture Building at the northeast corner of Underwood Street and Judson Avenue on the fairgrounds. The Minnesota State Fair runs Thursday, August 27 through Labor Day, September 7. The MDA exhibit is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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Media Contact
Claire Ehlers-Nelson, MDA Communications
651-201-6181
Claire.Ehlers-Nelson@state.mn.us
