Our State Fair is the Best State Fair...

...At least that is what the song tells me! Today our family had a chance to take in the great Iowa State Fair. It has been a couple years since we have been able to go so it was very nice to get back out there and see all the displays and the animals. One of the newer activities they have at the fair is a children's farm experience. The children get to go through the sequence of farming and learn along the way.They start out by picking up a seed corn hat (required apparel by Iowa farmers), a basket, and an apron (I guess that is to keep them from getting dirty). Next they go pick up a "seed" with the picture of the plant that it is for on it and a shovel so they can go plant their crop. After that, they go "harvest" a plastic toy of the crop they planted and place it in their basket. As they walk along the path, they come upon some "apple trees" where they can "pick" an apple and put it in their basket. Next they walk through a little grain bin to pick up a baggie of soy beans and corn and then continue on to the chicken coop where they gather an egg. After that, we walked over to the tractor shed where you turn in your soybeans in order to make Soy Biodiesel. Then you pick up a little gas can to fill up your pedal tractor and make a lap around the "field". After the tractor ride, you get off and walk through the sheep barn where you can pet a fake sheep and pick up your baggie of wool. Then you walk straight to the milk barn where you give your corn to the cow for feed and make your way to the milking parlor where you milk the cow! You pick up a milk carton there and place it in your basket. Finally, you are off to the market where you turn in the things you have harvested and produced on your farming trip. After "selling" your things at the market you get a dollar that you can go spend in the general store stocked with all sorts of treats!

Our kids had a blast doing it, and it was a good educational opportunity. In other news, Caleb (three years old) and I had a long talk about "his" farm last night. It seems he will have a blue house, red barn, Minneapolis Moline and John Deere tractors (gotta keep both sides of the family happy), some cows (Dexters), chickens, pigs, and more! I think he is ready to farm ... maybe now he can help me get a start.