The South Dakota Famer’s Union has opened a new agricultural building at the Brown County Fair.
The goal is to educate people on where their food comes from.
South Dakota Farmers Union officials say they constantly search for new ways to educate and engage people in agriculture.
Samantha Bowman is an Education Specialist with South Dakota Farmers Union. She led the design and collaboration for the Farmers Union Ag Expo Center.
“The big idea is that we are just educating consumers. So, a lot of the time they are so far removed from the farm. Their grandparents were on the farm, their great-grandparents were on the farm, and they kind of lose that value of what its like to raise the food that you eat and what all goes into it," said Bowman. "So, the big thing is just educating them on the different options that they have at the store and what those labels mean, but also seeing that producers do put their heart on the line when they take care of their animals.”
The expo center is designed for hands-on collaborative learning. This year, the 4,800-square-foot building is home to a pig, cows, chickens and interactive games.
Rachel Kippley is the Brown County Fair and Park manager. She said the addition provides a unique educational experience.
“You know, you would think walking in that its geared towards just kids, but to be honest there’s a lot of the facts and figures and probably animal displays that even adults aren’t familiar with, so, that’s one of the things that makes it the perfect location and the perfect time. Here in Brown County, we pump out a lot of agriculture products, we’ve got a lot of farm kids and farm families but, we are also right adjacent to the city of Aberdeen,” said Kippley.
The new expo center joins a limited number of similar ag education-based facilities found at the South Dakota State Fair and Sioux Empire Fair.
Kippley said, however, Brown County Fair’s position is unique in that entry to the fair is free.
The Farmers Union Ag Expo Center is open daily during the fair, which runs through Aug. 18.
