Manhattan, Kan. – Sit tall in the saddle, run grains of wheat through your fingers, experience a virtual combine ride. All of these fun activities and many more will take place in Agriland at the 2014 Kansas State Fair. The hands-on agricultural education experience is located in the Pride of Kansas building.
Agriland provides Kansans of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to learn about agriculture, the largest industry in Kansas. A special improvement for 2014 is the installation of soy-backed carpet, adding to the appearance and charm of this popular state fair exhibit. The purchase of the carpet was made possible by the Kansas Soybean Commission.
Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Jackie McClaskey said Agriland provides the setting for young and old alike to learn more about agriculture firsthand and interact with those who grown Kansas crops and livestock.
“Agriland provides fairgoers a fun, interactive opportunity to learn about how food gets from the farmers field to their families fork,” McClaskey said. “The exhibit is a great place for families to learn together about the role farmers and ranchers have in the production of food, fiber and energy for consumers in Kansas and around the globe.”
Visitors to Agriland will have the opportunity to milk Blossom, a mechanical cow. They also can learn about livestock feed rations and touch different Kansas-grown grains. Attendees can walk into the soil tunnel trailer for an under-the-scenes look at what happens in the soils of Kansas.
Agriland is a collaborative effort of the Kansas Beef Council, the Kansas Corn Commission, Kansas Cotton, the Kansas Dairy Association, the Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission, the Kansas Soybean Commission, the Kansas Sunflower Commission, Kansas Wheat, the Soil Tunnel Trailer, Kansas Agri-Women and the Kansas Department of Agriculture.
Agriland will be open Friday, Sept. 5 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 6 through Saturday, Sept. 13 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily; and Sunday, Sept. 14 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For more information about Agriland, check out the exhibit’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kansasagriland or contact Nellie Hill, KDA education and events coordinator, at [email protected] or 785-564-6756.
