I was immediately struck by the unique design of the Glass Barn.
There is an exciting new feature at the Indiana State Fair this year and we probably spent 2 hours there today. It offered a wealth of information about the soy agriculture in Indiana. This new feature is the Glass Barn presented by the Indiana Soybean Alliance.
We were immediately greeted by cute photo ops with Bennie the Bean and fast facts about one of Indiana’s signature crops.
Jacob and Bennie
Jacob is the Cow. Noah wouldn’t play along ????
Did you know that Indiana has a thriving fish industry that uses soybean meal as a protein source to feed fish?
Throughout the Indiana State Fair, visitors of the Glass Barn will have an opportunity to video chat with Indiana farmers on their farms and ask them questions about what is happening in their fields and barns. In addition to talking with farmers, Glass Barn visitors can enjoy a free photo booth, learn about modern farms through an interactive computer game and Beango (a fun fact scavenger hunt), and follow the journey a soybean takes from field to table.
Indiana’s Soybean Journey
Matt and Noah race to beat us while playing Beango!
We won! And Jacob got this great hat ????
A great interactive feature at the Glass Barn is the Talk to Farmer that occurs daily. It is moderated by friend, fellow wine lover (@IndianaWineBabe) and farmer herself: Jeanette Merritt. Today she led the discussion with dairy farmer Liz Kelsay of Kelsay Farms in Whiteland, Indiana. Other farmers involved in these live chats are Heather Hill of Hill Farms of Greenfield, Steinkamp Farms of Evansville and Amy Kelsay also of Kelsay Farms.
Talk to a farmer: Daily at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. you will have an opportunity to talk with one of their farmers in the weGROW theater. You can virtually visit their farm, and ask them any questions you have about farming. The majority of farms in Indiana are family owned, just like the three featured in the exhibit.
Jeanette and Liz during the Q&A
Jacob sitting on the BEAN ????
Proud to call these ladies friends!
Chat with a farmer daily at 11, 2 and 4
Family activities at the Glass Barn
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Finding Soy in Your Home Go through the exhibit and make a list of everything that contains soy that you can find in your home. What surprised you about walking through the exhibit? Are there new products you want to try? |
Celebrating Agriculture Start your time at the fair by visiting the Glass Barn. During the rest of your day at the fair, apply what you learned at the exhibit. For example, talk to farmers at the barns, or trace your food back to soybeans. |
Changes in Farming Start your visit in the Pioneer Village. Then walk over to the Glass Barn and compare and contrast the two exhibits. What are the differences in farming practices? What are the similarities? |
Want to go see the Glass Barn for yourself? I am giving away a family 4 pack of tickets from NOW-8/8 at 9 pm est. Leave me a comment below with one fast fact YOU learned from the Indiana Soybean Alliance website. Also, for an additional entry use one of the social share buttons below and tag @Basilmomma.
Good luck!
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