The petting zoo was a real hit with kids of all ages at the Fun at the Farm open house September 16.

Despite the weather not cooperating, 140 people of all ages enjoyed a fun and educational day at the Graves-Chapple Research Center Saturday, September 16, during the Fun at the Farm open house.
“It was a good day,” said Superintendent Jim Crawford. “People had a chance to get outside, enjoy themselves and learn a little about modern agriculture at the same time.”
The event featured a petting zoo provided by Farm to Fork Farms, coloring table and trolley ride for children and a hayride for everyone. Learning stations set up around the center talked about raising hops at home, renewable energy for your home or business, answers to common lawn questions and how weed seeds spread. A highlight was the opportunity for attendees to explore a cow’s digestive tract using the cannulated cow, a cow that has had a door surgically implanted into its digestive tract.
“The petting zoo and trolley ride were big hits with the kids while the parents really enjoyed learning about raising hops at home,” Crawford said. “The energy conservation and renewable energy station was also quite popular and people are always enthralled with the cannulated cow. The day was a great opportunity for the public a chance to learn a little bit more about how their food is produced.”
“Everyone is tied to agriculture in some way,” Crawford said. “There is a lot of misinformation out there where people aren’t telling the whole story about agriculture. This was an opportunity to share information about modern agriculture and how we are being careful stewards of the environment. We need agriculture and farmers because food does not come from a grocery store. It also provides homeowners with information they can use in their daily lives”
Based on the overwhelming positive feedback, the event with additional stations and activities is being planned again for early September 2018.