By Julie Tomascik
Editor
Through Doorways to Agriculture, Texas Fam Bureau (TFB) is helping consumers of all ages explore the captivating world of Texas agriculture and learn how it touches their lives every day.
With less than 2% of the nation’s population actively farming and ranching, many Texans are several generations removed from agriculture.
“A lot of people are four, sometimes five, generations removed from the farm, and we think it’s essential they reconnect to agriculture. That’s why Farm Bureau’s interactive exhibit, Doorways to Agriculture, is so important,” Dakota Massey, TFB associate director of Urban Outreach, said. “Through the exhibit, we focus on facts, information and the stories of farmers and ranchers. We want to connect what happens on farms and ranches to the products they buy in the grocery store and use at home, at school and everywhere in between every day.”
Thousands of people visited the exhibit at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, Heart O’ Texas Fair and Rodeo in Waco and the Brazos Valley Fair and Expo in Bryan this fall.
The exhibit features state-of-the-art touchscreen kiosks, oversized interactive “books” for children and a theater screening videos produced by TFB. A walk-through trailer full of displays and games that encourage visitors of all ages to learn more about where their food, fiber and more comes from is also part of the exhibit.
“So many people don’t realize just how important agriculture is—not only for food, but for things we use every day. Agriculture plays a role in our toothpaste, shampoo, cabinets, clothes, schoolbooks and so much more. No matter which door you walk through in your home, you can find an item that’s a product or byproduct of agriculture, and that took the involvement of farmers and ranchers,” Massey said. “Doorways to Agriculture helps bring little pieces of that into their minds and connect how important farmers and ranchers are to their lives.”
The exhibit shows how modern agriculture is outfitted with technology to be more efficient and productive. It highlights stories of farmers and ranchers and helps consumers connect with the families behind the products they use every day.
Doorways to Agriculture also offers tactile learning experiences to make it interesting to all ages and learning styles.
“We’re bringing agriculture to life one stock show and trade show at a time,” Massey said. “And it feels good to be talking with fairgoers again after so many events were cancelled last year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitors are excited to interact with our modern exhibit and learn about what farmers and ranchers do.”
And there are more plans for the exhibit in the future. Doorways to Agriculture will make appearances next year at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo and the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show.
The exhibit first debuted in 2020 at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. However, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, fairs and stock shows were cancelled or offered limited attendance, so the exhibit was not on display last spring or fall.
For more information on the Doorways to Agriculture exhibit, visit texasfarmbureau.org/youth/ag-in-the-community.