Visitors enjoy hands-on exhibit

BLOOMINGTON – An award-winning agriculture exhibit at the McLean County Fair continues to impress fairgoers year after year.

The Farm and Food Zone display has been a popular attraction for the past decade and isn’t going away anytime soon.

“In 2012, we actually won a national award for it beating out a lot of state fairs because of what we can do here,” said McLean County Fair Manager Mike Swartz.

Swartz believes the exhibit is the perfect way to reach out to urban neighbors to teach them a little about where their food comes from. Mark Hines was among the many volunteers manning this year’s Farm and Food Zone. He snapped photos of kids in front of tractors.

“I enjoy it – I like seeing the kids,” said the McLean County Farm Bureau Board member and volunteer. “I think it’s good when they get to be around equipment and small animals.”

Hines said parents often have more questions about agriculture than kids. A Farm Bureau group meets every month throughout the year to work on the exhibit.