Safe to say, most Nebraskans could find a gallon of milk in their local grocery store, but would they know how it got there?
Thousands of students will learn the facts of milk and a whole lot more when they join Nebraska’s Largest Classroom at the Nebraska State Fair. More than 4,500 youths from across the state are expected to attend on Friday, Aug. 26; Tuesday, Aug. 30; and Wednesday, Aug. 31.
The fair will be open to the general public those three days, as well.
“Agriculture represents not only our heritage but also a major driver of our economy, yet this will be the first agricultural experience many of these kids have,” said Sarah Polak, Experience Coordinator at Raising Nebraska. “The State Fair exists not only to entertain but to educate. That’s why Nebraska’s Largest Classroom is such a great event.”
Students will see not only how a cow is milked but also how sheep are shorn. They’ll learn about conservation and sustainability and watch power safety demonstrations. Activities include:
9 a.m. Friday, Tuesday and Wednesday
• Careers in Agriculture; Nebraska Agriculture in the Classroom presentation; Raising Nebraska
• Crash’n CASNR; UNL College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources presentation; Raising Nebraska
• Meet a Dairy Farmer; Midwest Dairy presentation; Raising Nebraska
• Milk Giveaway to Youth Grades K-6; sponsored by Hiland Dairy; Raising Nebraska
• Nebraska Department of Natural Resources; Rubber Duck Trivia Game; Kramer’s Sustainability Pavilion
• Nebraska’s Natural Resources District; groundwater flow model trailer; Kramer’s Sustainability Pavilion
• Three Cheers for Trees; Nebraska Forest Service, Project Learning Tree, Project WET presentation by the Nebraska Forest Service; Raising Nebraska
• Nebraska Power Zone; Little Lineman Rodeo, virtual reality goggles, grid simulator circuit and other activities; Marketplace
9 a.m. Friday
• Nebraska Izaak Walton League; make a bird feeder out of a recycled plastic bottle; Kramer’s Sustainability Pavilion
9 a.m. Tuesday
• Be a Kitchen Superhero — Eliminate Cross Contamination; Nebraska Food Protection Task Force; Raising Nebraska
• CommonGround — Sustainable Agriculture in partnership with Brokaw Marketing; interactive exhibit on sustainable agriculture; Kramer’s Sustainability Pavilion
• Nebraska 4-H – Live; Nebraska Extension Youth Entrepreneurship Team presentation; Raising Nebraska
9 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday
• Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever of Nebraska; speakers and hands-on activities; Kramer’s Sustainability Pavilion
• UNL Husker Mobile Beef Lab; Nebraska Extension and 4-H presentation; Raising Nebraska
2:30 p.m. Tuesday
• Helping Pheasants on Row-Crop Acres; Pheasants Forever presentation; Raising Nebraska
The Nebraska State Fair runs Aug. 26 through Sept. 5 in Grand Island. For more information, visit statefair.org.
