Kansas State Fair staple celebrates three decades

Along with the Pronto Pups, corn on the cob and pork rinds in all flavors and fashions, another fan favorite has been present at the Kansas State Fair for decades — three decades, in fact. Kansas Agriland, an interactive children's exhibit in the Pride of Kansas Building, is celebrating 30 years of educating youngsters at the Sunflower State's fair.

"It's a great opportunity for kids to see how important agriculture is," said Madison Loder, one of the staff assisting in the exhibit. Loder is a water quality program coordinator in the fourth region of the Division of Conservation of the Kansas Department of Agriculture out of Manhattan, Kansas.

The KDA is one of the many partners who make this attraction happen each year. The department serves as both a support system and regulatory body for the state's agricultural sector, offering essential services to farmers, ranchers, food enterprises, and agribusinesses while ensuring adherence to state regulations. The department's responsibilities encompass food safety oversight and lodging standards, natural resource management, facilitation of international trade and market expansion, administration of the "From the Land of Kansas" local product initiative, and implementation of animal and plant health protection programs. Additionally, KDA conducts outreach activities, educational initiatives and provides agricultural economic analysis for the state.

Other partners for the exhibit include Kansas Foundation for Ag in the Classroom, Kansas Corn Commission, Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission, Kansas Dairy Commission, Kansas Soybean Commission, Kansas Wheat, Kansas Sunflower Commission, Kansas Beef Council, Kansas Agri-Women, Kansas Cotton and Kansas Association of Conservation Districts.

At Agriland, youth are able to not only learn how important agriculture is on a broad level, but also how it is apparent in their everyday lives. One portion allows them to weigh themselves and find out how many shirts could be made out of that much weight of cotton. The activity also compares your weight to the average weights of all kinds of Kansas livestock.

To celebrate the momentous anniversary of the exhibit, Agriland made an addition that has been an instant hit. Thanks to a partnership with AGCO Corporation, a Gleaner combine cab is available for visitors to enter and get a view from the seat of a farm necessity. Invented in Nickerson in 1923, the Gleaner has 100 years of tradition and innovation in not just the state's agriculture industry, but the country's.

"We're so proud to celebrate 30 years of Agriland at the Kansas State Fair," said Assistant Director of Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom Briana Jacobus. "This year's new Gleaner cab and refreshed booth layout make the experience even more interactive, and we can't wait to welcome visitors to learn more about the role agriculture plays in everyday life."

The cab isn't all that is new to the exhibit. Agriland has gotten a facelift, with a new layout that makes it easier for visitors to navigate the fun.

"It really is a great exhibit with so much to learn," Loder said. "It is dedicated to teaching in a fun way."

So it has, with thousands of visitors over the years. So in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic caused the fair to be canceled, Agriland was not going to be deterred from that mission. In response, they developed Virtual Agriland. Now anyone can learn about Kansas Agriculture, and they don't have to wait for the fair. Just visit https://ksagclassroom.org/resource-center/virtual-agriland/ any time to educate any school-age students and their parents on the importance of agriculture.

For the real deal with hands-on activities, the exhibit will be available throughout the duration of the 2025 Kansas State Fair and many more to come.