Lessons in Agriculture

Exhibit at fair gives children hands-on instruction

By LEE JUILLERAT

H&N Regional Editor

September 7, 2007

Four-year-old Wyatt Sparks of Keno enjoys the “cornbox” at the Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair’s new Humphrey’s Farmyard Fun area.

   TULELAKE — Quiz time: 

   How many eggs can a chicken lay in one year? True of false: Can some chickens lay green-shelled eggs? How much grain does a chicken eat to lay 12 eggs? 

   Answers: 365. True (Araucana chickens lay pink, green and blue eggs). Four pounds. 

   Even dumb clucks can get ag-related questions answered at this year’s Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair. A new exhibit, Humphrey’s Farmyard Fun, is intended to help fairgoers of all ages better appreciate the role of agriculture. 

   “Agriculture is the backbone of our communities. More people need to understand how important it is,” said Donna Krewson, aka Mother Goose, Humphrey’s creator. “It always amazes me how many people haven’t seen a real potato or a real chicken.” 

   Krewson’s exhibit, which is free and sponsored by the fair board, is intended to let children learn basics about agricultural while having fun. 

   “Kids aren’t going to walk around and look at displays, but if they’re having fun they’re going to learn,” she said. Krewson lives in Portland and is in her second year of traveling to West Coast fairs with Humphrey and friends. 

   Milk a cow 

   Along with a chicken board that provides unusual factoids about chickens, the Farmyard has a series of stops that give children and their parents a chance to work an old-fashioned water pump, dig and plant potatoes, milk a cow, make dirt babies and learn how to make flour and butter. 

   “We talk about water and water conservation, and that’s pretty important down here,” Krewson explained about the purpose of the water pump. To provide motivation, they place rubber ducks or frogs in a narrow funnel and, depending on the flow of water they pump, surf them down the funnel to a pool. 

   At Cora the Cow, children are instructed to sit on a stool, greet Cora, warm their hands and are then told, “Ready, get set, milk.” By squeezing the plastic teats, water dribbles into a bucket. 

   Krewson, dressed as Mother Goose, gives two magic shows a day and also provides hands-on lessons in making flour from grain and butter from milk. 

   “Where we live is an agricultural community, but kids still think their potatoes and eggs come from a grocery store,” said Dave Dillabo, the fair’s chief executive officer. “I think it’s a perfect fit for Tulelake.” 

   “I just hope we have elbow-to-elbow kids,” Krewson said. “We make sure every child has a memory.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted
material  herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have
expressed  a  prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit
research and  educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

Source:  http://pioneer.olivesoftware.com/Daily/Skins/heraldandnews/

navigator.asp?skin=heraldandnews