NEW! Farm Pavilion

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The Northwest Washington Fair is pleased to announce the addition of the Farming for Life Experience housed in the Peoples Bank Farm Pavilion at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds & Event Center in Lynden.

The Peoples Bank Farm Pavilion replaced several of the older structures near the primary Front Street entrance to the Fairgrounds.

The Farming for Life Experience redefines farming in the 21st century, showcasing the rich history of farming in this region, focusing on the innovations in farming practices, including research, planting, growing, harvesting and distribution of food, enriched by the intergenerational stories of people who make farming their life.

Artist rendering of an entryway and reception desk

LOBBY AND RECEPTION

This area introduces visitors to The Farming for Life Experience. From the lobby, visitors can purchase tickets at the reception desk, access the orientation theater or go straight into the exhibits. A donor panel recognition panel prominently displays the people and organizations who made this project possible.

Artist rendering of a theater with several benches

ORIENTATION THEATER

The theater serves as an orientation to The Farming for Life Experience with a prologue of sequenced multi-image photographs conveying the wonder and beauty of the region. A dramatic video explores the lifeways of farming in Northwest Washington, offering an historical perspective, an exploration of the importance of farming to the region and a celebration of farming as a way of life.

Artist rendering of a museum exhibit featuring a timeline

WONDERWALL OF HISTORY

The distant and varied history of farming in the region is a story of hard work and persistence. The 20 ft. long, full height case, will display artifacts from individual farming families and local organizations to showcase how farming has advanced over the last century and more. Each object tells a story that that connects the visitor to the past evoking curiosity and wonder at the many items that explore the history of farming.

Artist rendering of a museum exhibit showing the journey from growing to shipping

THE JOURNEY OF FOOD

This fun-filled interactive gallery takes you through the process of bringing food from farms to tables. Comprised of 6 stations, the exhibits start with the essentials of food propagation, growing and harvesting and continues through different modes of packaging and transportation, wholesale and retail distribution, all the way to the end of journey—food preparation. Each station offers a unique hands-on interactive experience, illustrating the principles behind getting food to our table.

Artist rendering of museum exhibit for selling, buying, and preparing food

FROM SELLING AND BUYING TO PREPARING FOOD

When you total the cost of food, you need to consider not only what it takes the farmer go grow it and harvest it, but the costs for packaging, transporting food, branding, advertising and marketing, the cost of supporting a supermarket and a percentage of wastage. Lift panels reveal surprising facts about the costs associated with food and an interactive measuring station give a better understanding of all the ways food is sold and bought and the value of this life-giving resource. The end of the journey of food is the shopping, preparation, cooking and eating of food. When the food finally arrives at your house or restaurant, the different ingredients may have traveled from nearby farms or states or thousands of miles from other countries.

Artist rendering of a museum exhibit featuring blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries

ALL ABOUT BERRIES

Three large stacks of crates in the packing area become open books to explore the wonders and science of the raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. An overhead frieze captures the landscape ripe with fruit and and the process of the berry harvests. Beneath the gravity conveyor crates contain fun facts about the three berries. The center 65” screen showcases a selection of videos about the berry farms in the region and a walk-in simulated berry harvester allows visitors to feel the vibration that is used to harvest raspberries and blueberries from the plants.

Artist rendering of a museum exhibit featuring a cow with an illustrated digestive tract

THE DAIRY BARN

With a re-creation of a barn facade, a central icon for this section of exhibits, this step-in environment explores the many facets of dairy farming . Overhead, a frieze pays tribute to the dairy farmers of the region. Inside the barn, explore Cow Wow facts of dairy and learn about the complex digestive system of a cow. An enveloping video projected onto the back wall allows visitors to watch the process of feeding, milking, grazing, birthing and raising calves, even the process of making cheese and other dairy products. Outside the barn, in the windows on either side, explore the rotating displays about new technologies in dairy ranging from robotic milking, dietary innovations and waste management.

Artist rendering of a museum exhibit featuring seed potatoes

ALL ABOUT SEED POTATOES

Stacks of crates with a conveyor between the columns double as discovery drawers where visitors learn about the seed potato plant—how it reproduces and grows. A large wall-mounted memory game links important facts about seed potatoes: varieties, greenhouse propagation, yields per acre and nutritional value. Inside the step-in alcove Infinity Mini-Theater you can select a topic to explore: starters in the greenhouse, planting, growing, irrigation, harvesting, quality control, sorting and packaging and transporting to potato growers around the country and the world.

Artist rendering of a museum exhibit including a "career wheel"

CAREERS IN AGRICULTURE & FARMERS OF NORTHWEST WASHINGTON

Spin the Career Wheel to land on one of 60 jobs and find on the career chart what your skill requirements are, your salary will be, hours you will work and the challenges of your job.

Farmers of Northwest Washington offers a multifaceted view of agriculture. On the faceted wall, a changing display of the Farmers of Northwest Washington will highlight the stories of the men and women who have made farming their life. This will become a kind of “wall of fame” of Northwest Washington farmers.