Grow It Gallery
Farm-to-table fun!
Plant, Grow, Harvest, Eat!
The Museum’s largest indoor exhibit is all about farms, fields, and family. Malia Wiley’s painted wall mural helps set the stage for children-as-farmers as they plant, grow, and harvest Minnesota crops–our very own hand-sewn fruits and vegetables. Produce gets sorted and makes its way to market where children stand ready to stock shelves or cook up a dish in the deli for supper. Experience a lot of fun while learning about how foods we eat make their way from seed to table.
This exhibit is great for...
planting, harvesting, and sorting to learn where our food comes from!
Little Hands Farm
At a low table designed just right for toddlers, farm buildings, animals, vehicles, and crops are scattered throughout. Young children farm the landscape as they put horses in the barn, sheep in the field, and move crops along the railways. They drive the tractor into the pretend field powering it with sounds of 'vroom' as corn and beans get harvested. A multitude of loose parts prompts pretend play and keeps our youngest visitors engaged.
Farm to Table
The crops are ready to be picked! Children reach into rows and harvest carrots, onions, and soybeans, loading their wheelbarrows to the brim. Families collect crates full of produce to place on the conveyor belt bound for the Marketplace. Using the biggest pot, a child throws some root vegetables in, adds seasoning, and stirs. Experiencing crops next to a market and deli, we see how they connect us to the land, and to one another. When we make these connections, we become better and smarter producers, consumers, and citizens.