“Mountain Grown Fun” is the theme for the 2022 State Fair of West Virginia that is steeped in the Greenbrier Valley’s rich farming history.
What started solely as a showcase for local farmers, the fair has grown and expanded to include dozens of rides on Midway, various acts and entertainment, and a diverse display of booths, exhibits, and food vendors. Despite this evolution, the State Fair of West Virginia has always kept agriculture at the heart of the annual event. With this focus in mind, the 2022 fair will see even more agricultural initiatives being implemented.
The biggest initiative is the revamping of the Farm to Food Pavilion, which will provide kids and their families with even more education, hands-on learning, and comprehensive displays. “It’s similar to the previous concept, but we’re going to revamp it so that it is a lot more interactive for the kids,” explains Agricultural Competitions Manager, Alexis Porterfield. Revisions to the learning exhibit include new displays that better explain how vegetables are grown, more colorful visuals and interactive exhibits, and a new transportation station that explains how our food gets from the farm to the dinner plate. The Farm to Food Pavilion’s changes will also expand to educate fairgoers on the many ways that agricultural products are used, from making bread out of wheat to explaining how animal byproducts are used in a number of non-food items.
“We’re looking to create a more holistic approach and to really take it from farm to food,” Porterfield stated. “We’re going to try to incorporate every step of the growing process, including livestock as well, to take it from planting the seed to the grocery store.”
In addition to the Farm to Food Pavilion, visitors at the fair can also expect to see new and creative gardening displays adorning the space between the West Virginia Building and the Gus R. Douglass Agricultural Annex.
Porterfield explained that these innovative gardening exhibits are a way to showcase the feasibility of gardening in small spaces and to inspire people to come up with their own ideas- especially for urban gardening. Fairgoers can expect to see vegetables growing out of non-traditional vessels, such as pallets and gutters, in hopes to provide inspiration for filling blank spaces with something edible and useful. The fair is also implementing an agricultural passport program to create a colorful and informative adventure on which fairgoers can embark. The program’s purpose is to get kids and their families active in exploring every inch of the fairgrounds and to learn more about different types of agricultural displays and their significance. Some of the stamps for the passport will take visitors on a journey through the livestock barns, to the WVU Extension’s Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden and high tunnel, through the agricultural exhibits in the West Virginia Building, and more.
Those wishing to participate in the agricultural passport program can visit the Farm to Food Pavilion to pick up their passport and receive instructions to begin the adventure.
“Agricultural education is the mission of the whole fair,” Porterfield stated as she explained why many of the initiatives focus on getting kids involved at an early age. “When you plant that seed early on, it keeps them interested.”
Activities at the Farm to Food Pavilion and the vibrant displays of the on-site gardens act a bridge between inspiring young fairgoers and them going on to become exhibitors in the fair’s home arts and garden departments.
No matter a person’s age, Porterfield noted that she still wants the agricultural initiatives to be a fun experience for everyone so that the traditions of the State Fair of West Virginia can continue to inspire generation after generation.
