Farm Fest 2012
Now through August 5, 2012
Imagination Station brings the farm to downtown Toledo for Farm Fest, an event to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by American agriculture. If you’re looking to give your kids a ‘down on the farm’ experience but can’t make it out to the country, Farm Fest will offer you an opportunity to expose your children to the good life right here in downtown Toledo. Check out our blog!
Presented by:
Supported by:
Donors:
Barney Family Farms
Bay Tractor & Turf
HDR Boers
Lucas County Fair- Babyland Exhibit
Lucas/Ottawa/Wood/Sandusky County Soil & Water Conservation Districts
Lucas/Ottawa/Wood/Sandusky Farm Bureau
Luckey Farmers
Meyer Hatchery
NOW Tractor Pullers Association
Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Inc.
OSU Extension Lucas County
OSU Extension Ottawa County
Power of Yesteryear Club, Inc.
Sauder Village
Toledo Botanical Gardens
Toledo GROWs
Toledo School for the Arts
Veggie U
Wood County Implement
Woodmore FFA
Animals
Farm Fest wouldn’t be complete without featuring the most adorable part of the farm experience – the animals:
- Ducklings - 4 of the most adorable creatures on earth are gracing us with their webbed little feet. Come check out our Pekin ducklings!
- Bunnies – We have more than a dozen bunnies visiting Farm Fest for the duration. We even have a brand new Flemish Giant Mommy, along with her litter of 9 kits.
- Goats - Penny and Amy have left the building! Our set of baby goats are now visiting the Lucas County Fair (July 10-15) in the BabyLand Exhibit. Thanks to everyone that voted for their awesome names. The Big Bang Theory would be proud.
- Peeps – Did you know that baby chickens are called peeps? Well we’ve got peeps everywhere. Eggs have ben hatching, peeps are… well, peeping!
- Chickens – We have 4 very happy chickens hanging out in their super cool henhouse, built especially for Imagination Station’s Farm Fest. See if you can find one of their freshly laid eggs.
- Tilapia – You might not think about fish when you think about farm, but at Toledo Grows, this unconventional farm animal is part of something amazing. Come check out the fish and learn about their cool contribution to farming.
- Cows – Kids can even try their hands at milking a cow, although this cow doesn’t moo – she’s fiberglass.
Equipment
When you say the word ‘farm’, the first thing that pops into most people’s mind is an image of a tractor in the field. The Power of Yesteryear, a Wood County based club whose members enjoy the preservation and operation of all types of agricultural related antique power will be providing a series of antique farming equipment and tools for viewing purposes. We’ll also have a few pieces of newer equipment for kids to hop on and explore.
Plants and Produce
Midwest farmers offer an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables to the tables of families in the Toledo region. Imagination Station, with the assistance of Toledo Grows, will be preparing and nurturing garden beds in Science Park featuring some of the Midwest’s most popular crops. Visitors will have a chance to plant their own seeds and add them to a growing vertical garden, a space saving gardening option used within cityscapes.
We’ll also be highlighting some of Toledo’s largest growers. On loan from the University of Toledo Urban Affairs Center, will be a series of photographs and accompanying stories that document the lives of growers, gardeners and family farmers in Northwest Ohio.
For the Littlest Farmhands
Your wee ones can hop aboard a tractor and race through a maze of hay, dig their hands into pools of corn in search of playtime treasures, or become a farm animal as they peek their head through several adorable photo opportunities.
Hands-on Activities
Kids can get hands-on with a variety of activities that make getting dirty – fun!
Dates and times for activities will vary.
- Compost/Soil Investigation – Investigate what is located in a compost bin and learn how to build one
- Worms Eye View – what happens inside Vermiculture bins
- pH Testing – sand, silt or clay
- Plant a mini-terrarium – Plant various seeds and take home your very own mini-terrarium
- Compost Tea – see the difference in plants that use the tea and those that don’t
- Vertical Garden – Use your green thumb to add to our vertical garden
- Butter Making – put your butter making skills to the test as you create butter right here at Imagination Station.
- Starch Test – Testing different vegetables and fruits to discover which foods and vegetables contain starch.
- Dream Dinner – Draw your dream dinner
Fun Facts – Check out the pages below for all kinds of really cool fun facts about the farm!