News

Festival to celebrate opening of ag-focused Arboretum exhibit

Reading Time: 2 minutes

(While focused on the future, the Farm at the Arb exhibit will also honor agriculture’s past with a renovated red barn.)

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum will for the first time tell the story of modern Minnesota agriculture in a new farm exhibit opening in September. Supported by the Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA), the “Farm at the Arb” provides the arboretum’s more than 500,000 annual visitors an up close look at how food is grown today.

The grand opening of the Farm at the Arb will take place Sept. 14 during the Farm at the Arb Field Festival. In addition to a first look at the exhibit, the family friendly event will feature agriculture-focused activities, including hands-on opportunities to experience on-farm technology, an up-close look at farm machinery, a variety of tastings of Minnesota-grown crops and more. Details on the event are below:

Saturday, September 14, 2019 field fest square
11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Built around the Arboretum’s iconic red barn, the multi-acre field exhibit will feature conventional crops that make up Minnesota’s ag sector, including soybeans, wheat, sugar beets, and of course, corn. The interpretive exhibits and educational programming will be an eye-opening experience for the many metro residents who visit the Chaska attraction without any connection to the farm.

Interested in attending? MCGA members are invited to attend free-of-charge! Contact Missy Gilbertson at Gilbertson@mncorn.org for tickets. You can learn more about the event here.

In addition to the nuts and bolts of how our food is grown, the Farm at the Arb will share information about innovative practices on the farm that have allowed farmers to become more environmentally responsible.

The new attraction at the Arboretum is another opportunity to share how food is produced, including the many conservation-minded practices used on the farm today, with a non-farming audience.

Traveling to attend? Discounted hotel rooms are available
Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Chanhassen (less than a mile away) is offering a block of rooms at a discounted rate the weekend of the festival. Feel free to share this information with your groups. This link can be used to make a reservation or folks can also call Holiday Inn Express at 952-401-8850 and ask for the special Arb Field Fest rate.  

Field Fest parking and shuttle opportunities will also be available in a number of locations. Please encourage your groups to check the Arb Field Fest page for any parking updates.

Did you like this article?

Share this post with your friends!