Ag In an Instant: Ag Fuels State Fairs and your Back-to-School shopping list

We all know the best part about the summer is the fairs, and this week is the beginning of multiple state fairs throughout the Midwest.

The Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri state fairs all begin this week and run through the eighteenth. While each of these events will be full of your favorite fair food and carnivals rides, let’s not forget that they each have a deep history rooted in agriculture.

In the 18-hundreds, state fairs were getting their start. These fairs did not have live concert shows and rodeos but were just simply agriculture expositions where farmers could showcase their achievements while also learn new farming methods from each other.

While August means state fair season, it also means back to school season. Have you checked everything off your supplies list?

Well let’s take a look at how agriculture impacts our back-to-school goodies. Let’s start with what the Midwest does best, our corn and soybeans. Corn meal and corn starch are ingredients in many school supplies including glue, paint, and crayons.

Soybeans can also be used to make crayons but then also ink for pens. Then finally, we can’t forget about livestock. If you pick up paint brushes when you back to school shopping, it is likely that the hair of the brush comes from a horse.

So, whether you are out enjoying state fair activities or back to school shopping, be sure to thank a farmer.