Many people head to the Graham Building to see the cows, but that’s not the only attraction in the building. If you look to the side of the show rings, you’ll notice the Moovie Theater, a 15-foot LED screen highlighting farms and farming practices from across the state. If you need a break, take a seat on one of the wooden benches and enjoy the videos. It’s a 3-hour loop, so if you really need a rest. You can even charge your phone while you’re sitting there.
This corner of the building is sponsored by the barnyard – the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association, N.C. Pork Council, N.C. Soybean Association, N.C. Farm Bureau, N.C. Dairy Alliance and N.C. Egg Association. Each day, farmers or representatives from these groups are on hand to talk to fairgoers about how food is grown.
“Everyone wants to see what the day to day is like for North Carolina farmers,” says Ashley Herring of the N.C. Cattlemen’s Association.”Seeing their dedication in taking care of land and animals, it really resonates with everyone. We can all identify with that when we see in the videos how much they care .”
In addition to engaging directly with fairgoers, the ag organizations are educating fairgoers through competition and prizes. Fairgoers can get a Barnyard Beango card and then walk around the area to find answers to the questions on the card. It’s sort of a combination scavenger hunt and bingo game. Once they have five in a row, they can turn it in for a prize.
“Barnyard Beango was a surprise hit last year,” said Herring. “Fairgoers quickly became invested in finding the answers to questions about their food. We even had many who wanted to complete the whole card because they were so interested in learning more. We are happy to bring the Beango game back this year and hope fairgoers learn even more.”
