“Our Iowa Farm Experience” at the Iowa State Fair
July 31, 2024
By Lydia Zerby
Corn dogs, farm animals and sky gliders, oh my! Ready or not, here comes the 2024 Iowa State Fair! Renowned as one of the top state fairs in the U.S. (No. 1 in our hearts), this year’s Iowa State Fair is set to be the best one yet. Whether your family likes to taste new food offerings, catch a horse show, gaze at the biggest boar, experience Little Hands on the Farm or go wild with thrill rides, there’s something for everyone during the best 11 days of the summer.
This year, the Iowa Food & Family Project (Iowa FFP) presents “Our Iowa Farm Experience,” an exhibit in the southeast atrium of the Varied Industries Building. Packed with cutting-edge digital technology, the exhibit will immerse fairgoers into the world of farming and agriculture through engaging, fun and educational activities. The exhibit's highlight is a hands-on interactive display where visitors can color a picture, watch it get scanned and digitized, and see it become a vibrant piece of the grand “Our Iowa Farm Experience” scene. Get ready to see your creativity come to life in a whole new way.
And that’s not all! Kids of all ages (adults, too) can play ag trivia Plinko for fantastic prizes and step inside an “ag-citing” photo booth. Visitors can also answer the question of the day and pick up an Iowa FFP cookbook. Filled with mouth-watering dishes inspired by Iowa-grown ingredients, this cookbook contains easy, family-friendly recipes for every day. With exclusive recipes from Iowa bloggers Cristen Clark and Kelsey Byrnes, you’ll undoubtedly discover a new favorite meal. Pick up your free copy at the Iowa FFP exhibit during the 2024 Iowa State Fair.
Iowa FFP celebrates families, uniting rural and urban communities, and providing consumers with information and experiences to make informed food choices. The initiative involves a collaborative network of nearly 35 food, farming and healthy living organizations that are proud of Iowa’s homegrown foods and hometown values. Iowa FFP is funded by the soybean, pork, beef, egg, corn, turkey and dairy checkoffs, as well as non-checkoff resources.
Approximately 147,000 food-minded Iowans engage monthly with Iowa FFP through social media and Fresh Pickings magazine and eNewsletter.
See you at the 2024 Iowa State Fair, where visitors will experience #FairFever!
Buttermilk-Crunch Fried Cheese Curds
Recipe from Cristen Clark, Food & Swine
• 1-1½ quarts soybean oil
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups panko crumbs
• ¼ cup flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 12-ounce packages fresh cheese curds (white)
In a high-sided, heavy-bottomed pot, heat soybean oil to 375 degrees F.
Whisk together buttermilk, eggs, panko crumbs, flour, corn starch and baking powder until smooth.
Preparing a few at a time, coat cheese curds in batter and fry for a few minutes until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
Serve immediately with marinara or ranch dressing for dipping.