Living History Farms, IA

Purpose: Reaching Families and Children This project will expand an already existing interpretive program "Get Your Grip on History at Living History Farms." Funds will be used to create a new interactive exhibit. "A Century of Farming" exhibit will use historic artifacts and interactive exhibits. It will also have a computer-based educational environment to create a dynamic learning opportunity that teaches by interpreting the changes in agriculture and rural life from the year 1900 to the present. Outside the Exhibit Center, a "100 Year Crop Walk" will feature crop plots with prairie grasses, the earliest corn varieties, and modern varieties of crops that will enable visitors to experience first-hand the crops that impact their lives. Hands-on activities will help visitors compare and contrast the techniques used by modern farmers with the historic farming practices at the three period farms to better understand how these crops are grown. In addition, LHF will develop environmental interpretive programming focused on ecosystems and the development of prairies and agricultural land.