The Shadow
DOSWELL, VA (VR) — The State Fair of Virginia is the temporary parking spot for a state-of-the-art agricultural classroom that delights and informs curious minds.
The Virginia State University Mobile Agricultural Educational Unit rolled up to the fair in late September. It’s a “lab on wheels” that delivers interactive learning experiences while showcasing what’s grown and raised in the commonwealth.
“We park it at the State Fair every year,” said Cartelius Travis, VSU Small Farm Outreach program assistant and the unit’s coordinator. “It’s an ideal setting to engage the community and provide more hands-on activities about Virginia’s rich agriculture and forestry and how they impact everyday life.”
The activities inside the traveling classroom are just as diverse as the commonwealth’s agricultural footprint. Adults and youth alike can learn about animals and livestock, food production, nutrition, water quality, sustainability, and the business and economics of agriculture.
While exploring the trailer’s six main exhibit areas and over 10 displays, visitors can test their knowledge with fun quizzes and engage in friendly rivalry by playing an agriculture-themed video game. A puzzle has guests choose the makings of a nutritious, balanced meal, and they are offered recipes to try at home.
At cutting-edge virtual reality stations, participants can visit some of Virgnia’s beef, dairy, aquaculture, timber and vegetable farms. The unit also highlights innovations that have transformed agriculture, like GPS, drones, data collection and computer science.
“It’s designed to help dispel old-fashioned images of farming and introduce people to the fact that modern agriculture is a high-tech, science-based and in-demand industry,” Travis explained.
In addition to bolstering awareness about the sources of food and fiber, the unit explores various agricultural careers—presenting youth with options they might not have considered, such as agribusiness.
The mobile unit is a grant-funded project through partnerships with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Virginia Farm Bureau Federation and several sponsors. Since its inception in 2021, it has traversed over 25,000 miles along the East Coast—from Virginia to Florida—stopping at fairs, expos, schools and community events. The mobile classroom has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors and expanded agricultural knowledge across rural, suburban and urban settings.
And even if a fairgoer stopped by the mobile education unit during last year’s fair, Travis and her team continue to incorporate new activities, keeping things fresh and engaging.
“If you’re at the State Fair this week, come by and check it out,” Travis said. The fair runs through Oct. 6.
To learn more about VSU’s Mobile Agricultural Education Unit, visit ext.vsu.edu/mobile-ed-unit.
