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Kids learning about farming via kiosks

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture deploys five mobile kiosks to spread the word about agriculture.

September 7, 2011

Kiosks featuring 13 farm-themed games, videos and activities are helping kids learn about agriculture. After seeing how much traffic its website, myamericanfarm.org, received, the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture decided to launch a mobile kiosk program to reach children attending outside events, where Internet connectivity may not be available.

"We know children are used to getting their information from computers, so this made sense," said Curtis Miller, director of education for the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.

The kiosk's games teach players where their food comes from and how those products get from the farm to their dinner plate. The Farm Bureau hopes kids will think about the farming process when they're shopping for groceries with their parents or as they get older and start to think about career choices.

Through a $535,000 donation from Pioneer Hi-Bred, a provider of customized solutions for farmers, livestock producers, and grain and oilseed processors, five ready-to-use, mobile kiosks pre-loaded with the My American Farm games are in State Farm Bureaus in Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Texas and New Mexico. Those five agencies received the kiosks after completing a competitive grant application process describing the estimated audience reach, frequency of use, need and other relevant factors. Miller received 45 applications.

"We had such an over-whelming response from the states that we're hoping to keep this program going," Miller said.

Although only five states were selected to receive the kiosks, the software is available to any bureau wanting to build their own kiosks, which is what the Beta County Bureau in Boise, Idaho did. Its homespun kiosk is in the city zoo.

"That was really the inspiration for us," according to Miller, who said he received many requests from state farm bureaus wanting to feature the games at state fairs, zoos and outdoor expos where Internet connectivity is unavailable. "(Idaho) built its own, and we thought it was great."

Read more about custom kiosks.