Understanding how food gets from the farm to your fork can be puzzling, so Illinois Farm Families® are filling in the missing pieces. On Saturday, June 28 visitors at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo can learn how Illinois farmers grow soybeans, raise pigs and produce pork.
“We understand consumers have questions about where their food comes from, and we want to help answer those questions in an entertaining way,” says Todd Dail, a pig farmer from Erie, Ill., and president of Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA). “Families will be able to learn more about the farmer-food connection through free hands-on activities. They will also have an opportunity to meet real farmers and have conversations about soybeans, pork and farming.”
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., children can visit five interactive play stations in the Farm In The Zoo area to solve a farm to zoo puzzle. Zoo visitors will see how soybeans grow and learn what pigs eat, and when the puzzle is completed receive a special prize. Interactive activities include:
Find out what's happening in Forest Parkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Coloring farm pictures using crayons made from soybeans
- Creating a Bean-y Baby (take home a soybean and watch it germinate)
- Meeting Chicago moms who have toured Illinois farms and will be sharing their experiences
- Trivia games about pigs and soybeans
Visitors can try free pork burger samples and purchase DaBurger, a juicy, one-third pound ground pork burger. DaBurgers were introduced to Chicagoans in 2011 at all Chicago Bears home games and were featured on the Soldier Field menu again this season. DaBurger varieties are also on the menu at the United Center for all events including Blackhawks and Bulls games.
Lincoln Park Zoo has free admission. Learn more about the zoo at www.lpzoo.org. To learn more about Illinois Farm Families, visit www.WatchUsGrow.org.
