Taste of the Farm

 Farmamerica and Farm Bureau Financial Services of Waseca collaborated on Thursday, June 1 to give everyone a taste of what farm life is really like and the importance of agriculture.

From 5-7:30 p.m., Farmamerica had plenty of farm-related expos ranging from informative to interactive. Activities included learning about different chemicals and how they are used in agriculture, statistics surrounding food production at local farms, playing Yahtzee for prizes while learning about pigs from Scott Singlestad, and plenty of other activities provided by Farmamerica.

Some fun facts: Nearly three billion pizzas are made and consumed in the United States every year. Minnesota pork is also sold all over the world; its three main exports are to Japan, China, and Mexico.

“Some may know that pigs are used for much more than food,” Singlestad said. “But they may not know that pigs are used to make life-saving medicines, soap, paints, glue, and other things we use in daily life.”

There are also more than 5,000 Minnesota farm families producing pigs on their farms.

Aside from intriguing facts about  agriculture, Farm Bureau Financial Services also gave tips on how to save money when buying food. Their source, CNBC, claims that Americans spend an average of $5,174 per year, or $431 per month on groceries.

Tips to save on food included having a grocery list and sticking to it, buying whole items like apples instead of anything prepackaged, buying wholesale or in bulk, and many more

A burger dinner was provided by Farmamerica with the Waseca County Dairy Princesses helping to serve the food.

“We are more than happy to be hosting the event,” said Farmamerica Executive Director Jessica Rollins. “Any time we get a chance to help people learn more about local agriculture, we’ll take it.”