Much of what we eat and wear is produced on our local farms! Learn about technology used to produce our food more efficiently. Discover the day-to-day happenings on a farm and what the jobs of a farmer, rancher or dairyman entails. A farmer’s ability to produce agricultural commodities affects you and your community, just as what happens in your community affects the farmer.

Local Harvest Exhibit

Did you know that Tulare County is one of the most agriculturally productive counties in both California and the United States? With more than 1.6 million acres of farmland, Tulare County is a top producer of dairy and fruits such as grapes and oranges.

Specialty crops such as artichokes, broccoli and garlic are also vital to the county. See if you can recognize all of these specialty crops in the crates at the Local Harvest exhibit. Then, open the crates to see if you are right and to learn more about these items!

Do you think you can name them all?

Tulare “Tractour” Exhibit

How about a virtual tour of a working farm from behind the wheel of your very own tractor? Undoubtedly one of our most popular exhibits, this Tulare “Tractour” is fun for visitors of all ages. Ride alongside your friendly tour guide, Alex, as you explore Tulare County.

Visit a plum orchard and discover how to tell if a plum is sweet enough for the supermarket, and find out how it gets there! Another tour takes you to a Jersey dairy that milks more than 5,000 cows using a carousel barn. With several tours to choose from, everybody in your group is bound to learn something new.

Very Dairy Exhibit

More milk is produced in Tulare County than anywhere else in the nation! Visit our dairy exhibits for everything you ever wanted to know about diaries, cows and milk production.

Experience milking a cow first hand using the gentle touch of a milking machine on a true-to-life dairy cow model. Learn about all of the care a cow needs to produce the milk we all enjoy.

Last but not least, find out how yummy dairy products are made—including cheese, yogurt and, of course, ice cream!

Seasonal Stories Exhibit

Farming happens year round. As the seasons change, farmers have different jobs that they must do at different times of the year. Using the interactive board, discover the various activities that take place each season.

From spring plantings to summer and fall harvests, the temperature outside directly affects what needs to be done on a farm. Let’s use a cotton farmer as an example.

Spring is a time of new beginnings and is when a farmer plants his cotton crop in straight rows.
In Summer, farmers stop irrigating their cotton so that the bolls are able to dry out.
Fall is when farmers use a cotton harvester to remove all of the fluffy white fibers.
Finally, Winter arrives and the cotton field is plowed, disked and fertilized to prepare for the following spring!