SPONSORED – The Montana Beef Council (MBC) and the Big Sky Country Fair have teamed up in order to accomplish a shared goal: bringing agricultural education, activities, and fun to the Gallatin County Fairgrounds. In Bozeman, Haynes Pavilion was transformed into the MBC Barnyard from Wednesday, July 19th through Sunday, July 23rd, providing children’s workshops, giveaways, and hands-on time with livestock.
Activities included building your own brand, a roping relay, beef bingo, line dancing, protein poetry, pasture pair tag, and an introduction to beef cuts. While workshops were taking place, parents were given the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations about nutrition, picking up resources on where to find local beef, recipes, nutrition information, and ideas on what to make for dinner. Amanda Hartman, Big Sky Country State Fair Marketing/Sponsorship Coordinator, said, “We were excited to team up with Montana Beef Council again for the all-NEW Barnyard! Offering more agriculture education opportunities at the Big Sky Country State Fair has been a goal of ours for years, and with the help of Montana Beef Council, we are making that dream a reality.”
In addition to the activities hosted at the MBC booth, Haynes Pavilion also housed a petting zoo, 3-D agricultural education displays, and, most notably, the All Creatures Barnyard Races. Before realizing where they were headed, parents would oftentimes be drug into the pavilion to watch pigs, ducks, and sheep run around the racetrack and then visit the MBC booth for a craft or game after winners had been announced. “Last year, we brought one pretty exciting activity to the fair in the form of a ninja obstacle course, but this year, we brought a whole host of activities for families to enjoy,” said Anna Sponheim, project manager for the Montana Beef Council. “In order to accomplish our goal of putting more beef on more plates, we have to get outside the barn, which is why we brought the barnyard to Bozeman.”
More details about the activities hosted at the MBC Barnyard and the Big Sky Country State Fair can be found on the Montana Beef Council Facebook page. Events like the MBC Barnyard are funded by the one dollar per head beef checkoff. Producers are encouraged to take ownership of these dollars and help drive traffic and utilize the content in their own social media channels to promote positive beef promotion to consumers.
Brought to you by the Montana Beef Council.
Montana Beef Council is organized to protect and increase demand for beef and beef products through state, national, and international consumer marketing programs thereby enhancing profit opportunities for Montana beef producers. This mission is accomplished through working with a variety of partners who utilize the funding to carry out beef promotion and education activities.
