Barnyard Discoveries Brings the Farm to All

May 12, 2026

By Gretchen Westdal Centers

If you were to ask the average American what images they conjure up when picturing Iowa, they may think of rolling, verdant farmland; people working the land; pigs and corn and soy — and they wouldn’t be wrong. Iowa is a strong agricultural state that is a critical component in feeding the world. But, as most Iowans know, with each passing year, new challenges arise that make it harder to sustain farming and keep the next generation engaged. 

Creating an early emotional connection — a tether — to agriculture and farming can be a beneficial way to educate and expose the next generation to the incredible educational opportunities and experiences that ag offers. Future Farmers of America (FFA) and 4-H are amazing organizations that have created generations of farmers, but for those kids who don’t have that opportunity, where can they learn?  

That’s where Barnyard Discoveries comes in.

Fluffy, little yellow chicks held by a small, pudgy toddler's hand. A cow softly mooing. Baby goats butting heads as they play. These are all scenes that play out for visitors at Barnyard Discoveries. 

Bringing the Farm to Everyone

Barnyard Discoveries began in Peoria, Illinois, in 2011 when Ron Wasson, who grew up on a farm in central Illinois, launched a traveling educational farm experience for his community. The concept soon found its way to eastern Iowa when Shelli Cowser-Hollenbeck and her father, Steve Cowser, saw an opportunity to bring the idea with them when they moved to Iowa.

Shelli, who also grew up on a farm in Illinois before relocating to Iowa, was inspired by Wasson’s work the moment she saw it in action.

“As a farm kid, I loved what Ron was doing,” she says. “He invited me to accompany him during one of his events, and everyone left the trailer with a smile. It was amazing.”

Not long after, circumstances aligned for Shelli and her father to launch their own operation near Iowa City. Steve, who had farmed for over 50 years, had been commuting several days a week, nearly two hours to work the family farm back in Illinois. After reflecting on the opportunity — and, as Shelli recalls, spending time in prayer — he felt called to take on a new venture with his daughter.

“I remember him telling me, ‘OK, Shelli, let’s do this. Let’s give it a try,’” she says. “And so, I became business partners with my dad, who is the best business partner ever.”

A Hands-On Experience

Since 2019, Shelli and Steve have traveled throughout eastern Iowa, bringing Barnyard Discoveries to communities that may never otherwise experience life on a farm.

Their custom-outfitted trailer serves as both a classroom and a barnyard. Visitors enter by ramp and immediately encounter displays explaining modern farming — from scaled models of machinery showing planting and harvesting cycles throughout the year to posters describing cattle by-products.

The trailer also houses the animals central to the experience, most of which are mini. Guests can interact with a baby pig and miniature lambs, goats, a mini horse and cow, rabbits, chicks and ducks while learning about the care and responsibility involved in raising livestock.

“People love interacting with the animals and being able to pet them,” Shelli says. “But our real mission is agricultural education.”

Through demonstrations and conversation, she explains how farming continues year-round and introduces visitors to the crops that dominate Iowa’s landscape. It’s the conversations that offer the most educational chances. 

“We show what corn, soybeans, hay and wheat look like, and then we talk about how each animal requires its own blend of feed,” she explains. “It helps people understand just how much work and planning go into caring for animals and growing food.”

For some visitors, the experience sparks curiosity and connection to a once far away concept. For others, it stirs memories.

“I hear from people who moved to town, and you can almost sense a longing,” Shelli says. “You can tell in their voice that they miss farming, or that they wish their kids could experience it the way they did.”

The visits can be especially meaningful in retirement communities where time on the family homestead was, for a long while, only a distant thought. Often, they are transported back to when they were young and helping on their families’ land.

“They’ll say, ‘Oh, I remember when Mom ordered 200 chicks through the mail,’” Shelli recalls with a smile. “It becomes a trip down memory lane.”

Meeting People Where They Are

True to its mission, Barnyard Discoveries meets people wherever they are. The trailer regularly appears at libraries, schools, fairs, parks, businesses and community events, as well as retirement centers and nursing homes.

For many schools, the program provides access to agricultural education without the cost or logistics of transporting students to a farm. This can serve as a vital link to an industry that needs future participants and offers opportunities for early interaction and education. 

And, in an era when children ages eight to 18 spend an average of seven and a half hours per day on screens, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the chance to step inside a trailer filled new sensory opportunities — the coat of a lamb, the feel of the duck down, the sound of a goat bleating — these all provide a welcome change of pace and new ways to see the world.

Beyond the novelty, Shelli and Steve hope visitors leave with a clearer understanding of agriculture’s role in everyday life.

“We talk about where food comes from and how animals contribute,” Shelli says. “It’s about helping people connect the dots between the farm and their dinner table.”

She explains to each group, in an approachable manner, that the lambs they see produce the wool in their sweaters. The cow they hear mooing gives them the milk for their morning cereal. And even the lesser-known commodities, such as sheep’s milk and goat cheese, are produced by the very animals they are interacting with. It creates a necessary appreciation. 

Preserving the Legacy

As family farms face increasing pressures, from rising costs to generational transitions, Shelli believes programs like Barnyard Discoveries play an important role in preserving agricultural heritage.

By creating space for people to interact with animals, learn about crops and ask questions, the mobile farm helps bridge the growing gap between rural life and the communities it feeds.

For Shelli and Steve, the goal is both simple and ambitious: to continue expanding the program and, one day, make it their full-time work. More than anything, they hope every visitor leaves with a smile and perhaps a new understanding of the farmers, animals and fields that quietly sustain everyday life.