Fair Fun Meets Farm Life: Discover the Story Behind Your Food

July 31, 2025

By Lydia Zerby

From tasting the latest food creations and spotting the biggest boar to spinning high above the Midway or walking through Little Hands on the Farm, the Iowa State Fair is the ultimate Iowa summer tradition. Whether you're a thrill-seeker, foodie or ag enthusiast, there’s something for everyone during the best 11 days of the year.
 
This year, the Iowa Food & Family Project invites you to step into “Our Iowa Farm Experience” in the southeast atrium of the Varied Industries Building. This immersive exhibit is packed with interactive, high-tech fun that connects fairgoers to the people and places behind their food. Experience the sights, sounds and stories of Iowa farms like never before — from tractors and technology to animals and the families who care for them.
 
Add your mark to the growing “Our Iowa Farm Experience” digital mural by coloring a farm-themed page, scanning it, and watching it come to life on a big screen. Then test your ag knowledge with our lively Spin Wheel game for fun prizes and snap a photo in our farm-inspired selfie station.
 
New for 2025, discover how your favorite foods make the journey from the farm to the grocery store. Simple, playful animations share how farmers raise turkeys, hens, pigs and cattle — and grow crops with care. Go behind the scenes to explore the thoughtful steps taken to ensure our food supply is safe, nutritious and responsibly produced.
 
The Iowa Food & Family Project connects Iowans with the farmers who grow and raise their food, helping consumers make confident food choices. Through the power of storytelling, transparency and shared values, Iowa FFP unites rural and urban communities, celebrating the people, livestock and innovation at the heart of modern agriculture.
 
Backed by nearly 35 food, farming and wellness organizations — including Iowa’s soybean, pork, beef, dairy, egg and turkey checkoffs — Iowa FFP reaches more than 152,000 food-loving Iowans each month through social media, Fresh Pickings magazine and eNewsletter.
 
See you at the 2025 Iowa State Fair — where fun, food and farming come together!