This year’s fair features a calf birthing center, a chick hatchery and other farm animals in Young MacDonald’s Farm. Additionally, fairgoers can watch livestock shows featuring cattle, hogs, sheep and goats.

Visitors also can find out about traditional crops raised in Virginia at the field plot located in the Harvest Landing area of the fair.

Also in the Harvest Landing area is the Meadow Pavilion, which features agricultural commodity groups representing beekeepers, peanut growers, small grain farmers and Christmas tree growers.

Virginia Farm Bureau’s booth in the Meadow Pavilion will house AgCab simulators—actual tractor and combine cabs that have been converted so fairgoers can “drive” a tractor to plant corn or “drive” a combine to harvest corn. Computer software controls the speed of the vehicles as they traverse the field, planting, harvesting or unloading corn. This gives visitors a first-hand perspective of modern farming practices.

In the same space, fairgoers also can learn about Virginia commodities and how they touch everyone’s life daily. At the Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom station located there, they will learn things like: how many Virginia peanuts it takes to make a peanut butter sandwich; how a coffee mug can be made from corn; and that maple syrup farms are primarily found in western areas of Virginia.