There are no straw bales, no gingham-checked material, no overalls. In fact, all of the stereotypical paraphernalia that fuel dated misconceptions of farming have been removed from the modern agriculture exhibit unveiled in December at Discovery Park of America. “AgriCulture: Innovating for Our Survival,” tells the story of farming in the present and especially the future. 

“We asked a group of visiting children to tell us what a farmer looks like,” said Scott Williams, president and CEO of Discovery Park of America, a museum and heritage park located in Union City, Tenn. “Their description sounded a lot like Old MacDonald.  

“Because a lot of people have never visited a farm these days, a lot of people may have no idea what a farmer is,” Williams continued. “The mission of our museum is to inspire children and adults to see beyond, and we hope this exhibit will inspire visitors to see farming in a whole new way.” 

Modern agriculture

The million-dollar permanent exhibit includes sections on new technology, GMOs, and careers in agriculture. Visitors can learn about modern row crop farming and livestock production. There’s an observational beehive — home to 10,000 bees. And kids (and adults) can climb in the cab of a 2021 Case IH Magnum 310 tractor.  

One of the more unique aspects of the exhibit is that it features more than 250 people who currently work in agriculture. Their photographs are sprinkled throughout the display and grouped en masse on the Faces of Farming Wall. The wall is a favorite section of Jennifer Wildes, Discovery Park’s senior director of collections and exhibits. 

The Faces of Farming wall features 250 portraits of farmers and agriculture professionals.

“I didn’t grow up in a farm family, so I was one of those people who had a lot of misconceptions and assumptions about agriculture,” Wildes admitted. “The biggest thing that surprised me is how diverse agriculture actually is in terms of the workforce and the different career paths available.” 

“We hope this will inform our young visitors about opportunities they may want to consider when choosing a career.” 

Farmer approved 

Wildes said the museum was approached two years ago by the Tennessee Soybean Promotion Board to create an exhibit to tell the story of modern agriculture. Discovery Park worked with farmer-based focus groups and ag industry professionals to develop many of the concepts. 

While the exhibit does focus on the present, visitors can enjoy a little history, too. There’s a collection of antique tractors. Also included in the exhibit are spotlights on individuals from history who applied innovative practices to farming in the past along with those doing the same thing on farms and in laboratories today. 

"It's pretty cool to see yourself in a museum," said Kelly Griggs as she toured the exhibit for the first time. She and husband Matt are two of many real farmers featured in the new display. "It's refreshing to see a more accurate depiction of who farmers are and what we do."

The Discovery Park of America, a 100,000 square-foot museum and 50-acre heritage park is open Thursday – Monday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., with the exception of Sunday when hours are 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Find directions and ticket information at their website.