Many children know little about agriculture’s role in their daily lives—where food comes from, what life on a farm is like, and why farms are important in our communities. With the challenges schools face in arranging field trips, the Washington State Fair brings agriculture education directly to students.
The Traveling Farm continues this tradition with interactive lessons designed for 1st–3rd grade students. This year, the program will feature a special focus on healthy food choices and nutritional programming, available for a limited time.
Accepting 2026 Season Reservations beginning October 6, 2025.
Grade Levels
1st - 3rd Grade; other grades scheduled on a per-case basis.
Dates Available
Mid-February through June. The Traveling Farm is limited to a 50-mile radius from the Washington State Fair Events Center.
Location
The program takes place at your school and requires setup on a hard, level surface such as concrete or asphalt, with road access to pull into the designated area. Setup on grass or gravel is strongly discouraged
Starting Times
15 minutes after school begins until 30 minutes before school is dismissed.
Number of Classes
One maximum 30 student class per time slot - up to 6 classes per day. The smaller the classes the better experience for the students. Please do not combine classes.
Curriculum
This outreach program travels to the school for the day to provide an educational experience about agriculture and healthy food choices for 1st-3rd grade students. The hands-on exhibit area was developed to meet Washington State E.A.L.R.s and address many different learning styles. The Traveling Farm will also give students the opportunity to have an up close farm animal encounter.
Teachers
The teacher will be a great asset to the learning experience for the students and is asked to accompany their students for this experience. Pre and Post Curriculum are available to prepare the students for the day. Once our visit is over, we do ask that you take the time to fill out an evaluation so that we can provide a beneficial experience for next year.
Volunteers
The assistance of volunteers for the Traveling Farm experience is essential. The Traveling Farm does ask that the school provides three volunteers for the morning and three volunteers for the afternoon. Traveling Farm Staff will meet with the volunteers prior to the start of their shift to inform them about the role they will play in assisting students through the exhibit area.
For more information contact Caitlin Widhalm at (253) 841-5017. Fax forms to (253) 841-5390.
The Washington State Fair Foundation supports the annual operational costs of the Traveling Farm through generous donations and grants. If you are interested in learning more about contributing to these funds, please check out the projects and programs of the Foundation.