Fueling Inspiration: Lessons from the Food + Farm Exploration Center
On May 11, 2024, Bruce and I had the opportunity to tour the Food + Farm Exploration Center in Plover, Wisconsin. This vibrant, 50,000+ square foot facility is highly recommended for families, school groups, and anyone interested in agricultural innovation and sustainability. The center's mission as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is "to educate current and future generations about agricultural innovation and sustainability."
Visits like this always provide a welcomed sense of inspiration and excitement, even when progress on one's own projects can feel slow. This tour was no exception. The modern, glass-enclosed building features a diverse array of spaces, including a Meeting & Event Hall, Executive Boardroom, Kitchen Lab, Exploration Area with interactive displays, Ag Lab Maker Space, Farm Tech Shed, the Colorful Plate Café, offices, a common area, and a gift shop.
Opened in December 2023, the Exploration Center is conveniently located off Interstate 39, making it easily accessible. The facility's contemporary design and futuristic ambiance provided a sharp contrast to the historic, barn-like aesthetic we have envisioned for the Barnyard Estates project, where we are blending modern and rustic elements.
Our tour began at the Colorful Plate Café, which offers a simple but delicious menu of breakfast, lunch, and à la carte items. I enjoyed a Turkey Club Panini with a side of broccoli cheddar soup. The café's counter-service model helps address staffing challenges, eliminating the need for traditional wait staff. We can learn from this model for our own successes.
From the café, we explored the interactive Exploration Area, which, though primarily geared towards children, (but we enjoyed it as well) provided engaging learning experiences for all ages. This reinforced our interest in incorporating strategic, interactive displays throughout the Barnyard Estates to cultivate creativity and innovation, even without a dedicated recreational space.
One of the standout features was the Kitchen Lab, a state-of-the-art culinary education space sponsored by Bushmans' Inc. This 28-person capacity room can accommodate a wide range of uses, including client meetings, educational programming, food demonstrations, culinary events, and team-building activities. We envision a similar Culinary Center at the Barnyard Estates, featuring commercial-grade equipment and technology, along with flexible seating and presentation capabilities.
On the second level, we discovered the Ag Grand Hall, a versatile event space capable of accommodating up to 224 guests, with full audiovisual capabilities, an observation deck, and built-in storage and food/beverage counters. This complements the community event room planned for the first level of the Barnyard Estates barn, while the corporate meeting room and other flexible spaces will be located on the second level.
In many ways, the Food + Farm Exploration Center and the Barnyard Estates share common elements, such as the culinary center/kitchen area, event spaces, café, gift shop, community and professional office space. Although the Exploration Center's hands-on, educational focus is not the primary emphasis of the Barnyard Estates, we are considering the incorporation of some interactive areas for children to cultivate curiosity and innovation.
During our visit, we learned about the Exploration Center's membership program, which offers year-round free admission, exclusive event invitations, and discounts on workshops and events - something we may explore for the Barnyard Estates as well. We also had the opportunity to speak with enthusiastic staff members, who provided valuable insights and contact information for future reference.
As we continue to refine and simplify the complex Barnyard Estates project, visits to similar destinations, such as the Food + Farm Exploration Center, reinforce the possibility of turning our dreams into reality. We have already identified several local corporations that could be potential sponsors or partners, understanding that a well-crafted marketing campaign addressing their needs will be crucial to securing their support. If you know of a corporation that might have an interest in the Barnyard Estates, please have them reach out to us at 920-655-4587 (Tammy) or 920-621-6899 (Bruce) or email us at promotepulaski@gmail.com. We’d be happy to meet with them to share the Barnyard Estates project.
