For over a decade, Renewing the Countryside and partners have curated a food-related, interactive educational exhibit at the Eco Experience - the award-winning sustainability expo which draws over 250,000 over the twelve days of the fair. Components of the exhibit include our kids activity area, three daily cooking demonstrations, and our local food sampling station.

Whether it’s handing out samples of dishes from our featured chefs, facilitating engaging activities celebrating MN-grown produce or lending a hand with food prep, volunteering at the Fair is a rewarding experience that helps to connect fairgoers with vital information about supporting local food systems and a more resilient future. Volunteers also get perks—an admittance ticket to the State Fair for the day you volunteer and an RTC limited-edition ‘local food’ organic cotton t-shirt!