HARRINGTON, Del. — The Delaware Department of Agriculture has remodeled its Delaware State Fair exhibit space into one that is more visually appealing and features more exhibits.
The metal structure is hosting the exhibits in place of hands-on activities, such as demonstrations and commodity food samplings where large crowds tend to gather, Stacey Hofmann, DDA chief of community relations, said.
“This is a change that has been made for the safety of everyone, since social distancing would be difficult and people usually spend about 20 minutes watching a demo,” Hofmann said.
A walk-through area of images, displays and videos that demonstrate agriculture’s planting-to-harvest and harvest-to-selling processes is to help attendees “understand and get back to the roots of where their local food is from,” DDA Community Relations Manager Laura Russum said.
Commodity groups such as the Delaware Soybean Board and organizations such as the Christmas Tree Growers Association, the Delaware Beekeepers Association and the Delaware Pork Producers Association are among those to be represented within the exhibit space, she said.
The Department of Agriculture has installed hand sanitizing stations on either side of the structure, Hofmann and Russum said. Freebies are to be available in help yourself fashion rather than as handouts, Russum said.
The fair and department requires that all attendees wear a face covering while inside the building.
“Even with changes due to COVID, the Delaware Department of Agriculture and industry groups exhibiting in the building are looking forward to educating the public about Delaware’s number one industry,” Hofmann said.