The Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum’s got plans, and the farming industry’s part of them. With a future of new exhibits in the works, the museum’s holding an informational/fundraising meeting on July 22 at from 6 to 8 p.m.
On deck are three “wants” that will bring the community’s agricultural industry indoors for kids to see, play on, and learn about. Executive Director Chris Slaughter said the goal is to open up their minds to the fun of science, the role agriculture plays in Santa Maria and beyond, and the potential future of the industry.
“It starts with this ag/grower information night,” she said, adding that it would be great to get input from industry members on how the museum could incorporate it into its educational programs and exhibits.
Already planned exhibits include a strawberry truck playground similar to the BBQ Hall of Fame playground and exhibit that’s been with the museum since its inception. The playground was mocked up and will be built by Dan’s Woodland out of Paso Robles. Dan’s Woodland is also working with the museum on an indoor treehouse that would become the museum’s literacy and reading area.
The truck playground was “created specifically for the discovery museum and specific to our community,” Slaughter said.
A farm-to-table café that would replace the museum’s diner area is also planned. Slaughter said the project also calls for a mobile garden.
Amy Blasco, the museum’s program director, said the garden’s essentially a tri-level wooden planter box on wheels that was built by Karen and Ben Crockett. It will be rolled out during the meeting on July 22. The plan is to incorporate the box into the museum’s after school program, with 4-H students as mentors for participating kids, who will get to take some of the veggies home with them.
“We really like that it’s a mobile garden because we can roll it outside for watering and sunshine, and then roll it back in for storage,” Blasco wrote in and email to the Sun.
Slaughter said the museum needs to raise an estimated $50,000 to build out the agricultural exhibits and is hoping to get a head start at the upcoming meeting. So if you’re a grower, and you think kids need to get involved in your industry, head to the museum for Grower’s Night on July 22.
This article appears in Jul 16-23, 2015.