Minnesota's Farming Heritage
Farming is at the heart of Minnesota’s history and development, yet today more than half of all Minnesotans live in urban or suburban settings with little or no exposure to Minnesota’s agricultural history or culture. The Wells Fargo Family Farm provides an opportunity for the Zoo’s 1.3 million guests to experience a working farm, directly interact with farm staff and animals, and learn to appreciate agricultural food production.
Legacy Farm Program
Legacy funds allow the Minnesota Zoo to extend the season of the Wells Fargo Family Farm beyond its historical May to September season to include full programming and exhibits from April through November.
Farmer’s Market
The objective of the Minnesota Zoo Farmers’ Market is to support and promote the local farming community while educating people on the importance of sustainability. Supported with a small amount of Legacy funding, inclement weather limited the success of the market in the summer of 2016.
- Increased attendance (14,102 attendees in October 2013, a 47% increase over the prior year’s corresponding weekends)
- Positive survey feedback: 90% satisfaction rating of Harvest Festival experience.
- During the Summer 2013 season, participation in the Zoo Farmers Market increased.
- Approximately 4,500 guests attended the Farmers Market this season.
- A musical artist was featured in Summer 2013 at each weeks Zoo Farmers Market, an added feature which received consistently positive feedback in surveys.
- Sustainable seafood cooking demonstrations educated guests about increasing worldwide demand for seafood and how to purchase fish caught or farmed using environmentally friendly practices.
These amounts are appropriated to the Minnesota Zoological Board for programs and development of the Minnesota Zoological Garden and to provide access to the arts, arts education, and cultural heritage of Minnesota.
- In FY14, this program made the Wells Fargo Family Farm experience available to an additional 143,500 zoo guests.
- Increased attendance (14,102 attendees in FY14, a 47% increase over the prior year’s corresponding weekends)
- Positive survey feedback: 90% satisfaction rating of Harvest Festival experience.
- Approximately 5,000 guests attended the Farmer’s Market FY14.
- Sustainable seafood cooking demonstrations educated guests about increasing worldwide demand for seafood and how to purchase fish caught or farmed using environmentally friendly practices.
For programs and development of the Minnesota Zoological Garden and to provide access and education related to programs on the cultural heritage of Minnesota
• The Wells Fargo Family Farm experience made available to 1,015,400 Zoo guests.
• Farmer’s market available three days during the summer.