Agriculture is on full display at the Iowa State Fair. You can come down to the barns and see the cattle, hogs, pigs, sheep, and poultry. You can go to the animal birthing center and see baby animals that have been born recently or even born at the show. However, one of the biggest stars of Iowa agriculture doesn?t make a lot of noise. You can?t find it in a pen munching on hay or feed. Yet it is a nutritional rockstar that is so small that you can find several of them hidden under the smallest of chickens.
Of course, we are talking about the egg. It may not always get the attention it deserves, but Iowa is the largest egg producer in the country. In fact, we are so far ahead of everyone else, that the rest of the top 5 states together don?t even out-produce us.
It is a staple that is many times taken for granted because it is always just there. Eggs are in every supermarket, they are part of so many recipes, and you can find them served at many of the food vendors at the Iowa State Fair. You would have to look hard to find a vendor here at the fair that doesn?t need eggs in some way, shape, or form.
But if you want the easiest place to find eggs, just go to the agriculture building or the Thrillville Midway. Every day the hard-working egg producers of Iowa are joining the Iowa Egg Council to hand out free eggs on a stick by the thousands.
Sara Petersen is the Director of Marketing Communications for the Iowa Egg Council. She talks about the number of eggs they serve every day and some of the people who make cameos at their grain bin to serve those eggs.
When you are at the booth, you can also find great information about Iowa?s egg producers and the egg industry. You can also find recipes and other activities to help you learn about that mighty little protein provider.
Of course, if you are wanting to step up your egg experience at the Iowa State Fair, you can always go down on the midway, near the sand sculpture, and check out some of the menu items at the Cluck?n Coop. These include their newest sandwich, the Eggo Fuego.
You can learn more about the Iowa egg industry and egg producers by visiting the Iowa Egg Council?s website.
