COLUMBIA, S.C. — Rides, games and food aren't all the South Carolina State Fair has to offer.
There are plenty of fun opportunities to learn.
The Clemson Extension is set up inside the Ellison Building teaching fairgoers about agriculture, hydroponic plants and topography.
"We exist throughout the state and a lot of people don't know that but we have a plethora of resources to let the public know about," staff development and reporting coordinator Becca Hedden told me.
That’s why the Clemson Extension is set up at the State Fair every day.
The group has an office in every county throughout South Carolina, and it provides information about food, nutrition and agriculture.
"A lot of the cattle and those bunnies and pigs and ducks that you see over on the other side of the fair, that's all part of what we do, and it all ties in together. It's so important to keep agriculture alive for future generations," Hedden explained. "Agriculture is the biggest industry in South Carolina. It is the basis of our life. We are here to grow food, to forage the land, to keep that here for us in the future."
One of the ways the Extension is teaching that to fairgoers is through this hydroponic system, which is a way to grow plants without soil.
"It’s a process that we can do it in areas that you normally wouldn't grow food," Clemson Extension Assistant Specialist Lance Beecher detailed. "So for example, like in this building, we could grow…we could fill this building up with a hydroponic system and grow food in an area where normally we wouldn't be able to."
Beecher says the fair is the perfect place to demonstrate this.
"Because we have all kinds of visitors here at the fair," Beecher shared. "We have young and old, and it's just the fact that, I mean, kids like it, they want to know what it's all about. And then the grown-ups want to know just as much about it."
Visitors can stop by and see the system in action as it grows lettuce, chives, spinach and more. Beecher says the goal is to show that food can be grown anywhere
"All we're trying to do is to teach kids about a new way to grow food and to illustrate the fact that we need more food in the world and this is just another way to do it," Beecher added.
Another popular set up is the topographic map that shows how watersheds work. Visitors can stop by to play in the sandbox any time during the fair.
The Ellison Building is near the south entrance of the fairgrounds. You can stop by from when the fair opens to when it closes to learn more about the Clemson Extension.
"We will come out to your place so if you have an issue, you have a farm that you want someone to come address, they will come out," Hedden said about the Extension. "Our agents are really here to serve and they answer all sorts of questions. You know, the simplest thing you can send a photo and ask like, hey, what's affecting my plants? Why are my trees not blossoming? Why…how do I prune this more effectively? You know, we're here to provide that help to them."