Children attending the South Dakota State Fair on Sept. 3 will have a new option this year for education and entertainment: story time and hands-on activities in the Education building, hosted by the South Dakota Farm Bureau (SDFB).

Volunteers from the SDFB Women’s Leadership Team will read stories aloud every half-hour, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on Thursday the 3rd. Each book reading will be followed by an interactive, hands-on activity for the kids. The stories are from Farm Bureau’s “accurate ag book” program, books chosen for their accurate portrayal of how food is raised and life on the farm and ranch.

“We’re excited to be adding this to the fair schedule, to give the kids something fun and educational to do indoors, to take a breather from all the outdoor activities. They can learn more about where their food comes from, and have some fun with the hands-on activities that go with each book,” said Cindy Foster, Chair of the SDFB Women’s Leadership Team and farmer from Fulton, S.D. “The kids are going to really enjoy it, and so are we.”

South Dakota Farm Bureau has other activities planned for the State Fair as well, including the Century and 125-year farm and ranch recognition event at 10:00 a.m. on Sept. 3 on the Farm Bureau Dakotaland Stage. The entire schedule for the Farm Bureau Dakotaland Stage, including educational sessions and free entertainment, can be seen on www.sdstatefair.com under the “Entertainment” menu heading. Each day of the fair, Farm Bureau volunteers will also hand out free ice-cold bottles of water at its booth on Third Street, in front of the site of the new 4-H building.

South Dakota Farm Bureau is the state’s largest general agriculture organization, representing 15,000 farm, ranch and rural families across the state.