Petting Zoos and Exotic Animals

The MN State Fair includes exhibits of exotic animals such as alligators, snakes, and lizards. Monty’s Traveling Reptile Show has been a staple at the fair since 1980. The fair also hosts the “insanely popular” Llama-Alpaca Costume Contest. These activities are done for profit and entertainment. There is no agricultural “message” and little if any educational value.

The Minnesota State Fair’s Kemps Little Farm Hands exhibit claims to teach children ages 3 to 10 “where food comes from” through hands-on farm activities, with stops focused on planting crops and caring for animals. Yet unless children also learn that most of those animals are killed for food, the exhibit gives an incomplete account of where most people’s food comes from.