The new silo exhibit is in a very interesting stage right now. We are working with the exhibit team to solidify the overarching message and theme. I think people would be surprised to know how much time and thought go into museum exhibits. When you walk through the Museum of Science and Industry for example, the exhibits there have very defined learning objectives. If you step back and look at how much space they dedicate to a certain theme, the order of the display panels and placement of the interactives you can pick up the message the designers intended the public to come away with. Another example that I found interesting is Fair Oaks Farm. Immediately after the admission gate, there is an exhibit the public walks through. Being a large scale active dairy you might think their first exhibit would be about cows. Instead, it was on wildlife and conservation. The key point being, a large dairy, properly managed can exist harmoniously with the surrounding ecosystem.
So what are we going to do with the silo exhibit at Wagner Farm? Right now we have four stages that when combined tell a really interesting story about silos. Our first stop is really basic, what is a silo? Then we will go deeper with the evolution of silos, what is silage and finish with, the process of filling and packing a silo. We are working on narrowing the overarching message. At this point we have a couple messages that need to be honed. I personally like, "Silos- It's what's inside that counts". As you might be able to tell we are having a lot of fun working on the exhibit.
