Ten years of Miracle of Birth Center celebrated at State Fair
By Heather Thorstensen
hthorstensen@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 09/16/2010 10:36 AM
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FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn.— The 2010 Minnesota State Fair marked the 10th year of the enormously popular Miracle of Birth Center.
People come to the center to see farm animals giving live birth or to see the young stock. In the process, they learn about animal agriculture from FFA members, veterinarians and University of Minnesota veterinary students who work in the center.
Organizers say this may be the only time of year some people have a chance to learn about animal agriculture.
From 2001 until the start of the 2010 fair, there had been 1,573 births of sheep, pigs and cattle. Anywhere from 150 to 200 animals are born each year. The center has also rabbits, goats, turkeys, chickens and ducks.
Several hundred thousand people visit every year.
State Fair Board of Managers member Jim Foss thinks it's the most popular fair exhibit, saying it's second only to the fairgrounds' front gate.
Nothing is more fascinating than the beginning of life, he said.
"People get to get so close to the animals," said Foss. "You want to feel how wool feels."
Prior to the center, fair visitors had the FFA Children's Barnyard. It started in 1954 with a small scale petting zoo. A live birth occasionally occurred and the public would show massive interest.
That sparked the concept for the center. By the year 2000, the Minnesota State Fair, Minnesota FFA Association and Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association agreed to work together to make it possible. Soon after, the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine joined the team.
"There's no one group that can have this kind of demonstration," said Mary Olson, a leading veterinarian in the center.
It opened at the 2001 fair as part of the Children's Barnyard.The exhibit was always packed and talk of expansion began around 2005.
More than 600 supporters contributed funds to build the larger CHS Miracle of Birth Center. It opened in 2006 and moved to its current location east of Warner Coliseum. The number of birthing animals didn't change to allow room for the crowds.
Minnesota FFA Association executive secretary Jim Ertl said the center is the finest of its kind.
"I believe we have the best one in the country," he said.
A recognition program Aug. 29 of the Miracle of Birth Center's 10th year particularly honored three farm families who have supplied pregnant animals all these years.
The Anderson family of Belgrade brings the hogs, Paul and Holly Neaton of Watertown bring sheep and Dennis and Marsha Haubenschild of Princeton bring Holstein cows.
The Haubenschilds make three 120-mile round trips from their farm to bring dairy cows. Stocking the center throughout the 12-day fair usually takes 12 to 14 head. They're brought in small groups. After one group calves, the next group is brought in.
Marsha said they supply the cows to teach people about animal agriculture.
"The general population has no idea what it's all about," she said.
Dennis gets calls from family and friends to announce they've just seen one of his cows calve. After being in the spotlight for the first days of life, calves seem bored when they arrive at the farm.
Holly Neaton, a leading veterinarian at the center, had to find a breed of sheep that lambs in August in line up with the fair, since lambing season typically runs from January to March.
The families were awarded plaques from the Minnesota FFA Association and Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association. They also received framed collages with scenes from the center.