Visit us between Sep 29, 2007 - Feb 18, 2008 for
Field to Fridge to Fork: Following Food
Explorit's Fall/Winter exhibition


"Field to Fridge to Fork: Following Food" debuts Saturday, September 29 as Explorit Science Center's major exhibition of the Fall/Winter. It will be open to the public six days a week (closed Mondays) through Feb 18, 2008 at the museum's main public facility at 2801 Second St., Davis.

Ask the average person where his or her food comes from and the likely response will be, “the supermarket.” Of course, grocery stores don’t actually produce food, they just distribute it. To find out where your food really comes from you will have to dig a little deeper.

Those who are curious about the fantastic voyage their food takes from the farm to their dinner table (and beyond) won’t want to miss Explorit’s next exhibit. “Field to Fridge to Fork: Following Food” opens Saturday (Sept. 29) at Explorit’s main facility, 2801 Second St. in Davis.

A new entrance sign above the doorway will greet visitors as they arrive. Once inside, visitors will learn how food is grown, shipped, stored and prepared. They’ll also discover how our body transforms what we eat into nourishment for our mind and body.

In the Discovery Room, visitors will be challenged to identify the plant parts they eat every day. A basket full of fruits and veggies will show the tasty leaves, roots, seeds and flowers that form the foundation of our diet. Guests will follow energy through an ecosystem, from sun to plant to animal, by constructing a giant magnetic food web.

Explorit’s popular wet lab will be packed with experiments exploring kitchen chemistry. Budding food scientists will learn how to use iodine to reveal invisible starch and learn about viscosity using honey, oil and maple syrup. Two classic kitchen chemicals, vinegar and baking soda, will be mixed together to see what bubbles up.

We all know where to find nutrition facts on the side of our cereal box, but how many of us can understand them? Is polyunsaturated fat good or bad? What is soy lecithin anyway? Xanthan gum? The new exhibit will reveal how to make sense of nutrition labeling as well as the USDA’s recently updated food pyramid. Visitors can even try out some computer games that teach about healthy food choices.

Here in the Sacramento Valley, we are fortunate to be surrounded by some of the most fertile soil on Earth. Explorit will highlight some of our local agriculture. Of course, if you want bananas on your cereal or have a hankering for chocolate you are going to look a bit further. A world food map will show where some of these imported treats are grown.

Those with a hunger for knowledge will also want to mark their calendars for some upcoming special Family Explorations. On Oct. 13, “Dig into Soil” will show visitors how soil nourishes our food. On, Oct. 27, “It’s a Small World” will let visitors get an up-close peek at some microscopic wonders.
For newsof other Family Explorations see our news and events page.

"Field to Fridge to Fork" will be open during normal public hours at the museum: 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and 2-4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. Admission is $4 general, free for members, ages 3 and under and teachers with school ID.

About Our "Exhibitions"
Here, people of all ages (the general public, and school groups too) become active explorers by touching, testing, experimenting and questioning. Since 1982 Explorit has been honing its own peculiar style of exhibits – sometimes called "explorits" – and continues to plant new seeds of wonder, discovery and appreciation through its special hands-on science experiences that engage people of all ages.

Each explorit incorporates several levels of complexity to reveal concepts as well as information. Some of the explorits may look deceptively as if they are just for the younger set, but they are deliberately designed to look low-tech and user-friendly. We use commonly available materials and equipment so that the science is not camouflaged by technology. Visitors browse and interact with the explorits at their own pace.

Animals

Vietnamese walking sticks as well as discoid and Madagascar hissing cockroaches have moved to Explorits' main public site at 2801 2nd Street as permanent residents. These animals in addition to worms, pill bugs and mealworms comprise the live animal collection that visitors can expect to see up close and even handle every day during Explorit's Public Hours. (Tuesday-Friday, 2-4:30pm and Saturday-Sunday, 11am-4:30pm.)

Explorit staff members will bring out our resident animals for half-hour presentations. They'll focus on the animals' amazing adaptations as well as their important roles in different ecosystems. Anyone who is curious about what important jobs worms have, why some animals are brightly colored or why some cockroaches hiss will enjoy this experience.

In addition, on Wednesdays (2-4:30pm) and Sundays (11am-4:30pm), staff members will bring out a reptile - a ball python or a blue-tongue skink - for special visits. For specific information on the reptile visits see the Explorit calendar