WCCO Viewers' Choice For Best Animal Exhibit At The State Fair

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — There are so many reasons to love the Minnesota State Fair.

For some it's the food, for others it's the rides. But for many, it's getting to see all the farm animals up close.

So we wanted to find the Best Animal Exhibit, and your votes sent me to the CHS Miracle of Birth Center.

It's easy to see why it's always one of the busiest places on the fairgrounds. About 200 farm babies take their first breath at there.

Some animals are more prolific than others.

"Piglets kinda take the honors, you know, because they have a lot of them at one time," said Florian Ledermann, of the Minnesota Veterinary Medicine Association. "We had just one now that's in the process. She's had eleven already since noon today."

If you think that number is impressive, how's this: Over the next two weeks, about 800,000 people make a stop at the Miracle of Birth Center.

Ledermann was one of the founding members...14 years ago.

"We first were over by the Giant Slide, and we had about one-third the size of this building and the very first year it packed full," he said. "And about five years in, everybody involved said, you know, we have got to do something about this, so we have a larger building, now we pack this one."

As cute as the babies are, it's just as fun to watch the other side of the fence.

"My favorite part of the Miracle of Birth Center is getting to see people's faces when they get to see the birth or when they get to see the baby animals," said Dalton Kampsen, of Minnesota FFA. "They really get to realize what the cycle of life is and what the miracle of birth actually is."

The Miracle of Birth Center is a big production, and to make it happen they get help from the Minnesota FFA, the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Veterinary Medicine Association and the State Fair.

Also, they work with a lot of the same farms each year, so animals that were born here, are actually now giving birth here.

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Next week, I'm looking for the Best State Fair Cold Treat.

We've got a ballot box out in front of the WCCO fair booth, so if you're on the fairgrounds, make sure to swing by and vote!