It’s not very often that people who live outside of the farm get an opportunity to see agricultural processes at work. Not excluded is the process of nutrient creation.

In this exhibit at AgroLiquid’s IQhub, visitors can get a close-up look at how farmers would use moldboard plows to create nutrients in their fields by integrating cover crops into the soil. The full scale tractor and plow display features a 1957 John Deere 820 tractor and moldboard plow along with a fabricated cover crop and soil.

We used specific materials intended to mimic the texture of the plowed soil. We also replicated the appearance of the typical forage grasses often used as cover crops. A life-sized mannequin sits at the wheel of the tractor. A three-dimensional barn facade holds a TV monitor that can show additional photos and videos. Signs wrap around the exterior portion of the exhibit, containing informational text about cover crops. The text also talks about various approaches to tillage, the history of plows, and different types of modern plowing tools.