357. Conner Prairie’s Ronda Hamm on becoming The Smithsonian of the Midwest focused on food and agriculture

The power of experience is undeniable. The context it creates, the insight that it develops is far more than could be accomplished than by simply reading. Benjamin Franklin, one of our nation’s founding fathers, I think, said it best. “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I’ll remember. Involve me and I’ll learn.”  Dr. Ronda Hamm, Director of Food, Farm and Energy Experience and Conner Prairie, joins this week to talk experiential learning and what lies ahead for the National Register of Historic Places in the coming years. We get into:  

• Ronda’s scientific background and how she’s seen biology accelerate innovation over the last two decades 
• Her love for entomology – that’s it – she loves bugs 
• The exciting idea that science is continuing to educate itself, always evolving – and the endless career possibilities that it can present  
• The Food, Farm and Energy Experience at Conner Prairie – what it is, what it’s designed to bring to consumers and industry alike – from grower to grocer 
• How she hopes this new addition to Conner Prairie engages a new generation of agbioscience workforce – and to understand that it expands well beyond farmers to supply chain, food scientists, data analysts and more 
• Her ambition for this site to become The Smithsonian of the Midwest focused on food and agriculture 
• A call to action for industry wanting to be involved in this project and timelines for when to expect this to be rolled out at Conner Prairie