Purdue News
Purdue News
"The exhibits are staffed primarily by Cooperative Extension Service educators and specialists," said Dana Neary, coordinator for the Purdue Agriculture exhibits, "and they all reflect the theme. Some will be interactive."
Neary said the staff members manning the displays will be available to answer questions and chat with fairgoers about the exhibits. She said the new department heads for Animal Sciences and Botany and Plant Pathology will be on hand the morning of the first day to meet folks, as well.
One of the activities that will be available is a computer station, where visitors can browse Purdue's World Wide Web sites. Neary said visitors also can test their knowledge on numerous topics, such as food safety, food marketing and water quality.
"At the water-quality display they can learn about the 38 major watersheds in Indiana," she said. "There's a map, and they can push a button on a watershed, and a light comes on by its description."
Purdue Extension food safety specialist Rich Linton said the food-science display is designed to teach the public in a fun way the three basics of food safety -- using good personal hygiene, avoiding cross contamination, and keeping foods at the right temperatures.
The Indiana Master Gardeners and Purdue's Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory will be set up with samples and resource guides to enable them to answer visitors' questions.
"The Breaking New Ground Resource Center will have an accessible garden among their activities," Neary said. "It's called 'A Garden for Everyone,' and fairgoers can use a wheelchair to navigate around the garden and plant a seed in a pot to take home."
The "Wheel of World Food" will offer guests a chance to spin the wheel and find out how various factors -- good or bad -- affect the world's food supply.
"They'll spin the wheel and, depending on what color they land on, draw a positive or negative factor that affects food prices or production in the world," Neary said. "For example, they might draw a drought in the Midwest."
Fairgoers can win a Purdue cup by taking a quiz based on the information in the exhibits, Neary said. In addition, Purdue Extension publications on all types of home and family topics can be ordered from Purdue Ag's information booth.
David Petritz, assistant director of Extension for agriculture and natural resources, said: "It's notable that we see a high percentage of nonfarm people who are interested in the science of agriculture and food, and who also want useful information for their own lives."
Purdue Agriculture has had exhibits in the Our Land Pavilion since 1990. Half of the building houses exhibits by commodity groups and other agricultural interests. A stage provides entertainment, such as the Purdue Entomology Department's famous cockroach races, throughout the fair. Building hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. except for the last day, when they're 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The fairgrounds are on 38th Street in Indianapolis, off Interstate 65.
Advance-sale tickets for the fair are $4 ($1 off the gate price) at Marsh Supermarkets,
Revco Drug Stores, Indiana Farm Bureau offices, Union Federal Savings Banks, Indiana
Signature Inns, and the State Fair Box Office through Aug. 5. Children 5 years old
and younger are admitted free.
CONTACT: Neary, (765) 494-9113
Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; E-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
