Purdue News

July 31, 1998 Purdue state fair exhibits focus on improving your life WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue exhibits in the Our Land Pavilion at the Indiana State Fair Aug. 12-23 in Indianapolis will highlight the university's impact on consumers' daily lives, ranging from food safety to air quality. According to Dana Neary, special events coordinator in Purdue's School of Agriculture, the exhibits will show how agriculture and Purdue research affect your life -- from the food on your table to plant wellness. "Our overall goal is to make people aware that Purdue University, the School of Agriculture and the Cooperative Extension Service have a lot to offer," Neary said. "Some people are aware of a few things we do, but we have a lot more available than most people realize. I think the Our Land Pavilion exhibits will help them walk away with the idea that, 'Hey, I didn't know Purdue did that.'" Visitors to the pavilion can putt their way around a nine-hole course to learn food safety basics at the Master Food Safety display. Participants will learn where microorganisms that make you sick come from, how to keep them out of your food, and how to keep them from multiplying if they do contaminate your food. "There will be a really nice, interactive display to educate people on the basics of food safety," Neary said. "Out of all of the Purdue exhibits, it's hard to pick one or two that will be extra-special, but I think the food safety display and the land use exhibits will be really popular, because those are such hot topics now across the state and country." At the display called "Land Use in Indiana: Get Informed, Get Involved," visitors will learn the many ways land is used, why land use planning will be important as Indiana's population and economy continue to grow, and how to get involved in their local community's land use decisions. Another exhibit will be a plant wellness center, where Purdue Master Gardeners and Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory staff will answer plant care questions. Visitors to the pavilion also can visit the Breaking New Ground Interactive Model Farm and learn about assistive technology for farmers with disabilities, older farmers and those afflicted with arthritis, back pain and mobility impairments. The Consumer and Family Science House, designed similar to an actual house, will feature several exhibits, such as a blueprint for families, child care, food expenses, financial planning, household safety and theft prevention, and indoor air quality and radon. From changing family structures to planning for retirement, the CFS house will offer something of interest to almost everyone. A veterinary surgical suite will also be in place, where visitors can sit on benches outside a glass surgical suite and actually see surgeries take place. Spay and neuter surgeries will take place daily throughout the fair except for Aug. 22 and 23. There also will be a different nonsurgical demonstration each day on topics ranging from the ABC's of puppy training to what to do if your horse has a hot foot. These nonsurgical demonstrations will be at 2:30 p.m. daily Aug. 12-16 and at noon Aug. 17-23. In addition, there will be an exhibit on GRASIM -- a comprehensive grazing model linking all components of a pasture system to estimate the financial and environmental consequences of alternative dairy management strategies. Other Purdue exhibits in the Our Land Pavilion will include a Sea Grant exhibit on aquatic invader nuisance species such as zebra mussels, an erosion model, biotechnology education featuring advances in science and their impact on Indiana farmers, 4-H trivia, and appropriate food serving sizes. " Purdue has a big part in the pavilion because of all of the work the School of Agriculture and the Cooperative Extension Service do with agriculture throughout the state," Neary said. "The Our Land Pavilion is really a showcase for agriculture throughout the state." Other exhibits in the pavilion will include displays from various commodity groups and the commissioner of agriculture's office. The Pioneer Our Land Pavilion is located in the west-central part of the Indiana State Fairgrounds between the dairy barn and the midway, next to the gazebo gift shop. Advance tickets to the Indiana State Fair are $4 at Marsh Supermarkets, CVS pharmacies, Indiana Farm Bureau offices, Union Federal Savings Banks, Signature Inn and the Indiana State Fair Box Office. Tickets at the gate are $5; children ages 4 and under are free. The fairgrounds are on 38th Street in Indianapolis, off I-65. Source: Dana Neary, (765) 494-9113; e-mail, dn@aes.purdue.edu Writer: Jane Houin, (765) 494-8402; e-mail, news_student@aes.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page