Purdue News

July 21, 2000 Got a question? Visit Purdue Extension at the State Fair WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University is taking knowledge on the road, to the 2000 Indiana State Fair. Purdue exhibits on healthy families, biotechnology, environmental issues, and more, will be on display at the fair, which runs August 9-20 at the State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. The Pioneer Hi-Bred Our Land Pavilion will house many Purdue exhibits. All program areas within the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service are sponsoring information and activity booths. The Our Land Pavilion is open daily during the fair, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. It closes at 6 p.m. on Aug. 20. Dana Neary, Extension events coordinator, said more than 300 Purdue staff, Extension educators, and Master Gardeners are staffing the exhibits. "Hundreds of specialists and experts come from across the state to answer all kinds of questions," she said. "It’s really a neat thing, because it is the only place where so many people in different fields come together to work and share information." Consumer and Family Sciences staff will provide information on healthy eating, skin cancer and skin care. The CFS exhibit also includes pointers for effective parenting and Money 2000plu$, a personal finance program. The 4-H Communities Against Rape Initiative exhibit will focus on preventing destructive and violent behavior, through positive words and actions. The science of biotechnology in food production is explained in another exhibit. "Visitors will be able to learn how biotechnology is involved in making a pizza," Neary said. "They will be able to spin a pizza wheel and see how science is a part of every component of the cuisine." Other Purdue-sponsored exhibits include: • Building better communities • Horticulture and pest management tips • Strategies for backyard wildlife management • Extension's role in ensuring safe drinking water • Animal science research and its impact on Indiana families and agriculture • Information on Purdue's School of Agriculture At the opposite end of the fairgrounds, fair-goers can visit Purdue's Pathway to Water Quality exhibit. The exhibit demonstrates how Hoosiers use the land and care for natural resources. Children can play Incredible Journey, a game that teaches about different water sources, such as clouds, oceans and Arctic ice. Jim Krejci, Clean Water Indiana education program coordinator, said the exhibit replicates various land types in Indiana, including urban, farm, forest and wetland. "Each of these areas has a niche in our environment, and our goal is to show how they all work together to produce clean water," he said. Krejci said he hopes visitors come away with a better understanding of watersheds and how water is collected for our use. The Pathway to Water Quality is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sources: Dana Neary, (765) 494-9113, dn@aes.purdue.edu Jim Krejci, (765) 494-4795, jmkrejci@purdue.edu Writer: Nicole Lehe, (765) 494-8402 Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page