sealPurdue News
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June 1998

Purdue Agriculture prepares for Farm Progress Show

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- With the 1998 Farm Progress Show only four months away, Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service specialists have the foundation in place for the agricultural extravaganza.

An estimated 300,000 to 350,000 visitors will travel to Tipton County for the three-day event Sept. 29-Oct. 1 near Windfall, Ind. One of the largest farm shows in the country with 600 vendors, the Farm Progress Show is an 80-acre tent city that suddenly appears each year in the middle of Midwest farm fields. The show is organized by Farm Progress Companies.

The Purdue presence will include an animal sciences tent, a mock house, agricultural production and research exhibits, and a career tent for students considering college.

The production agriculture highlight will be a precision farming exhibit that incorporates a geographical information system, soil tests and other variables in a computer-aided crop management system. The project is led by Purdue agronomy professor Lee Schweitzer, who has been collecting data in the Farm Progress fields most of the year.

"We'll be able to talk about what works, what doesn't work and what needs work in precision agriculture," said David Petritz, Extension agriculture and natural resources program leader.

There also will be evaluation plots for soybean cyst nematode resistance, biotechnology exhibits and a stage for crop marketing presentations and other topics.

Academic advisors from the schools of Agriculture, Consumer and Family Sciences, Veterinary Medicine and university admissions will be available to talk about careers in food and fiber industries as well as majors and fields of study at Purdue.

The Breaking New Ground Resource Center will use a scale model farm to demonstrate barriers and solutions for farmers with disabilities. An aquaculture fish tank and a butterfly house also will be on display.

Consumer and Family Sciences specialists will have a 24-by-20 foot house with exhibits on retirement financing, selecting the right day care, home security and nutrition information.

Farm animals will be on display at the Purdue animal sciences tent. The Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and the School of Veterinary Medicine also will have displays.

New this year is a walk-through tour and seminar where Purdue forestry specialists will show landowners how to get the most out of forest, both for timber and wildlife. The tour will take place on a privately owned woodlot adjoining the show site. Buses will take participants from the Purdue tents to the tour.

CONTACTS: Petritz, (765) 494-8494, e-mail, petritz@admin.ces.purdue.edu; Schweitzer, (765) 494-4789

Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; e-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu


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