INDIANAPOLIS — The 2017 Indiana State Fair themed “Wonderful World of Food” is nearly here, and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture will be on hand every day to showcase the importance and diversity of Indiana agriculture. From Aug. 4-20 (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.), ISDA staff will be at several locations around the fairgrounds, providing information on topics ranging from soil conservation to agritourism to Indiana FFA, as well as promoting the Indiana Grown initiative to thousands of attendees.
ISDA State Fair Locations/Exhibits:
Normandy Barn: ISDA will once again have a strong presence in the Normandy Barn (north side of the fairgrounds) and will continue to educate the public about new aspects of agriculture, engage families with interactive exhibits and highlight the importance of Indiana agriculture as part of everyday life. New this year, the Normandy Barn will have an Augmented Reality Sandbox, which is a hands-on exhibit that allows users to create colorful topographic maps demonstrating the relationship between soil and water, as well as an exhibit that highlights Indiana’s agritourism destinations.
Indiana Grown: In the Agriculture Horticulture building, fairgoers will be able to purchase a variety of Indiana Grown products from the Indiana Grown Marketplace. Next to the store, cooking demonstrations featuring member products will be held daily at noon on the Culinary Stage. Indiana Grown members will also be sampling products in the Agriculture Horticulture building and at the State Fair’s Featured Exhibit — Our Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture — located in the Harvest Pavilion.
Indiana FFA Pavilion: The Indiana FFA Pavilion encompasses more than 25,000 square feet and is one of the fair’s most popular attractions with 200,000+ people coming through the doors each year. The miniature golf course, farm animal wing, the Country Market and interactive children’s play areas are some of the pavilion’s more popular destinations.
Pathway to Water Quality: Celebrating its 25th year, Pathway to Water Quality is an excellent watershed demonstration site that shows how proper management practices at home, on the farm and in business can improve soil health and water quality. The exhibit is managed by the Indiana Conservation Partnership in conjunction with ISDA.
— Indiana State Department of Agriculture