Indianapolis, In. — Indiana Farm Bureau looks to educate thousands of fairgoers about Hoosier agriculture in the Farm Bureau Building at the Indiana State Fair this year. Free events, activities and displays, giveaways and farmer testimonials are aimed at educating visitors of all ages about their food, fuel and fiber and the farmers who grow, raise and process these commodities.
INFB will reach fairgoers through a collection of games and exhibits inside the Farm Bureau Building on the north end of the fairgrounds.
“The Indiana State Fair is a great tool for the agriculture industry to showcase the important work that we do every day,” said Randy Kron, INFB president. “Many fairgoers have never been to a farm, so we’re taking the farm to them.”
- Taste from Indiana Farms:The INFB Women’s Leadership Committee will host Taste from Indiana Farms in the Farm Bureau Building auditorium, August 14, 15 and 16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fairgoers have the opportunity to sample free, locally-grown foods, served by Indiana farm families, and take home a collection of recipes from the event.
- Ag Fact Adventure:The Ag Fact Adventure scavenger hunt walks guests through the Farm Bureau Building, encouraging them to learn something new about agriculture in their quest for a prize. The content covers many areas of agriculture including farm technology, household products and food production.
- Barn Theater:The Farm Bureau Building will feature a “Barn Theater” wall showing videos of farmers across Indiana. The videos will showcase duck, llama, shrimp and seed corn farmers and other agriculture professionals such as a large animal vet, a grain merchandiser and an irrigation professional.
- Free popcorn:INFB will serve free popcorn every day from noon to 5 p.m. in the Farm Bureau Building. Guests can also enter a drawing to win free popcorn for a year (400 bags of microwaveable popcorn) in the building. Popcorn is courtesy of Preferred Popcorn in Palmyra, Indiana.
“At the Farm Bureau Building, they’ll learn about a farmer’s job and we hope they gain an understanding of how the farm is the source of so many essential items they use every day, not just food,” explained Kron.
INFB also is sponsoring two brand new events this year, both designed to showcase Indiana’s farm animals.
- Animal Town, presented by INFB, is a daily exhibit featuring several species of animals such as beef and dairy cattle, chickens, goats, draft horses, llamas, rabbits, sheep and swine. This new exhibit serves as an interactive, educational opportunity for fairgoers to see their favorite Indiana farm animals up close and learn a little about those animals. Animal Town is located at the east end of the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand.
- The Supreme Driveis a new event at the 2018 Indiana State Fair modeled on the existing Indiana State Fair Grand Drive. The Supreme Drive’s purpose is to recognize the best breeding stock Indiana has to offer by selecting the supreme 4-H breeding ewes, dairy females and gilts in the Indiana Farmers Coliseum on Sunday, August 12.
The Indiana State Fair takes place August 3 through 19 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and Events Center in Indianapolis. Daily gate and building hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Farm Bureau Building is located on the north side of the fairgrounds just inside gate 12 and is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
