ISDA to showcase the importance, diversity of Indiana agriculture at 2017 State Fair
The Indiana State Fair is our state’s largest celebration of agriculture and a beloved tradition for countless Hoosier families. For 17 days, people will travel from all across the state to experience everything the fair has to offer, and whether it’s riding the Ferris wheel, looking at the 4-H exhibits or enjoying a milkshake from the Dairy Bar, there’s no shortage of things to do – or new foods to try.
 As a global leader in agriculture, “Wonderful
World of Food” is a fitting theme for this year's state fair, and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture will once again be on hand every day to showcase the importance and diversity of Indiana
agriculture. From August 4th through the 20th (9 a.m. – 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.
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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 (pictured below), 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.
To learn more about ISDA at the 2017 Indiana State Fair, click here.
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Monumental Marketplace: A monumental success
Indiana Grown celebrated
its second birthday in style by hosting its first ever “Monumental
Marketplace,” a one-of-a-kind farmers market-style event on Monument Circle.
An estimated crowd of more than 3,500 attendees flocked to the Circle on July 7 to eat, sample and shop from nearly 100 Indiana Grown members. Thousands of Hoosier-based agricultural products were featured, including Shoup’s Country pulled pork sliders and Indiana Pork's famous State Fair pork patties, provided by McFarling Foods. Attendees had the opportunity to talk to members and learn more about where their favorite products come from.
 Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and ISDA Director Ted McKinney officially opened the marketplace and spoke about the importance and diversity of Indiana's food and agricultural sectors, while noting the tremendous success of the Indiana Grown initiative. The day was officially proclaimed as Indiana Grown Day by Governor Eric Holcomb.
Currently, Indiana Grown has more than 850 members and gains approximately one new member each day, on average. During its third year, the initiative will continue to host events, like the Monumental Marketplace, to reach consumers statewide, as well as create growth opportunities for its members.
Visit www.indianagrown.org to learn more.
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