Purdue participates in show
By Barney Haney
Staff
Writer
Purdue and the Farm Progress Show have a rich history.
Hosting the show in the University's backyard makes it all the sweeter.
Along with the show's many attractions will be
Purdue's contributions, located in the northwest corner on the 80-acre
exhibit area dubbed "Tent City."
"The show gives Purdue an opportunity to showcase
its education and research in agriculture," said Dana Neary, agricultural
events and education activities coordinator.
Having this year's show so close to campus has
motivated the University to make its presence bigger than ever.
"It allowed us to do a lot of things we wouldn't
be able to do otherwise," said Neary.
The Farm Progress Show, which started Tuesday and
will end Thursday, is located just south of Lafayette, Ind., west off
of U.S. 52, between Tippecanoe County roads 700 S. and 800 S.
Show hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The cost of admission is $5 for adults and $2 for
youths 13-17. Kids 12 and under will receive free admission. Parking
will be free.
Tent City offers Farm Progress Show goers a wide
range of hands-on displays and informative exhibits. The following are
tents and features created by programs affiliated with Purdue.
Purdue Cooperative Extension Display Tent
The Purdue Cooperative Extension display tent hosts
a variety of exhibits from on-line shopping to sun safety. One of its
displays titled EDEN — Extension Disaster Education Network —demonstrates
how Purdue Extension works with federal and state agencies to provide
natural disaster readiness education. The display includes an 8-foot
tall tornado simulator and videos that air Indiana’s history of
natural disasters.
"Purdue is part of a 35-state national network
of land-grant universities that provides educational material on disaster
readiness information," said Steve Cain, Purdue Extension communication
specialist.
Sustaining Family Farms and Rural Communities
Tent
The Sustaining Family Farms and Rural Communities
tent is one of Purdue’s newest additions to the show. The tent’s
focus is to give family farmers ideas on how to economically advance
their operations, which is becoming a bigger issue as farmers continue
to struggle economically in crop and livestock production.
Fifteen organizations are working along side of
Purdue on this project to offer attendees quite a range of options.
Ideas such as growing specialty crops, such as strawberries, pumpkins
and shitaki mushrooms; turning old barns into Bed and Breakfasts; even
changing the septic units in swine buildings into aquaculture production
systems are among the options.
This spectacle features the products of several
innovative farmers who have applied these methods.
Eileen Kladivko, professor of agronomy, said the
tent should stimulate attendees' thoughts on how they could possibly
change their operations to enable profit increase.
Town and Country Day
Thursday will be Town and Country Day. The program
is geared toward today's youth, in an effort to show them how agricultural
science is used on a day-to-day basis. It will include hands-on activities
and several educational displays. Some of the topics will include weather,
beekeeping and soil conservation.
There will also be an activity table where youngsters
can color, do crafts and have their faces painted.
Boiler Mazer
A five-acre corn maze designed to resemble the
Boilermaker Special, titled 'The Boiler Mazer,' is the product of some
of the Purdue Agricultural Department's finest in cooperation with Farm
Progress officials.
The maze includes a series of crop I.Q. questions
that challenge its explorer's agricultural intellect as they navigate
their way through.
Some maze goers will find the end a bit easier
than others with the help of the few global positioning system backpack
units that are provided at the site to give some mazers a hands-on experience
with the navigation technology.
"The corn maze is something we are very proud of,"
said Neary, who is the chairwoman of the maze committee. Neary noted
that the special feature was due to the show's close proximity.
With the relocation of the show every time it makes
its way through Indiana, the maze is a feature that won't soon be duplicated.
Other Tents
The Animal Agriculture tent, a collaboration of
the department of animal science, the Animal Disease and Diagnostic
Laboratory and the School of Veterinary Medicine, exhibits microchip
identification technologies, biosecurity issues and chick hatching.
Ultrasound in swine and horse foot care is also being demonstrated for
visitors.
Another tent is devoted to potential Purdue students.
Inside, students and parents get the opportunity to talk to professors
and faculty from the Schools of Veterinary Medicine, Consumer and Family
Sciences and nearly every agricultural department.
Some of the other tents house exhibits on site-specific
farming and agronomy.
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