The GLASS BARN - A New Look at Indiana Farms

What do soybeans, bacon, and ice cream all have in common?  They all start on family farms!  Indiana soybean farmers are sharing about their lifestyle and livelihoods in an all-new exhibit building- the Glass Barn!

The innovative building on the fairgrounds’ north side offers air conditioning and fun interactive exhibits that are sure to make it one of the coolest places on the grounds!  So what’s inside?

weGROW – Have your farm questions answered with live chats to Indiana dairy, pork, and soybean farms daily at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m..

uFARM – Grow your own crops and compete with others in this interactive game.

  

pictureU – Step up to the picture-taking station, say “cheese” or “soybeans” and then choose from several farming backgrounds to create your own, fun e-card to commemorate your visit to the Glass Barn.

uEAT - Connect the food you eat to the farmers who grow it through this touchscreen game and grocery store exhibit.

  

Did you know t-shirt fabric can be made out of soy? Check out some of the other uses for the bean and see some of the people who grow them at the Indiana Soybean Alliance booth!

Be among the first to see the new exhibit! Don’t miss the Glass Barn during the 2013 Indiana State Fair, August 2-18! To learn more, visit indianasoybean.com/glassbarn

The Glass Barn is funded by Indiana farmers and their soybean checkoff dollars.

Written by Hannah Brescher of the Indiana Soybean Alliance

Ready, Set, Hunt

It’s Fun at Every Turn this year at the State Fair and here at the fairgrounds the fun is starting a little earlier than the official start day, Aug. 2. Next week the Indiana State Fair and Indy’s i94 will be giving away great prize packages and the only way to get them is through participating in a scavenger hunt, but this is no regular scavenger hunt…this is the first ever State Fair and i94 Twitter Scavenger Hunt.

The contest will begin Tuesday, July 23, and continue the next two days, Wednesday, July 24 and Thursday, July 25. At the beginning of each day  i94 will give one clue in the eight o’clock hour and more clues will follow on Twitter @indystatefair, in order to inch participants closer to finding the Mystery Location. Participants must then head out to that location where they will find a State Fair representative with these fabulous prizes.

Prizes

• The First Person to Find the Mystery Location Each Day: 4 State Fair tickets, 2 midway wristbands and a parking pass
• Participants who are not first to the mystery location will receive a small prize and entry into Grand Prize Drawing
• Grand prize drawing: A meet & greet with  Vertical Horizon for 2 people, 4 State Fair tickets, 2 midway wristbands, 1 parking pass, spending cash and tickets to another surprise attraction in the Indianapolis area.

So tune into Indy’s i94, stalk @indystatefair’s tweets and have some Fun at Every Turn of Indianapolis!

Meet Mariah Huff, Miss Indiana State Fair 2013

A few weeks ago I had the honor of meeting 21-year-old Mariah Huff, Miss Indiana State Fair 2013. I’d heard through mutual friends that she was a great person, and that couldn’t be truer. She’s the perfect individual to represent the Indiana State Fair. Mariah is a 10-year 4-H alumnus, former 4-H Junior Leader and 4-year FFA member. She’s also a member of the National Junior Swine Association and the American Berkshire Association, previously serving as the 2009 Indiana Berkshire Queen.

“I’ve been to the fair for 20 years,” Mariah said. “I’ve never missed a year of the Indiana State Fair. I feel so honored just to be a part of it.”

Mariah stands as the first representative of Jackson County to reign as the Indiana State Fair Queen in the contest’s history. As the 55^th Indiana State Fair Queen, she has visited over 25 county fairs so far attending pageants, workshops, parades and other events. For those who haven’t had the opportunity to meet her, be sure to look for her at county fairs leading up to the State Fair. Here’s her schedule:

Date                County           Event

July 16             Decatur           Swine Show

July 17             Clay                Swine Show and/or Grand Drive

July 19             Putnam            Parade

July 20             Parke              Queen Pageant

July 21             Jackson           Queen Pageant

July 22             Vanderburgh    Queen Pageant

July 23             Jackson           Swine Show, Fashion Revue

July 24             Huntington       Awards Program

July 26             Knox               TBA

July 27             Monroe           Queen Pageant

July 28             Fayette             Parade

July 31             Morgan            Pig Wrestling

      

Mariah’s well-rounded personality does not end with her fair involvement. Outside of the fair, she is the recipient of many scholarships at Purdue University, where she studies Agriculture Education and Agribusiness Management. She’s an executive member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority, Block & Bridle Club and the Indiana Association of Agriculture Educators.

Her personal interests include showing swine and Boer goats, promoting agriculture, horseback riding, assisting current 4-H members, watching basketball and traveling.

Mariah will be at the State Fair daily as the Official Hostess of the event. On Aug. 18 her successor will be announced in the afternoon after the Indiana State Fair Queen Pageant.

Published by Hilary Welter

Fairgoers can help feed hungry Hoosiers

Two years ago I volunteered at a food kitchen in a local church and was so humbled to see citizens taking action against hunger in the Indianapolis community. Now that it’s fair season, I think of the thousands of people attending county fairs enjoying elephant ears, corndogs and other favorite fair foods while hunger is still a present issue in Indiana. According to the hunger in America 2010 Indiana State Report, approximately 694,500 Hoosiers are unable to survive without Food Banks each year.

 

This summer, the Indiana State Fair, Indiana Association of Fairs, Festivals and Events, Elanco and Indiana Farm Bureau are taking a stand to help eliminate hunger through a new program called FAIRs Care. The program challenges Indiana county fairs to create a Fair Food Drive for canned goods or monetary donations to serve their local food pantries. At the conclusion of the State Fair on Sunday, Aug. 18, Elanco and Indiana Farm Bureau will award eight $500 awards to county fairs to continue hunger drive programs in 2014.

Here is a list of county fairs participating:

Marion            June 21 to June 29

Vermillion        June 21 to June 28

LaGrange        July 6 to July 13

Lawrence        July 6 to July 13

Decatur           July 11 to July 18

Starke             July 13 to July 20

Wells               July 13 to July 18

Hendricks        July 14 to July 20

Jennings           July 14 to July 20

Noble              July 14 to July 20

Hamilton          July 18 to July 22

Porter              July 18 to July 27

Elkhart             July 19 to July 27

Allen                July 23 to July 28

Monroe            July 27 to August 3

While a few of these fairs have already taken place, the majority are still to come.  If you’re attending any of them, please take along canned goods or consider a monetary donation. Not only will you feed a hungry Hoosier, but you’ll be able to reap the benefits! The Indiana State Fair, Elanco and Indiana Farm Bureau will reward each donation of a minimum of $3 in canned goods or monetary support with two admission tickets ($20 value) good for any day of the Indiana State Fair, Aug. 2 – 18. Thanks!  

Posted by: Hilary Welter

Calling all Cookie Decorators & Smoothie Creators!

Friendly competition is good for building character, and for satisfying taste buds. This year is the American Dairy Association of Indiana and Boutique Cookies are sponsoring two mouth watering competitions: Create-a-Dairy-Smoothie and BIG Cookie Decorating, to take place on August 3. Here’s what you need to know.

For the cookie decorators...

Each contestant will be provided with a plain giant cookie, but the rest is up to you! Decorate your cookie with anything edible that you can possibly think of. Icing, candies, nuts, you name it. Anything tasty that fits your design, which, by the way, will have to be themed either “Year of Popcorn” or “Indiana State Fair – Fun at Every Turn.” Register by July 12 to ensure your chance to show off your cookie decorating skills.

These kids decorated and tasted away at past cookie decorating contests!

For the smoothie creators…

Take some low fat milk and/or low fat yogurt. Choose your own special ingredients – fruits, veggies, spices, sweets, etc. Mix it all together and wa-la! You’re on your way to a blue-ribbon. Don’t let your smoothie making skills go unnoticed, register by July 12! 

And there are perks!

·         Participants receive 3 complimentary Indiana State Fair Tickets

·         There are cash prizes for category winners: 1^st - $30, 2^nd - $20, 3^rd - $10

·         Cookie winners will get their cookies displayed in the Home & Family Arts Bldg. and smoothie makers get to enjoy their final product at the end of the contest.

*Only amateurs allowed. Professional cake decorators are not eligible to enter.  

Click here for more details on the BIG Cookie Decorating Contest, Create-a-Dairy-Smoothie Contest or any of our other competitions and contest. See you at the fair!

Submitted by Hilary Welter

Coliseum renovation well worth the wait

 It’s been sad to drive into work each day and see the Coliseum with all of its scaffolding and patches, but as this video shows, a year off from the Fair is worth it for the improvements being made to the Coliseum. Each year I came to fair to show my animals, I came with hope that I would end up in the Coliseum for the Grand Drive – the Super Bowl equivalent for Indiana 4-H kids. Even though I never quite got there,  I know that in the years to come  it will be an even greater honor to 4-H’ers who make it because the Coliseum will then reflect the thrill and grandiosity that is the Grand Champion Drive.

Hunt’s construction is breathing new life into the Coliseum. See what you think of the progress being made as Project Manager Rich Trombley gives us an up-close look.

Books, Books and More Books at the Half Price Books Clearance Sale

 I am a huge book lover! I might have spent more time at the public library in my hometown than any other place while I was growing up, so I jumped at the chance to check out the Half Price Books Clearance Sale. The sale is happening this weekend in the Agriculture Horticulture Building on the State Fairgrounds and it is GIGANTIC! It’s an event that took three days to set up. It takes three whole days because there are over 100,000 books and 21,000 DVDs to organize and assemble.

 This is the fourth year for the sale at the Fairgrounds and each year it gets bigger, with overstock coming from over 30 different stores in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. Each day about 600 people stock up on religion, fiction, media, nonfiction, history and home arts/crafts. Some folks grab them by the arm loads, while others grab them by the cart load. The sale is Fri. and Sat. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s the perfect way to get ready for some summertime reading… enjoy!

This lady had her game face on and her cart loaded up.

A small glimpse of the HUGE selection at the sale.