The official theme of the Indiana State Fair was the Year of Pigs. The unofficial theme was Year of the Conversation. Beginning with the opening media lunch, both Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman and Fair Director Cindy Hoye stressed how the Fair is a chance to have a “conversation with consumers about agriculture.”

This mantra was repeated often during the Fair by its publicity department and a number of ag leaders. It is one thing, however, to say you are having a conversation and another to actually have one. Most of the conversations I heard at the Fair had to do with the oppressive heat and were often laced with expletives. Yet, in a surprising display of coordination and creativity, the agriculture message was appropriate and was effective to communicate with many of the fair visitors.

In a break from the past, there was not a “one-size-fits-all” approach to messaging about agriculture this year. A wide variety of activities, promotions and contests were designed to reach people with different and varied interests. The recipe card contest, very popular with women, had a recipe on one side and the profile of an Indiana farmer on the other - a nice subtle way to connect food with the people who produce it. By collecting all the cards at locations around the fair, consumers were eligible to win prizes.

The Follow Me Barn Tours, while not new, have been dramatically improved and enhanced with the supervision of Indiana Farm Bureau. Fair visitors could take a guided tour of the livestock barns conducted by a well trained guide. The group also met with a livestock producer and learned what livestock production is really all about.

Having overheard some extremely stupid and scary things said by ignoramuses as they walk through the barns, these tours helped guide a visitor’s experience and helped them understand and put in perspective what they are seeing.

Even the cheese sculpture had a conversation element to it. While artist Sarah Kauffman was turning the 1,500 pounds of cheese into art, she was interacting with consumers as they watched her work and was answering questions about cheese and the dairy industry.

The Year of Pigs theme went over well both with consumers and producers. Pork producer officials told me they were pleased with the way things were going, good news considering the amount of checkoff funds used for this effort. The industry got positive press in the media, and consumers had fun with the idea.

People made pig jokes, wore pig noses, and - most importantly - ate lots of pork. It was also a bit of a spirit lifter for producers. After the H1N1 fiasco and some very rough economic conditions, it was nice to have this kind of positive attention being paid to the pork industry.

There were some conversations that did not go so well. The larger-than-life American Gothic statue got lots of attention; but, from my observations, did not spark conversations about modern agriculture.

It did not help that the fair PA system kept touting how this represents “traditional agriculture.”

Some of the people who were interacting with consumers were also not well informed. I overheard a visitor ask an ISDA employee about mint farming in Indiana.

The person working the information desk admitted not knowing much about mint. Indiana is a major mint producing state. The Purdue exhibit, typically a major educational opportunity, was a ghost of its former self. Budget cutbacks left the Extension area impotent.

In addition, the focus on climate change and social media pushed aside a strong message on production agriculture.

Yet, despite these shortfalls, the agriculture message was being delivered in a much more effective manner this year at the State Fair.

Instead of preaching, we were teaching and doing so as part of an overall entertainment venue. At a time when agriculture needs a strong unified voice, the Indiana State Fair provided that this year.

But in a few days this conversation will end, and the industry will have to find new ways to continue the conversation.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with comments or questions for Gary Truitt may write to him in care of this publication.