OK, this is another column about the Indiana State Fair. I usually try to cover a wide variety of subjects from week to week; but, since the State Fair has expanded to encompass most of the month of August, here I am still writing about the fair.

What follows are a few notes, observations, and musings that I have not had the chance to put in either previous columns or broadcasts. I have also included a few personal recommendations that would improve the fair experience for all of us.

More days, More fun, More tired: The Indiana State Fair ran for 17 days again this year. This is the second year in a three year experiment to stretch the fair over 3 weekends. The unintended consequence is that more stuff has been crammed into the fair schedule so that, instead of 12 incredibly busy days, we now have 17 incredibly busy days. Opinions remain divided on this issue. Many vendors say it is difficult to get paid or unpaid help for a 17 day run. Weekend attendance is up, but at the expense of weekday attendance. The reality is that weather and school schedules have the biggest impact on fair attendance, neither of which the State Fair has control over. I am all for getting more Hoosiers to come to the Fair, but just making it longer is not the answer.

Fair Food Update: While eating my way around the Fair, I missed a great new venue. The lamb tent was not in its traditional location, and so I assumed the Indiana sheep industry had followed the lead of the poultry association and left the Fair. I was mistaken. Pearce McKinney of Walnut Knoll in Wingate, Ind. set me straight. The Sheep Breeders had partnered with a new vendor at a new location with a new product. Not only was it all Indiana lamb, it was fresh lamb and very high quality. The lamburgers were the best I have ever had. Fair visitors agreed, since sales were very brisk and more lamb had to be brought to the Fair to meet the demand. They also served deep fried green beans, something Donya Lester of Purdue Ag Alumni said is one of the 7 wonders of the modern world.

Teachable Moments: Last week I wrote about how the Indiana ag community did a great job of reaching out to consumers with the message of agriculture at this year’s Fair. Yet, we still have some work to do. A mother and her young child were in the Williamson Pin Frame Barn and the child pointed to, what was obviously a cow, and said, “Cow!” The mother corrected him and said, “No, I don’t think so.” Perhaps we need to staff the barns with a few knowledgeable people who can talk one on one with people and help them interpret what they are seeing. They could wear a shirt that says “Ask An Expert.” There are thousands of these short teachable moments that happen every day at the Fair. With a little effort, we can win some of these informal encounters and improve the Fair experience for many consumers.

Beautify the Fair: I would like to suggest that State Fair officials place mirrors at all the gates to the fairgrounds. This would give fair visitors a chance to look at themselves before entering the Fair. This way some of them might turn around, go home, and put some clothes on. Hot weather is not an excuse to expose certain body parts.

The Best Queen ever: Miss Indiana State Fair Denae Pyle, from Kosciusko County, gets my vote for the best queen in recent history. First of all, it was ironic that the queen would come from a pork producing family during the Year of Pigs. But, more than that, this young lady was one of the most well-rounded and well- grounded people that I have ever met. She did everything from presenting ribbons to serving coffee at the Farm Bureau pancake breakfast. She was also a great representative of agriculture. For example, during the 4-H Sale she left to go and meet country music superstar Keith Urban backstage at the grandstands. But then she came back to the sale, after which she posed in photos and helped push and pull livestock into the photos. She even tied for first in the Celebrity Milking Contest. No prima donna here, she is a hands-on, down-to-earth farm girl who loves agriculture, loves the State Fair, and obviously loved being State Fair Queen.

Missing: Indiana farm and commodity organizations were omnipresent at the Fair, but some of the state’s largest agribusinesses were conspicuous by their absence. The 4-H Sale raised a record $296,000; but, with a few notable exceptions including Indiana Farm Bureau and Shipshewana Livestock Auction, almost all of the buyers were local. None of the big agribusiness companies in the state contributed to the sale. Many of the young people who benefit from the 4-H program may work for these firms someday. Others will be future customers. Yet, these large corporate giants are not being good neighbors and investing in the future of Indiana agriculture. Twenty-two ag-related firms contributed manpower and materials to build the Habitat for Humanity house at the fair, yet many of those firms were absent from the 4-H Sale.

What’s Next: The Year of Pigs was a big win for the pork industry this year. That begs the question: what’s next? Soybean, beef, and dairy are the next logical choices, with soybean being an odds-on favorite. But considering the amount of manpower, organization, and money it takes to be the featured commodity, the options are a bit limited. While Indiana has a very diverse agricultural sector, most of the products do not have the resources to mount the kind of effort needed. The equine industry is big in the state, but the Year of the Horse presents some Fair food challenges. The Year of the Egg is a possibility, but are Hoosiers ready for deep fried eggs? The Year of the Chicken would present some tasty items, but would it have to be cage-free chicken? The Year of Wine would be vintage idea, but you cannot serve alcohol on the fairgrounds. The Year of Popcorn would get my vote.

Thus concludes another year of coverage of the Indiana State Fair. For the majority of Hoosiers who did not attend the fair, you missed a good one. Why more people don’t go the Fair is a mystery to me. Even if you are not into animals, food, farming, and midway rides, the Fair offers a unique and affordable entertainment experience. And it is one that is just a few minutes or a few hours away from your home.

No matter what you do at the Fair or how many times you have gone, I guarantee you will come away having seen or learned something new. And, for that, you will be a better person. See you at the Fair next year.

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