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‘Year of the Farmer’ theme for promotion at Indiana State Fair
 

By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH

Indiana Correspondent

 

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Hoosier farmers will be the center of attention during the 2015 Indiana State Fair thanks to events and activities befitting this fair’s "Year of the Farmer" theme.

Each day of the fair’s Aug. 7-23 run, a different producer will be named "Farmer of the Day." The farmers will represent the variety and diversity of products grown and raised in the state, said Kenda Resler-Friend, a spokeswoman for Dow AgroSciences. Dow is sponsoring the "Year of" promotion.

"We’ll have farmers from Goshen to Evansville, from Richmond to Terre Haute," she said. The producers to be honored will be named in mid-June.

Fair visitors will see crops representing the seeds Dow sells growing around the fairgrounds, Resler-Friend noted. Fairgoers will see such traditional Hoosier crops as corn, soybeans and alfalfa – along with cotton, not normally seen in Indiana.

"There will be signage so it will be a nice way for people to learn about these crops with information at their fingertips," she stated. "It’ll be a good show-and-tell."

A Harvest Dinner is in the planning stages, as is a farmer’s day. A creative writing and arts contest is also planned. The contest will allow students in K-12 to answer questions about why agriculture matters, Resler-Friend said. The goal of all the events tied to the "Year of the Farmer" promotion is to show "farmers are our heroes," she explained.

"It’s such a risky business. It’s hot, it’s cold, it’s this, it’s that; storms run through. It’s an opportunity for them to feel recognized and appreciated and to reinforce all the good they do. The power of ‘thank you’ is a pretty amazing thing."

A Farmers Care Food Drive will start at county fairs across the state and continue at the state fair. The state fair will provide county officials with state fair tickets they can use however they see fit to reward those who donate food at the local level, Resler-Friend said.

Food gathered at local fairs will remain in the county in which it was collected. State fair visitors will be able to drop food off at the gate.

The Purdue University Agriculture Horticulture Building and the newly named Harvest Pavilion (formerly the DuPont Pavilion) will feature exhibits tied to the "Year of" promotion, said Lesley Gordon, media and community outreach manager for the state fair.

"There will be a focus on agriculture education," she said.

"We’re highlighting the people who make (agriculture) happen."

The fairgrounds coliseum also has a new name – the Indiana Farmers Coliseum – after Indiana Farmers Mutual Insurance Co. and fair officials agreed in December 2014 to a 10-year, $6 million deal for naming rights.

A new Pedestrian Plaza will greet those entering the Coliseum and will be the fair’s "new people-watching spot," Gordon noted. "It’s an open space for people to enjoy. We hope to have it packed with great vendors and great people." Last year, nearly 1 million people attended the fair.

Fair officials have announced entertainment lineups for the Coliseum and the free stage. This year, the price of tickets purchased for the Coliseum concerts will not include the fair admission. This will allow attendees to take advantage of discounts on fair admission, Gordon said.

Included in the Coliseum concerts are shows by pop singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor, country singer Jake Owen and radio personality Garrison Keillor. Performers on the free stage include country artists Rodney Atkins and Craig Morgan, and sisters Lennon & Maisy from the television show "Nashville." Events on the free stage are no additional charge with paid admission to the fair.

The fair’s opening evening will include a balloon glow and a tractor parade. For more information and for updates to the fair schedule, see www.indianastatefair. com

5/27/2015