Dustin Vande Hoef
Communications Director
515/281-3375 or 515/326-1616 (cell)
or Dustin.VandeHoef@IowaAgriculture.gov
DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today invited Iowans attending the Iowa State Fair to visit “Farmville” in the Agriculture Building. This new display is a joint effort between the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and six agriculture commodity groups. “Farmville” will provide fairgoers with resources and samples and includes a live stage to showcase the important role of agriculture in Iowa. The Iowa State Fair runs from Aug. 12 to 22 at the state fairgrounds in Des Moines.
“As part our effort to educate fair visitors about Iowa agriculture we will have a wide variety of presentations and demonstrations on the stage in this new display, including an opportunity to ask a farmer questions each afternoon,” Northey said. “The Iowa State Fair is a great place to learn about all that is happening in Iowa agriculture, and we believe this new display will be a great addition to all the other activities of the fair.”
Each day live on the “Farmville stage,” Northey will speak to fairgoers and answer questions at 10:00 a.m. At 11:00 a.m. visitors will be given the opportunity to play “Battle in the Barn” and the “Ask a Farmer” session will occur at 2:30 p.m. each day. The stage is located on the west side of the Agriculture building.
In addition, many other aspects of agriculture will be featured on the stage throughout the fair, including topics such as water conservation, the Farm-to-School Program, and invasive pests such as Emerald Ash Borer (EAB).
Samples and information will also be available from Iowa Soybean Association, the Iowa Egg Council, Midwest Dairy Association, Iowa Turkey Federation, Iowa Pork Producers, and the Iowa Beef Industry Council, which are joining the Department in “Farmville.”
“With all these activities and information, ‘Farmville’ will have something for everyone,” Northey said. “I hope that as people come out to the State Fair they will take the time to stop by the Ag Building and learn a little more about agriculture here in Iowa.
In addition to participating in “Farmville,” the Department will also have a booth in the Varied Industries building that will educate Iowans about the Department and continue the tradition of weighing fairgoers on a scale certified by the Department’s Weights and Measures Bureau.
Century Farms, those that have been in the same family for 100 years, and Heritage Farms, which have been owned by the same family for 150 years, will also be recognized at the State Fair again this year. The program for both Century and Heritage Farms will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 17 on the Budweiser stage, just south of the Grand Avenue entrance. These awards are sponsored by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Farm Bureau.
On Friday, Aug. 20 the Department will be recognizing the winners of the 2010-2011 From the Farm to You Calendar drawing contest in the Agriculture Building. Kids from across the state submitted pictures for the calendar. Copies of the calendar are available to fairgoers at the Department’s booth in the Varied Industries Building.
