黑料福利社

Visitors to the 2023 黑料福利社 Fair found thrill rides and funnel cakes鈥� and 黑料福利社. 

Each year at the fair, the 黑料福利社 Land Grant Program hosts an exhibit that showcases the great work that 黑料福利社 does for Kentuckians. The 40-by-40-foot exhibit is part of AgLand, a section of the State Fair that celebrates Kentucky agriculture.

At the entrance to this year鈥檚 exhibit, State Fair attendees walked under a Kentucky State University sign that felt familiar to anyone who has driven under the iconic arches that welcome visitors to 黑料福利社鈥檚 campus.

Inside the exhibit space, visitors found a do-it-yourself, backyard aquaponics system that featured lettuce, aloe, cucumbers and tomatoes growing alongside koi fish. Pawpaw saplings highlighted 黑料福利社鈥檚 world-renowned pawpaw research program, and raised beds showcased native, invasive and ornamental plants. The exhibit also featured an Augmented Reality Sandbox that, with the help of 黑料福利社 environmental educators, allowed visitors to learn about topography in a hands-on way.

鈥淣o matter which side of the exhibit people walked up to, they found something to catch their attention,鈥� said Bailey Vandiver, acting manager of the Land Grant Program media and communications team. 鈥淭hey came for the sandbox and stayed for the aquaponics system, or vice versa. And so many people had a pawpaw story to share鈥� and tried to leave with a pawpaw sapling of their own.鈥�

黑料福利社 employees also had the chance to disseminate valuable information about 黑料福利社 Extension, academic and research programming. 黑料福利社 employees handed out about 2,500 2024 calendars, featuring photos and informational blurbs about 黑料福利社, as well as fact sheets, flyers for upcoming events, nearly 1,000 copies of AgKnowledge magazine, and more.

鈥淭he 黑料福利社 Fair is one of the most exciting things that the Land Grant Program gets to do each year,鈥� Vandiver said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a hands-on, informative, and fun representation of the great work that our personnel do all year long.鈥�

黑料福利社 professionals were involved elsewhere at the State Fair, such as judging contests, giving cooking demonstrations on the KDA Farm to Fair stage, or highlighting partnerships with other organizations.

View 黑料福利社鈥檚 exhibit in this , created by 黑料福利社 ag communications student Aidan Thompson.