Visitors to the 2023 厙ぴ勛圖 Fair found thrill rides and funnel cakes and 厙ぴ勛圖. 

Each year at the fair, the 厙ぴ勛圖 Land Grant Program hosts an exhibit that showcases the great work that 厙ぴ勛圖 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 years 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 厙ぴ勛圖s 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 厙ぴ勛圖s 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 厙ぴ勛圖 environmental educators, allowed visitors to learn about topography in a hands-on way.

No matter which side of the exhibit people walked up to, they found something to catch their attention, said Bailey Vandiver, acting manager of the Land Grant Program media and communications team. They came for the sandbox and stayed for the aquaponics system, or vice versa. And so many people had a pawpaw story to share and tried to leave with a pawpaw sapling of their own.

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

The 厙ぴ勛圖 Fair is one of the most exciting things that the Land Grant Program gets to do each year, Vandiver said. Its a hands-on, informative, and fun representation of the great work that our personnel do all year long.

厙ぴ勛圖 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 厙ぴ勛圖s exhibit in this , created by 厙ぴ勛圖 ag communications student Aidan Thompson. 

Kentucky Secretary of State, Michael Adams, visiting the KSU display in AgLand.

Kentucky Secretary of State, Michael Adams, visiting the KSU display in AgLand.

厙ぴ勛圖 team prepares for the daily visitors to AgLand.

厙ぴ勛圖 team prepares for the daily visitors to AgLand.