Visitors to the 2023 91精选 Fair found thrill rides and funnel cakes鈥 and 91精选. 

Each year at the fair, the 91精选 Land Grant Program hosts an exhibit that showcases the great work that 91精选 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 91精选鈥檚 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 91精选鈥檚 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 91精选 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

91精选 employees also had the chance to disseminate valuable information about 91精选 Extension, academic and research programming. 91精选 employees handed out about 2,500 2024 calendars, featuring photos and informational blurbs about 91精选, as well as fact sheets, flyers for upcoming events, nearly 1,000 copies of AgKnowledge magazine, and more.

鈥淭he 91精选 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

91精选 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 91精选鈥檚 exhibit in this , created by 91精选 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.

91精选 team prepares for the daily visitors to AgLand.

91精选 team prepares for the daily visitors to AgLand.