Breaking New Ground/Indiana Agrability devoted much of its time during August to staffing displays at the Indiana State Fair. This 17-day event provided opportunities to present AgrAbility services and information to a wide range of visitors. Displays were located in the Our Land Pavilion, the FFA Pavilion, and the Young Farmers Building. The National AgrAbility banner display and a grain safety display were in the Our Land Pavilion, where many of the Purdue Extension exhibits were also on display. Another grain safety display was in the Young Farmers Building. The Indiana AgrAbility tabletop display, the Arthritis and Agriculture tabletop display, a Bridging Horizons Community Service Contest display, and a John Deere tractor with a Life Essentials lift were all in the FFA Pavilion. In addition, on Friday, August 12, which was designated as Purdue Day at the state fair, Indiana AgrAbility staffed a display along Main Street of the fairgrounds. This display highlighted AgrAbility services and publications, presented Arthritis and Agriculture, and showed examples of assistive technology for the farm and garden. Although total attendance for the fair was down this year due to the stage collapse tragedy, requests for follow-up assistance exceeded the requests from the last couple of years. Requests were received from occupational therapists, farmers, and a philanthropist.
Submitted by Steve Swain