These two young girls enjoy getting a close up look of a calf during last years Taste of Ag. This years event will be held from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. April 14 at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds.  (Photo provided)

By KELLY L. HECKAMAN
Extension Educator, Purdue Extension Kosciusko County

You and your family can celebrate the diversity of Kosciusko County agriculture at “A Taste of Agriculture in Kosciusko County: A Family Affair” from 5 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds.

Diversity truly describes the experience you will have while attending this event. Whether you enjoy great food, fun for the children, activities of all types or seeing animals – this is definitely the place for you and your family.

We are excited to be celebrating our 17th anniversary of this event. We will be hosting the third annual chili cook-off. Attendees at the event will choose the overall winner. First, second and third prizes will be award plus the first place winner will receive a trophy and bragging rights for 2015. A special traveling trophy is being created for the event. For complete rules and an entry form please visit the Purdue Extension- Kosciusko County website under current events or call the office at (574) 372-2340. Entries are due Thursday, April 9.

To further help celebrate our anniversary we will be giving out $1,500 in grocery gift certificates and over $1,000 in other door prizes. This includes product or gift certificates of varying amounts will be given for locally raised products such as soy candles, beef, pork, dairy, duck and the ever popular t-shirts will also be included in the celebration.

We are continuing the coloring contest for children. Full contest rules and entry forms will also available at the Extension Office or at our website.

Start off the evening with the opportunity to enjoy supper hosted by the agriculture community. You will have the opportunity to taste ice cream, cheese, various pork products, duck, popcorn, beef, eggs, goat cheese, salsa and chips, and much more.

Many family oriented events are highlighting the show. The 10th annual Ag Olympics will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the show arena. Participants will be competing in a wide variety of events. This year the four local FFA chapters have been invited to participate to win the coveted “Rusty Pitch Fork” award.

The children’s activity corner is back by popular demand. Bring your camera to take pictures at the display boards while meeting Corny Corn and the “Whole Gang”. Face painting, balloons and much more are being added for the kids.

Registration begins at 5:15 p.m. for the Wawasee FFA hosted pedal pull for kids ages 5 to 10. Prizes will be awarded for the top finishers in each age division. It will be held in the show arena following the Ag Olympics.

Also on display will be over 20 different booths representing agriculture in the county. Booths participating include beef, dairy, swine, ducks, chickens, crops, soil and water quality, food nutrition, farm machinery, 4-H, Master Gardeners, Northern Indiana Pet Breeders Association, Solid Waste, goats, rabbits, FFA, horses, llamas, The Old Farmhouse, Farm Service Agency, Farm Bureau, and Denney Farms. You can also get a head start on your garden, make a mini-composting unit, and much, much more.

Families can again work together on a scavenger hunt to find answers to questions relating to agriculture. Children who participate will receive a great prize.

The goal of the evening program is to provide an interactive educational opportunity for both youth and adults to learn about agriculture in Kosciusko County. As the title implies, people attending the event will have the chance to taste samples of the various products grown in Kosciusko County. For those booths that do not produce a food commodity, they will have an activity to participate in or animals to visit.

Be sure to bring the entire family. The event is free to the public and is sponsored by the Kosciusko County: Agriculture Awareness Committee, Extension Office, Farm Bureau, County Community Foundation, Cargill Animal Nutrition, and Farm Credit Mid America and supported by the Kosciusko County Community Fair.

For more information or questions, contact the Purdue Extension Kosciusko County Office at (574) 372-2340 or visit our county website at www.extension.purdue.edu/kosciusko or visit our facebook page at Kosciusko County Ag Awareness Committee.