WSU and the Washington State Fair team up to celebrate agriculture

Washington State University's agricultural research and other contributions to the Pacific Northwest's growth and development are in the spotlight this month at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup.

"Our Food, Our Farms, Our Washington," an interactive exhibit stretching throughout the 13,000-square-foot Centennial Pavillion, features the vital role of agriculture in the state's history and its continuing growth. The state fair tapped WSU and the state's commodity groups to help create the massive, multi-display exhibit, and then put the university and its numerous accomplishments at the center of it all.

"The history of agriculture in Washington is the history of Washington State University," WSU Provost and Executive Vice President Chris Riley-Tillman said while helping dedicate the exhibit during the first day of the annual fair earlier this month.

The exhibit, which will remain a prominent feature during the full run of the State Fair through Sept. 21 seeks to bridge the gap between the public and the agriculture industry. It's also deepening Washingtonians relationships with WSU through several displays showcasing the university's research discoveries, faculty and alumni expertise, enrollment information, and other promotional materials.

Washington State is the second most diverse food and agricultural producer in the country, in no small part due to WSU. WSU is a top three university for agricultural and applied research in the nation and the top university for USDA grants. That research advances agriculture in the state, and it has been doing so for over a century.

Through objects, videos, images, and text, the exhibit shows some of the many ways WSU improves agriculture in the state, from developing products such as Cougar Gold and Cosmic Crisp to educating students to increasing food safety.

Since it began in 1900, agriculture and innovation have been fundamental to the State Fair. This year is its 125^th anniversary, and the State Fair wanted to showcase how those industries benefit Washingtonians. "Agriculture is threaded into everything we do," said Andrea Thayer ('99), former Coug and Washington State Fair chief experience officer.

The exhibit is also intended to cultivate gratitude for agriculture and those who keep it viable. "There's a lot of care and thought put into growing that food and getting it on our plates," said Dana Ulrich, director of Seattle and regional relations in WSU's Office of External Affairs and Government Relations.

More than a million people visit the fair annually, and WSU's large presence there this year will be an opportunity for more people to connect directly with Washington's land grant university.

Though the exhibit is temporary, it's the beginning of a long-standing relationship with WSU. "It has kicked off something that is going to grow every year," said Renee McClain, Washington State Fair CEO.