CFANS Schedule at the Minnesota State Fair

Daily Exhibits (9 a.m. – 9 p.m., Southwest wing of the Agriculture Horticulture building):

• CFANS Exhibit: "Where Passion Meets Purpose" | Fairgoers will learn about research underway at CFANS, "fly through" the Bell Museum for its 150th anniversary, and try their hand at crop art. Take a selfie in a canoe photo booth and learn from CFANS researchers during pop-up learning activities.
• UMN Extension Master Gardeners | Get your gardening questions answered by representatives from the University's Master Gardener program. 
• Turfgrass Science | Learn how to create a "smart lawn" to save water and attract pollinators with University turf experts.
• Forever Green Initiative | Find out what new crops are on the horizon and those making a great debut from Forever Green researchers

Read more about this year's exhibits

Pop-up Learning Schedule (dates/times vary; Southwest wing of the Agriculture Horticulture building)

• Thursday, August 25 | 11 a.m.–2 p.m., 3–6 p.m. | Dept. of Animal Science | Learn about farm animals by spinning the wheel. If you get a question right, you will win a prize! Also, you can experience seeing through an egg with our egg candlers. A cow stomach will also be on display.
• Friday, August 26 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Dept. of Plant Pathology | "What Minnesota Plant Disease Are You?" Take a quiz to find out which Minnesota plant disease matches your personality. We will have diseased samples to show guests of the diseases found in the quiz. 
• Friday, August 26 | 3– 6 p.m. | Applied Plant Sciences | Let's talk plants! Visitors can look at and touch seed and plant displays, study the parts of a flower, play a "Guess the Crop Wild Relative" game, and ask researchers questions about plant and agricultural science. 
• Saturday, August 27 | 11 a.m.–2 p.m., 3–6 p.m. | Applied Plant Sciences | Let's talk plants! Visitors can look at and touch seed and plant displays, study the parts of a flower, play a "Guess the Crop Wild Relative" game, and ask researchers questions about plant and agricultural science. 
• Sunday, August 28 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Dept. of Food Science and Nutrition | "Dietary Detectives- Discover the Science of Food." Visitors will learn about the nutrients in food and perform tests to identify mystery food ingredients.
• Monday, August 29 | Noon – 3 p.m. | Dept. of Plant Pathology | "What Minnesota Plant Disease Are You?" Take a quiz to find out which Minnesota plant disease matches your personality. We will have diseased samples to show guests of the diseases found in the quiz. 
• Tuesday, August 30 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Bell Museum | Join the Bell Museum for a unique "I Spy" challenge using a range of items from natural history specimens to astronomy. Pick up a Bell Museum magnifying glass and a discount pass to visit the museum this fall!
• Tuesday, August 30 | 3– 6 p.m. | Dept of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering | "Don’t Waste the Waste!" Use an anaerobic digester made from food waste and microbes to heat up a marshmallow for a s'more!
• Wednesday, August 31 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Dept. of Plant Pathology | "What Minnesota Plant Disease Are You?" Take a quiz to find out which Minnesota plant disease matches your personality. We will have diseased samples to show guests of the diseases found in the quiz. 
• Wednesday, August 31 | 3– 6 p.m. | Frenatae Entomology | "Get buggy!" We have live arthropod specimens to share and hold, pinned insect collections to look at, and a spin the wheel insect trivia game for kids.
• Thursday, September 1 | 11 a.m.–2 p.m., 3–6 p.m. | Frenatae Entomology | "Get buggy!" We have live arthropod specimens to share and hold, pinned insect collections to look at, and a spin the wheel insect trivia game for kids.
• Friday, September 2 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Bell Museum | Join the Bell Museum for a unique "I Spy" challenge using a range of items from natural history specimens to astronomy. Pick up a Bell Museum magnifying glass and a discount pass to visit the museum this fall!
• Friday, September 2 | 3– 6 p.m. | Dept. of Plant Pathology | "What Minnesota Plant Disease Are You?" Take a quiz to find out which Minnesota plant disease matches your personality. We will have diseased samples to show guests of the diseases found in the quiz. 
• Saturday, September 3 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Dept. of Food Science and Nutrition | "Dietary Detectives- Discover the Science of Food." Visitors will learn about the nutrients in food and perform tests to identify mystery food ingredients.
• Sunday, September 4 | 3– 6 p.m. | Dept. of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering |  “Don’t Waste the Waste!" Use an anaerobic digester made from food waste and microbes to heat up a marshmallow for a s'more!

CFANS staff and faculty: Sign up to volunteer as a greeter in our CFANS display area! Shifts are three hours in duration and training is provided in advance. You receive a free admission ticket for the day and a CFANS T-shirt. 

Questions? Contact Lori Fligge, lfligge@umn.edu.