EAST LANSING, Mich. — The 27th Annual Ag Expo is moving beyond the basics of farm equipment by adding specialty tents full of other educational opportunities.

Farmers looking for value-added marketing opportunities, homeowners seeking lawn and garden tips or families wanting new recipe ideas, the Michigan State University (MSU) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) tent is sure to have something of interest during Ag Expo, July 18-20 on MSU’s East Lansing campus.

“Whatever their interests, visitors can learn about a wealth of topics related to Michigan’s communities, agriculture and natural resources,” said Sara Long, the CANR tent coordinator.

For those interested in nutrition, the United Dairy Industries of Michigan (UDIM) will cook up some tasty 3-A-Day of Dairy recipes during demonstrations scheduled daily from noon to 1 p.m. under the big top. UDIM Dairy Diplomat volunteers will demonstrate how to make mango smoothies, yogurt parfaits, banana split salads, walking tacos, cheese fudge and yogurt popsicles. Attendees may sample some of the treats and will receive free recipe booklets.

July 18 presentations will include a 9:30 a.m. talk about corn as an alternative energy source and a 10 a.m. presentation about the economics of wind energy.

Also on July 18, visitors can get their lawn care questions answered by Kevin Frank, MSU Extension specialist and assistant professor of crop and soil sciences from 10 to 11:30 a.m. MSU Extension’s new educational video “Lawn Care 101” will be shown at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

An Avian Influenza discussion will begin at 9 a.m., July 19, covering what consumers need to know about the bird flu. Other July 19 features will include a look at what parents and students need to know before they apply to MSU from -5 p.m. and an introduction to agri-tourism from 5-6 p.m.

During the final day of Ag Expo visitors to the CANR tent can hear discussion about keeping Michigan’s waterways free from invasive species from 9 to 10 a.m. A home canning demonstration also is slated for 9-10 a.m. and a water use and legislation discussion is set for 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Displays and information from MSU’s Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, the MSU Land Policy Program, the Animal Science Department, Project GREEEN (the plant industry initiative at MSU) and 4-H Youth Development also will be available.

Elsewhere on the Ag Expo’s exhibition and demonstration sites, Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) will be offering several seminars to meet a variety of interests.

Twice a day, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., experts will demonstrate how to properly fit cattle with electronic animal identification ear tags, read the information and implement animal ID on their farms.

“There’s a lot of misinformation out there about animal identification requirements. The purpose of this demonstration is to clear confusion and provide quick, concise and accurate information,” said Ernie Birchmeier, MFB livestock and dairy specialist.

Also new this year, MFB will offer an ethanol Indy car simulator that will allow drivers to experience how it feels to drive an ethanol-powered Indy race car.

For those who would rather drive a real machine, visitors can register at the MFB exhibit for the Ag Challenge utility vehicle ride-and-drive, co-sponsored by MFB and GreenStone Farm Credit Services.

The attraction will give Ag Expo visitors age 18 and older a chance to test drive different makes of utility vehicles on an outdoor dirt track that mimics real-life farm conditions, complete with hills, ruts and boulders. Products from John Deere, Kubota, Land Pride, Bobcat and Bush Hog will be featured.

All registered Ag Challenge participants will be entered in a drawing for $8,000 toward the purchase of one of the featured vehicles. Visitors should plan to stop by the MFB display area for many more special activities during Ag Expo.

This farm news was published in the July 5, 2006 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.