As I write, we are in the middle of the Indiana State Fair. As you have read, this is the “Year of Corn” at the fair. It is also the year of heat. Temperatures have been above 90 degrees for much of Fair, making for a very sticky experience.

This is my 22nd year of covering the Indiana State Fair so you might think I have seen it all. Not a chance! Human nature, being what it is, continues to amaze me with the things I see and hear at the fair. Here is a sampling of this year’s oddities.

The strangest thing this year was the lady ripping the decorative corn out of the ground. To celebrate the “Year of Corn,” the Fair planted corn in over 80 locations around the grounds. One day, for reasons never fully explained, a woman was caught ripping the corn plants out of the ground in front of the Administration Building using it to decorate her rented wheelchair.

At our broadcast location in the Farm Bureau Building, we had a lot of people hanging around. Not to see some guy talk on the radio, but rather because the building was air conditioned. The building was filled with educational exhibits on ethanol, agriculture and other related topics. As a result, I got to overhear some very strange conversations. Here is a sample: “You mean all that corn we grow is not sweet corn? – Man, it is hot out there. – What are these big tall green plants they have growing all over this place? – How hot is it anyway? – Did you know they put cow parts in toothpaste? – If we use all the corn for ethanol, what are we going to eat?”

My travels through the livestock barns also provided a number of memorable quotes. “You mean hamburger is made from cows? – Ah! I got cow poop on my $100 shoes! - Where do baby pigs come from? – Ask your mother. – Man it smells in here. - What happens to the wool after they take it off the sheep? Daddy, can we take the baby cow home? – Mom, I got a blue!”

Walking through Pioneer Village, where the heritage of agriculture is on display along with some hands-on demonstrations, I overheard:  “How did people cook their food before microwaves? - What is this stuff? (The young man had just stuck his hand into a freshly thrashed pile of wheat) – You mean people used to have to drink milk that came from a cow? – Dad, that big steam engine is sort of cool but wouldn’t it be easier to use gas?”

Finally, during the Fair I often frequented the main street, renamed Biofuels Main Street by the Indiana Corn and Soybean growers. This is where most of the good food vendors were.
After all a hard day of broadcasting requires protein, sugar, fat, and a host of ingredients that go into that wonderful culinary delight known as fair food. While consuming a variety of delectable delights, I overheard such comments as, “What do you want a snow cone or a milk shake? (Why anyone would choose shaved ice over a thick chocolate shake is beyond me) – Ya, put everything on that - Look at what that woman is wearing! – Careful you are going to spill it, oops too late – Deep-fried Pepsi, you have got to be kidding. – Ok, as soon as you finish you funnel cake, we can go ride the tilt-a-whirl. – Where did we park the car? - Mommy, I don’t feel good.”

Yes, true entertainment at the State Fair is as close as the person next to you.