UW Extension State Fair Activities Range from Rumen Reaching to iPad Giveaways

Those attending the Wyoming State Fair and Rodeo can reach into a cow’s rumen -- if they have a mind to -- and learn about digestion of hay and grain, take home a custom wildflower mix and enter a social media contest with a chance to win an iPad mini.

University of Wyoming Extension educators plan these and other hands-on activities for youths and adults Monday through Sunday, Aug. 10-16, in Douglas. An activity and demonstration schedule can be found at http://bit.ly/at2015statefair.

Activities are at booths or tents on the midway, in the Wyoming Livestock Roundup tent and in the UW College of Agriculture and Natural Resources exhibit in the Peabody Energy Building.

A cannulated cow proved popular even though it was at last year’s state fair only one day, says Extension Educator Chance Marshall. A surgically fitted cannula is a porthole-like device allowing access to the rumen of a cow.

“She was a big hit,” Marshall says. “Passersby were able to stop and reach into her rumen, feel around and learn how digestion of hay and grain works.”

The cannulated cow, one of three at the UW research farm near Laramie, allows researchers to study rumination and nutrition.

Seed takes the place of ice cream in the wildflower ice cream scoop. Educators will use ice cream scoops to measure out seeds of wildflower varieties from jars. Already-made custom mix seed packs also will be available.

Many activities and demonstrations will be offered at the Wyoming 4-H booth on the midway.

Other activities during the week include soil painting by sand, embryo transfer demonstration in cattle, pesticide application technologies, learning to tie paracord fishing lures, an artificial insemination demonstration, using ultrasound to evaluate a beef herd, cake decorating and wool felting.

Extension’s community development will host the social media contest.

“Fairgoers will be asked to capture photographs that depict community service or leadership they see happening around them at the state fair,” says Tara Kuipers, community development educator. “They will be asked to post their photos on UW Extension’s Facebook page using a specific hashtag set up for the contest.”

Everyone who posts and tags a photograph is entered into a random drawing for two iPad minis. The contest runs until the end of state fair noon Sunday, Aug. 16.