UMASH was one of many studies in the University of Minnesota’s Driven to Discover Research Building activities during the 12 days of the 2016 Minnesota State Fair. Being at the Fair gave UMASH access to a large pool of volunteer participants for their study “Agritourism: the Next Frontier in Agriculture.”

The goal of the study is to understand the general public’s knowledge about animal agriculture safety and health. During six days of the fair, UMASH researchers surveyed over 1,100 fairgoers about their knowledge of agritourism and zoonotic diseases. The participants included both youth (age 8+) and adults with and without a farming background. The survey results will be used to identify knowledge gaps that may influence education efforts in the future to keep people safe and healthy when visiting agritourism venues.