Top left:  McKenna Poe pets a goat in the West Wing of the Kentucky Exposition Center during the 102nd Kentucky State Fair.  Top right: Ella Bennett of Corydon, Ind., apprehensively pets a rabbit.  Bottom left: She seems more at ease with the smaller, long-haired angora breed, right, greeting the animal face-to-face with a big smile.  Bottom right:  Rita Beasley of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture points out a feature about the newly-hatched baby chicks in one of the KDA’s most popular exhibits.  (Chris Aldridge photos)

Top Left: Madison Zinner, 7, concentrates while coloring a portion of the agricultural mural at the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s exhibit area in the South Wing.  Top Right: Bryson Miller of Breckinridge County acts as if he has been in the cab of a John Deere tractor before.  The tractor cab simulator is located in KDA's South Wing exhibit area.  (Chris Aldridge photos)  Bottom left:  Hollis Barnett, a chef at Porcini Restaurant in Louisville, stirs a pan of grits as part of his entry in the Cast Iron Chef competition at the Fair on August 21. Barnett narrowly defeated chef Christopher Gibson with the first-ever perfect score in Cast Iron Chef competition.  Bottom middle:  The Madagascar hissing cockroaches are a big hit with kids at the state fair. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is exhibiting the exotic animals in the West Hall.  Bottom left:  Jacob Nichols, 6, steers a toy tractor around a course as his brother, Jonah, 4, watches. The brothers were with their father and grandfather from Madison, Ind., for the fair. The tractor course is part of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's display in the South Wing.  (Ted Sloan photos)

Top Left:  Not always thought of when talking about animal entries, this tropical fish tank, designed by Feeders Supply, is one of many tanks on display during the Kentucky State Fair.  (Photo courtesy Kentucky State Fair.)  Top Middle:  Commissioner Farmer with the Tabors, winners of the two-mule hitch competition during the State Fair Tuesday.  (Jim Trammel photo)  Top Right:  Commissioner Farmer listens to a very young constituent.   Bottom left:  Commissioner Farmer visits with farmers in the sheep barn.  Bottom middle:  KDA's Lanny Arnold mans the Kentucky Proud prize wheel.  (Chris Aldridge photos)   Bottom right:  The Cast Iron Chef Competition pits Anthony Arvin (left) of Patti's 1880's Settlement against Roberta Cattan, a Certified Executive Chef. The contestants have 30 minutes to create the best dish, and the winner is picked through a taste test by three audience members.  (Photo courtesy Kentucky State Fair.)

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