4-H members ready to go
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BAZETTA -- As the Trumbull County Fair continues to roll on, members of the Trumbull County 4-H program are making sure their livestock are well taken care of and ready for showing.
Through the 4-H program, children and young adults in Trumbull County are able to take part in activities ranging from STEM projects to raising their own animals. Ashlee Meardith, 4-H Youth Development Extension Educator for Trumbull County, said the fair is the culminating moment for many of the members of 4-H.
"4-H provides the kids with opportunities for hands-on learning experiences," Meardith said. "I think they take core values away from these programs and different skills like responsibility, taking care of an animal, or being responsible for their projects with time management skills, work ethic and perseverance."
On Wednesday, Cooper and Caylee Selley of North Jackson, were preparing their lambs for a showing that would take place later in the day.
Cooper, 18, could not help but laugh when another person's lamb escaped from its stall and briefly was running through the fairgrounds.
"It's a lot of fun. Stuff like that happens," he said.
Cooper said he has been raising animals with 4-H for 12 years. He said he previously was part of the Mahoning County 4-H and would show animals at the Canfield Fair.
Cooper said taking care of the animals is a busy job as they were preparing for the show.
"This is just show time stuff, cleaning them down," he said. "Mostly, I just come in and make sure they've got food, water, and give them some new bedding if they need it and take the old stuff out."
While the Selleys have their system of working the fair down to a science, other members of 4-H are new to the experience.
Lily Oracio, 12, has been part of 4-H for a few months with the Wild Clovers club.
Oracio said she raises a cat as part of the program and helps her friends Alexandria Croyle, 12, and Peyton Auxier, 13, take care of goats.
Oracio said being at the junior fair has given her new skills.
"It lets us show what we've learned about the animals," she said. "And how we can show them better.
"And I can get other opinions on how to do things from other people."
Cadence Imhoff, 13, of Bristol, said she and her family were showing five cows, one pig and one goat at the fair, but they have even more cows at home. Imhoff said raising the animals can be difficult, but she feels like she has learned a lot through the process.
"It's crazy sometimes," she said. "But it's a fun. It teaches you a lot of responsibility. I would recommend it, even if it is just something small."
FIRST TIME VISITORS
As Joel Hirt walked through the Trumbull County Fairgrounds, many of the sites and sounds were familiar to him.
While Hirt, a resident of Genoa in OttowaCounty, never had been to the Trumbull fair before his trip Wednesday, he has a wealth of experience at similar events. Hirt has been to 73 of the 95 fairs in the state.
"There are 88 counties," Hirt said. "And then there are independent fairs as well. So I've got close to 20 to go. That's my goal, to get them all done."
Hirt said that he served in the military for 20 years, but returned to Genoa in 2005. He said he has made it his goal since then to see every fair in Ohio.
"Growing up I went to fairs. So I counted those ones as well," he said.
Hirt spent his time at the fair exploring all of the unique things that Trumbull County has to offer.
He also spent part of his trip talking with Trumbull County Commissioner Niki Frenchko, who he said gave him more details about the fair.
"I've loved it," he said. "I have been impressed with how much dairy they've got here. We've walked around. Some of my family liked the beer tent. We're waiting to see that, as well as the pig races. There's a lot of activities and wide open spaces. It's very nice."
Today at the fair
• 8 a.m. -- Admission Gate C opens
• 8 a.m. -- Muddying of horses for groom n' clean contest (Equine)
• 9 a.m. -- Junior Fair cat show (cat barn) and reptile judging (4-H Block Building)
• 9 a.m. -- Junior Fair poultry showmanship, market show (Poultry Barn)
• 9:30 a.m. -- Junior Fair dairy show (Dairy Ring)
• 10 a.m. -- All gates and exhibition halls open
• 11 a.m. -- Junior Fair equine groom n' clean (Sawyer Ring)
• 11 a.m. -- Junior Fair beef showmanship (Sale Barn)
• 11 a.m. -- Open Class beef show to follow Junior Fair
Noon -- Vendors open
• 12:45 p.m. -- TRTA spelling bee registration deadline (Historical Stage)
• 1 p.m. -- TRTA spelling Bee (Historical Stage)
• 1 p.m. -- Ty's Tunes (Bicentennial Stage)
• 1 to 5 p.m. -- Rides open
• 4:30 p.m. -- Junior Fair equine contest show (Sawyer Ring)
• 5 p.m. -- The Band Hannah (Bicentennial Stage) and DJ Joe Raschilla (Historical Stage)
• 6 p.m. -- Junior Fair beef show (Sale Barn)
• 6 p.m. -- Auto Races- BRP Modified Touring Series & Sportsman Modified Touring
• 6 to 11 p.m. -- Rides open
• 10 p.m. -- Gates close