Rotunda should be a Wayne Co. Fair stop
- Laurie Sidle, OSU Extension Wayne Co.
- September 8, 2023
- 457
It’s time for the Wayne County Fair, and I’m excited.
My cousin recently told me I always call it “the big Wayne County Fair.” I must be thinking about all the fair has to offer including a packed schedule of experts who will speak at our Ohio State University Extension Family and Consumer Sciences exhibit in the Grange Rotunda.
The Rotunda recently got a fresh coat of paint in time for us to welcome our experts Monday through Thursday. Among them are wildlife educators, artists, gardeners, an herb grower, a zookeeper, a professor and a dietitian.
We have two husband-and-wife teams on the schedule. Wayne Soil and Water Conservation District manager John Lorson will talk about the resurgence of the bald eagle at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Following him at 12:30 p.m. is his wife Kristen, an artist who painted the murals at the Buckeye Agricultural Museum and Education Center across from the fairgrounds.
OSU Master Gardeners Lee and Gary Horrisberger will share their special interests on Thursday.
Here is the four-day schedule:
Monday, Sept. 11
10:30 a.m. — Packables and Snackables: Melinda Hill will provide ideas on how to prepare foods for quick and easy packed lunches and after-school snacks. She’ll address nutritional needs, food safety and tips for making packing meals hassle-free and fun for the children.
11:30 a.m. — Meet The Wilderness Center’s Ambassador Animals: Zea, a red corn snake, and Gus, an Eastern box turtle. In case the weather is too hot for the animals’ visit, The Wilderness Center will provide an interactive presentation on fun nature topics.
12:30 p.m. — Pottery Demonstration by Adam McVicker, Wayne Center for the Arts.
2 p.m. — The Ease of Herb Growing: Olivia Lang, owner of Happy Hens Farm in Fredericksburg, will talk about what options are available for growing herbs conveniently in your backyard, how to keep these plants happy and healthy with minimum inputs, and how herbs add a home-grown taste to your meals.
3 p.m. — Bug Zoo presenters Jeni Filbrun, zookeeper and program manager, and Carrie Elvey, the zoo’s community outreach specialist, will bring some Ohio native insects from the zoo’s collection. The pair will be joined by OSU entomology graduate student Erick Martinez, who will talk about proper methods to make a bug collection.
Tuesday, Sept. 12
10:30 a.m. — So You Think You Want A Greenhouse: Jeannine Snyder, Ohio State University Extension master gardener, will talk about what people should know before they set up a greenhouse.
11:30 a.m. — Eagles Among Us: John Lorson, Wayne Soil and Water Conservation District manager, will share the story of the near demise and spectacular resurgence of the bald eagle in Ohio.
12:30 p.m. — Making of the Murals: Local artist Kristin Lorson will talk about what inspired her to create the murals for the Buckeye Agricultural Museum and Education Center across from the Wayne County Fairgrounds. She has done all the interior and exterior art and mural work for the center, and she will share the process of how the artwork came together.
2 p.m. — Overcoming Genealogy Roadblocks: Deborah Kitko, genealogy librarian at the Wayne County Public Library, will talk about how to navigate roadblocks in genealogy research including spelling variations, limited or no indexing, and nonexistent or hard-to-access records.
3 p.m. — Top 10 Good and Bad Bugs in Homes and Gardens: Dr. Andy Michel, associate dean and director of the OSU College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the Wooster campus and entomology professor, will discuss some of the most common bugs you may find around your homes and gardens. Some are good, some are pests and even a few may look like pests but are actually good ones. Learn how to correctly identify them and how you can encourage the good bugs to stay and the bad bugs to go away.
Wednesday, Sept. 13
10:30 a.m. — Consumer Scams and How To Avoid Them: Danielle Murphy from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office will talk about how scammers use a variety of tactics to make their offers seem legitimate. Her presentation will explore some of the most common types of scams faced by consumers today, as well as how to reduce your risk of identity theft.
11:30 a.m. — How To Put Your Garden To Bed: OSU Extension Master Gardener Martha Belden will explain the best practices for fall and spring chores and clarify what to do and when. The list of tasks and projects to do when getting your garden ready for winter can be overwhelming and even confusing. What we do in the fall really determines success in the spring. The end result will make things easier when spring arrives so you can dig right in!
1 p.m. — Quilt Show-and-Tell by the Tree City Quilt Guild: Members will show some quilts they have made and talk about techniques and quilting methods.
3 p.m. — Keep Your Heart Happy, Eat Heart Healthy: Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of Americans. Wooster Community Hospital dietitian Rita Abboud will review the cornerstones of heart-healthy nutrition including a self-assessment, interactive visual aids and fun dialogue.
Thursday, Sept. 14
10:30 a.m. — How To Garden for Mason Bees: OSU Extension Master Gardener Lee Horrisberger will explain how research supports the importance of the solitary mason bee in pollination. Native to North America, the solitary bees are beneficial in the pollination of flower and vegetable gardens. Lee will discuss the bee’s life phases and how building bee houses could help benefit your backyards and gardens while rewarding you with a new generation of bees each spring.
11:30 a.m. — Seven Proven Benefits of Houseplants by OSU Master Gardener Mark Wiest.
12:30 p.m. — Water Quality and Plants: Does it matter what water you use to water plants? OSU Extension Master Gardener Gary Horrisberger will compare data using city water, rainwater and well water.
2 p.m. — Taking the Mystery Out of Coneflowers: Paul Snyder, Secrest Arboretum operations manager and master gardener coordinator, will talk about the arboretum’s three-year evaluation to determine the best coneflowers for our area. The evaluation is recording horticultural traits such as winter survival, growth habit, flower quality, disease resistance and pollinator visitation.
3 p.m. — Yard and Garden Chemical Safety by Frank Becker, OSU Extension agricultural and natural resources educator.
Come learn something new in the Rotunda.
Laurie Sidle is an Ohio State University Extension Family and Consumer Sciences and 4-H program assistant and may be reached at 330-264-8722 or sidle.31@osu.edu.