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Columbiana Co. fair displays developments
The fair includes hamsters, turtles and crabs.
LISBON — The word is improvement.
The Columbiana County Fair Board and the adults and children who take part are all making some improvement to the community or themselves.
The fair’s big project this year is the $250,000 steer barn that will be used for auctions and other events when the fair is not operating.
Although the fair runs for seven days each year, the board works year round.
“There are 44 separate buildings situated on the grounds,” board member Don Humphrey said.
New connections have improved the water supply to the east side of the fair grounds, where most of the animals are housed. A new water line is needed along the west side of the grounds, all the way to the north end of the fair, he added.
The board this year improved the water supply to the campground north of the fairgrounds.
“We get more campers every year,” he said.
Board member Paul Lease said that the county’s fair is one of the largest county fairs in the area, excluding, of course, the massive Canfield Fair.
The Columbiana County Agricultural Hall of Fame committee each year recognizes late farmers for their work in the community.
This year’s inductees include Edwin R. Copeland, who was a weather observer for 50 years, and also gave crop reports. He was also a 4-H Club adviser.
Farmer Gerald Himes died of cancer one day before his 37th birthday in 1982. Among his many accomplishments, he helped get a new milking barn for the fair. Paul and Betty Jo Zehentbauer were both active in many farm programs. Paul Zehentbauer even spent a month in Zimbabwe, teaching farming and dairy practices.
Humphrey said that agriculture goes deep in the county. This year, when the top animals shown at the fair were sold at auction, the price for all classes was $1.47 per pound. If the prices for the grand champions were removed from all classes, the per pound price was $1.42.
“That’s phenomenal,” he said.
The agricultural work ethic is also passed down early.
Over at the pocket pets building, there were turtles, guinea pigs, and Egyptian toads.
Dylan Judy, 7, of Salem, won third place in the junior fair for his tiny crab he named “Sponge Bob.”
Crabs go back and forth between abandoned shells. That allowed Dylan to paint the shells with non-harmful oil paints. One of his shells had a ghost on it. Another exhibitor painted a shell to resemble Superman’s cape.
Dylan’s mother, Toni, explained that some pocket pets, such as hamsters, only have short lives of 12 to 18 months. That requires replacing the pet often. But crabs can live much longer.
The family also raises horses. Dylan’s sister, Angela, 12, is involved in the fair, and money from her activities goes toward her college fund.
When the judge comes, the youths have to be ready to answer questions about feeding and care. For example, Toni said, youths have to clean the vacant shells for use whenever the crab decides to move again.
“They do get a lot of basic learning out of this,” she said.
wilkinson@vindy.com