Come join OSU Extension volunteers at the ... CANFIELD FAIR

By ERIC BARRETT

OSU Extension director

CANFIELD

The Canfield Fair is here again.

Our office has an entire building of 4-H club booths, a farm-to-table display from the master gardener volunteers and Ohio certified volunteer naturalists and activities for the kids throughout the fair’s six-day run that begins Wednesday.

For 2019, all OSU Extension’s activities will be in Building 25 – the 4-H Building – on the west end of the fairgrounds by Kiddie Land. There will be interactive displays, volunteers to answer gardening and nature questions, and 4-H volunteers to help throughout the day.

Some of the kids activities include designing an egg holder to prevent eggs from cracking when they drop and making their own ink from soybeans.

Specific details for the fair include:

Kid’s activities with OSU Extension – 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m.

Inspire Kids to Do: Join 4-H! – 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Gardening and nature information – 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Farm-to-Table interactive display – 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Master gardener volunteers have grown herbs, vegetables, grains and other crops to show the opportunities to grow your own food. Visitors can see what the plants look like that produce many of the foods you eat from local farm markets. Infographics will explain interactions for growing local foods, including pollinators, beneficial insects, herbs, edible flowers, vermicomposting and more.

Volunteers can assist with gardening and nature questions. Visitors can bring in samples of diseased plants and complete forms for the Mahoning Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic to help identify the disease or to simply get an identification of the plant. Insects in closed containers are welcome as well.

This was one of the most challenging growing seasons for farmers and gardeners. We can help review some of the difficulties of the excess rain early and midseason, and give you some tips for avoiding major issues in the future. One way to deal with the excess moisture in the future is moving to raised bed production or mounding the soil in the rows. Mounding the soil 8 inches or more will help improve drainage.

As a faithful reader of the Valley Grows page in The Vindicator every Saturday, we would like to meet you. We know you share our enthusiasm and our passion for growing things. Come see us – we will be there from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Monday.

To learn more about our volunteer programs, joining 4-H and upcoming programs, visit our website at mahoning.osu.edu.