WSU Extension News

This year brings the 100th year of the County Fair in Wahkiakum County, and with it a long tradition of volunteerism and county-wide collaboration. WSU Wahkiakum County Extension shares that tradition, and the work of our 4-H youth and volunteers, Master Gardeners, and Food and Farm volunteers will be on display this week throughout the Fair.

The Fair is the culmination of a year of practice and training for our 4-H youth, with this year’s projects in horses, beef, poultry and other animals; as well as photography, visual arts, baking, gardening and more. All 4-H clubs, no matter what projects they focus on, teach essential life skills, like public speaking, detailed record keeping, teamwork, goal setting and community service. Alumni will be putting some of their 4-H skills to the test in an Alumni Dairy Showmanship Contest, Friday afternoon, while current 4-H youth will be selling fruits of their labor at the annual Market Sale, 7 p.m. Saturday evening. This year’s Market Sale will for the first time feature jams, pies and other homemade goods, in addition to the usual market animals.

Also this year, WSU Wahkiakum County Extension will showcase the many different works by Extension with displays and handouts by volunteers at a booth on the promenade. Whether it is Food Sense nutrition education at St. James, the annual Ag Summits for small farmers, horticultural training for Master Gardeners, or people learning leadership skills through 4-H and Horizons, Extension has been a long-time vehicle for introducing new paths for the people of Wahkiakum County.

On Friday of the Fair, from 1 to 4 pm, Horizons volunteers will be at the Extension booth to celebrate the completion of WSU’s Horizons program and the founding of their new community leadership development organization, the Birnie Coalition. Horizons, an 18-month community development project, concludes this summer with an award of $10,000 from the Northwest Area Foundation. They will be celebrating their completion and serving Cougar Gold Cheese, Darigold milk, and food from the Wahkiakum Food and Farm Network to the community at the Fair, Friday 1 – 4 p.m. at the WSU Wahkiakum County Extension booth.

While Master Gardeners will not have a booth this year, they will be sponsoring a youth garden contest, awarding a $25 gift certificate to Nichols Garden Nursery for the largest cabbage.

The Wahkiakum Food and Farm Network will also be sponsoring a youth contest, awarding $25 for the best use of zucchini in a baked good or preserve.

See you at the Fair!