At the 2024 Wood County Fair, 713 FFA crop, agricultural engineering, research, horticultural, SAE/FFA photo story boards and agricultural science projects were on display at the Junior Fair Building. The Wood County Fair FFA display by Bowling Green, Eastwood, Elmwood, Otsego and Penta Career Center, is one of the best and largest of any county fair in Ohio.
On display were 459 agronomy, horticulture and ag science projects. Entries in this area include grain, fruits and vegetables, floral, hay, and research projects. These projects were all a result of each FFA member’s Supervised Agricultural Experience Project, conducted as a part of their agricultural education studies in high school.
The best entry in each class earned the “Sweepstakes Winner” award. There were 31 winners this year. Bowling Green had 22, Eastwood had three, Elmwood had one, Otsego had four, and Penta had one.
Sweepstakes Winners included:
Field Corn (10 ears): Henry Strow, BG; Shelled Corn: Nick Yarger, BG; New Crop Field Corn: Hannah Yarger, BG; Tallest Corn Stalk, Nick Yarger, BG; Soybeans, Hannah Yarger, BG; New Crop Soybeans, Casey Naus, BG; Most Pods Soybeans, Nick Yarger, BG; Wheat, Sara Britton, Otsego; Oats, Hannah Yarger, BG; Other Grain, Natalee Harris, BG; Alfalfa Hay, Levi Bateson, BG; Grass Hay, Konnor Chambers, BG; Mixed Hay, Nick Yarger, BG.
Field Pickles for Processing, Landon Naus, BG; Fruit, Cece Dye, BG; Vegetables, Noah Sikora, Eastwood; Vegetable Basket, Addie Brokaw, BG; Honey, Nick Yarger, BG, and Reagan Russel, Eastwood; Flower Garden Vase, Natalee Harris, BG; House Plant, Grace O’Connell, BG; Hanging Basket, Cece Dye, BG, and Dakota Blasius, Elmwood; Silk Floral Arrangements, Presley Gauld, Penta.
Container Garden, Sara Britton, Otsego; Indoor Container Garden, Natalee Harris, BG; Other, Gordon Ayers, Otsego; Landscape Plan. Sam Gundy, Otsego; FFA Photo Display, Hadley Shuey, BG; and SAE Photo Display, Nadia Miller, Eastwood.
There were 254 agricultural engineering projects on display. These projects were built in the agricultural engineering high school labs as part of the “hands-on” aspect of teaching agriculture. Projects included woodworking, metalworking, construction, electricity, plastics and engines. Projects ranged from benches to stools, hydraulic robots to forged chisels, welded projects to electrical panels.
For the 14th year, the Northwest Ohio Woodworker’s Guild sponsored an award for the best woodworking project from each FFA chapter. The purpose was to recognize the skills of youth in woodworking and promote the craft. This year’s winners were Isabella Belleville, Bowling Green; Emily Payne, Eastwood; Rylee Daniels, Elmwood; and Cassie Bunde, Otsego.
In addition to these projects, each FFA chapter displayed educational booths highlighting their activities and promoting FFA. Six FFA benches in front of the Junior Fair Building welcomed fairgoers to the FFA display area.
