By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
The Wood County Fair Board was awarded a grant of more than $106,000 from the Ohio Department of Agriculture for capital improvement projects.
Approximately $74,000 of the grant will be used for upgrading the grandstand roof, Fair Manager Laura Westgate reported during the June board meeting.
The grant was part of a $10 million allocation from the 135th Ohio General Assembly in House Bill 33 and administered by the Ohio Department of Development. The funds were distributed evenly among 92 of the 94 county and independent fairs. Two of the fairs requested a lower amount.
The fair board had identified projects totaling $314,000 and submitted a request for the total amount, “to make sure we covered everything,” Westgate said.
The work on the roof may not be completed in time for this year’s fair, but the state grant money must be used by the end of 2025. After the roof is completed, the board will determine the possible additional projects with the remaining grant funds.
Updates from new fair vet
Casey Skowron, who is the new veterinarian for the Wood County Fair, shared information about some of the livestock regulations required by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
There must be a protocol in place for the sanitation of the barns before the fair begins and Skowron must sign off that the sanitation is completed. The method can be as simple as bleach and water; however, the Ohio Department of Agriculture wants documentation that the barns and each enclosure have been disinfected before animals are brought in.
Official ear tags, especially for cattle, must be USDA electronic devices. Clips aren’t considered official. There remains a question of what happens if an animal arrives at the fair with ear tags that are not USDA electronic devices. “We will have to sort that out this year,” he said.
Animals coming from out of state for petting zoos, circuses or similar events need to have health papers. According to Dave Nietz, chair of the entertainment committee, the only sideshow at this year’s fair that involves animals from out of state is a Stingray and Sharks Encounter. Nietz said he isn’t sure where the animals are coming from or if the operator has health papers.
Steve Speck said it will be necessary to confirm that the animals have health papers, because if any fairgoers would get sick after touching the sharks or stingrays the fair could be liable. Nietz said he will contact the company for verification.
The state’s zero tolerance for drug residue in market livestock is reworded this year to “tolerable levels,” Skowron said. The change is because zero residue is not possible if any kind of drug was ever used. The wording became controversial last year when there were 10 to 12 incidents involving zero tolerance, he said.
Skowron also asked if there is a designated quarantine area for animals that become sick during the fair and before they are sent home. Fair Board President John Nissen suggested that once the harness races are completed, the racehorse barns could be used to quarantine sick animals.
A new procedure will be implemented this year for any animals that do become sick during the fair. To make the process more efficient, Skowron asked that exhibitors fill out a form before he is contacted by someone designated by the fair board. The forms will be available in the junior fair office, the main office and the horse show arena announcer stand.
Questions asked about beef feeder class and lawnmower derby
Lisa Trumbull asked the board to reconsider the classification for her son’s feeder calf. When the calf was purchased from a dairy they were told it was a Holstein and provided appropriate paperwork; however, at the weigh-in on May 4, the calf was listed in the new crossbred class.
“We are not trying to be difficult, but we were told we needed a DNA test to get it changed. We’re having difficulty being able to do the test in a timely fashion,” she said.
Bob Strow, a member of the beef committee said he investigated the DNA testing. No one he talked to could confirm if there is a conclusive test to determine if the calf is a Holstein. At the weigh-in, three individuals who were classifying the calves agreed the calf was crossbred based on the characteristics of a dairy animal.
“I don’t think it’s worth spending money on a test because the results won’t be conclusive,” Strow said. He agreed to get the beef committee together to discuss and either come to the farm to reassess the calf or wait until weigh-in at the fair.
Francis Fritsch from Clay Center voiced his disappointment that the entertainment committee restricted the age of participants for the 2024 Lawnmower Derby to 14-20 years old.
Fritsch, at 24 years old, is no longer eligible to compete. “I’ve been competing for seven years and always enjoyed Wood County’s event,” he told the fair board. He always appreciated that the fair didn’t allow for “souped-up” lawnmowers and always ran a clean event.
Nietz explained the decision was made because of dwindling numbers of adults registering to compete. “As the years went on, we had fewer older people invested in the derby,” NIetz said. “And because kids can’t compete in the big demo derby, it made sense to make the lawnmower derby for the kids.”
Because the details of the event are already posted, it can’t be changed this year, but the committee will discuss the possibility of an adult class for 2025, Nietz said.
After the meeting, Fritsch said, “I would love if they would continue the lawnmower derby for adults; I believe there are enough people over 20 who are interested in participating.”
Decorated round bale contest for jr. fair groups
Junior Fair organizations are invited to participate in a decorated round bale contest, announced Fair Board Director Melissa Leimgruber. Up to 12 groups can compete in the contest.
Registration, on a first-come, first-served basis, and additional information are available on the Wood County Fair Facebook page (June 13 post). Clubs will be notified if they are selected to participate. Each group will be provided one round bale to decorate within an 8-foot by 8-foot space. The entry deadline to apply is July 13 at noon and the bales will be available for decorating between July 20-27. The winning group will earn a pizza party.
In other business, the board:
-Changed the terms of service to two years for two fair director seats in the Third District. The change, which will help even out the number of seats elected each year, will be effective with the Aug. 4 fair board elections.
-Approved contracts for safety and security during the fair: $18,530 for the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, which includes an additional $2,880 to provide four hours of coverage each night in the campgrounds; $3,500 for Wood County Firefighters to schedule departments on the grounds and dispatch; $250 per day for an emergency vehicle on the grounds and $150 for each special event, payment to Wood County Hospital; and $1,662 for communication radios for fair directors to use throughout the fair.
-Agreed to spend up to $3,000 for blankets and programs, covered by sponsorships, and $1,000 from harness horse funds to hire a veterinarian for two nights of harness horse races.
