By Shirley Renauld
Journal & Press
It’s finally time for the Washington County Fair! It starts today and goes through the 25th.
The first fairs were started in the 1840s to highlight county products: potatoes, wool, horses, cattle, the first steel-pointed plow in one big tent for only one day in a different town each year. In the 1860s, Salem built permanent structures to hold three-day fairs. Then Cambridge for four days. In 1961 the Fair came to its permanent location in Easton, and we can enjoy a whole week of activities: carnival and rides, entertainment (newest this year is Dock Diving Dogs), shows, bike and other giveaways, tastings, displays, demonstrations, classes, climbing on farm equipment, pedal and big tractor pulls, demolition derbies... and it’s all free admission for those 13 and under.
For 4-H and FFA members and families, the time before the fair is like getting ready for a new school year twice: Animals going to the Fair must have health checks and vaccinations. Members attend fitting and showmanship clinics, then fit their own entries by cleaning and trimming fur and hooves, teaching them to lead and stand for show. They need supplies: animals need food, water and bedding; members need white shirts and pants for showing animals and clothing for the rainy, cool days. Plans must be made for care of animals staying home.
The fair couldn’t operate without the work of all the volunteers. Many have already been setting up displays: In the Youth Building, 4-Hers have taken their entries to be judged face-to-face with a judge familiar with the category, then arranged in displays with their evaluation sheets and ribbons. Items chosen to go to State Fair are displayed on the back wall.
They have cleaned the Farm Museum and set up new displays: the Flax Industry in Washington County and the Eddy Plow* Works Co.: Flax is grown for its seeds that we eat in breads and muffins and is pressed for its oil. Its stems have fibers for weaving linen cloth, but they grow inside a hard covering that must be broken and removed. On display are the tools (brakes, ripples, hackles) used to break that coating by hand before there were local mills to do it. Ask about what clothing items, kitchen towels or tablecloths (perhaps with hand embroidery) your family has.
The Eddy Plow* Works Co display contains early plows first made in 1832 at the building with its name in bold letters on the front, at the beginning of Eddy St./Easton, east out of Greenwich, along the Battenkill that was used for waterpower. With the metal point on the plow, it was now possible to turn over a continuous line of soil, a furrow, as Pa did at the Little House. Native Americans had only wooden hand tools to turn over a shovelful at a time.
We thank the local emergency squads who staff the first aid station, fire company members, also the Sheriffs and State Police who are available for our safety: Get ID cards as you enter the fair, register for bike giveaways, pick up coloring books, learn about uniforms and vehicles.
What do you think of as Fair food? Corndogs and slushies? If it’s cotton candy, watch it swirled out of the farms’ own maple syrup. Food at the 4-H Food Booth is made by parents and leaders of club members. (Dad Dave got an interest in grilling at home by flipping burgers here.) Clubs sign up for shifts. With 4-H hats and aprons on, members take orders, serve and make change for customers, getting math experience – and some tips, too. They peel potatoes for the salad. At the Leaders’ Ice Cream Booth, watch them make the milkshakes and cones you order. Watch Marlene and family make donuts.
Watch workers at the churches’ fund-raising booths, so after enjoying theirs, you can make your own at home:
For Fritters: Cut local sweet corn now in season off the cob or grate zucchini that your garden is now producing. Mince in some of your growing onion, garlic or dill if you wish. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with flour to hold it together to form patties. Coat both sides with cornmeal or breadcrumbs and fry in an oiled/buttered pan.
(Does this make you think of the potato latkes that you make especially for Hanukkah?)
For Fried Dough, use the County Fair Fried Dough recipe (which is also like Native American Frybread):
Combine 2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix in 2 tablespoons soft butter and 3/4 cup warm water. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and flatten each to fry until light brown on both sides in an oiled pan. Drain on paper towel and eat with your favorite toppings of powdered or cinnamon sugar, pieces of fruit (like the blueberries you picked recently) or dip pieces in maple syrup.
Funnel Cakes are so-called because you put enough of your favorite pancake batter into a small funnel and drizzle it on oil to fry both sides. What creative designs can you make?
The smells, lights and sounds of the Fair are special, and especially after dark. With full moonlight and stars on Monday, it will be extra special. Enjoy!
The Summer Olympics was an example for us of world peace and the Closing Ceremony taught us global language. May both continue as athletes return home. But all Olympics aren’t over. We can attend the Farmer Olympics in person on Saturday of the Fair when both youth and adults compete in skills they need at the farm to work/play with hay bales and heavy items. We watch the Paralympics begin on the 28th, using the facilities in Paris. We watched some of their athletes included in the Torch Relay to light the cauldron during the Opening Ceremony.