Carroll County will be well-represented at the Kentucky State Fair this month.
Approximately 17 members of the Carroll County 4-H program will compete in livestock, arts, photography, jewelry, floral, gardening and country ham, to name a few. The 62 entrants will be on display throughout the Kentucky State Fair.
“I think we’ll do well. We have some real high quality stuff this year,” said Joyce Doyle, 4-H Extension Agent for Carroll County. 4-H projects are submitted at the county fair and those who are awarded champions can compete at the Kentucky State Fair. The exception to that is the country ham.
Five children participated in the country ham project. They purchase two raw hams from the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service and have to cure them over a period of months. The entrants in the country ham category also have to give a three to five-minute speech.
“It’s hard to keep the temperature in the ham house, but our hams always do well,” Doyle said. “We’re down in quantity, but up in quality this year.” She joked that the country ham participants will have bragging rights at Thanksgiving and Christmas this year after completing their projects. Brooklyn and Bentley Rose as well as their cousins Addison Bailey Rose are among those participating in the country ham category. Mason Roberts rounds out the group. They each learned to rub the salt-based cure on their hams so it would dehydrate in the ham house then shaved and cleaned it after it cured for a few months.
“I thought it was cool,” said Bentley Rose, admitting he’s a little nervous about giving a speech. This year there are 1,100 hams entered in the fair.
Zack Kindoll has 16 pieces entered in the state fair, including a unique trash can he made that looks like a cobra exiting its traditional “snake charmer” basket. Kindoll said he used “creativity and thinking outside the box” to make his snake trash can.
He also made a detailed and colorful mask he said was inspired by the forest. “Sometimes I think of a random thing and it turns into a great idea.” Kindoll will be a junior at Carroll County High School.
Brenna Mefford, an incoming CCHS junior, has 12 projects that earned a spot at the state fair. They include two plants, artwork and photography. “I just kind of went with what I noticed people don’t normally do at the fair,” she said of her choice of creations. “A lot of people think it’s just showing livestock, but there’s so much more people don’t know about.”
Lilly Frye, who attends iLEAD Academy and CCHS, has entered a photo she took of her sister’s first communion, a crochet gift she made for her mother and an Andy Warhol-style painting of ballerinas. “There’s some things I really like to do, like crocheting and my jewelry, but sometimes it’s random things like the photo I took of my sister,” Frye said.
A family trip to Yellowstone inspired the photography Ryleigh Darnold took to earn her a spot at the state fair. She’s also used her baking skills for two 4-H approved recipes.
4-H’ers can enter any project that is completed from September to September, which is considered the 4-H year.
Addyson Campbell said she has loved drawing since she was a child. Her graphite pencil drawing of a dragon was featured at the CCHS Art Show this year as well as 4-H. “I just draw whatever I’m interested in,” she said. “My skills have really improved over the years. I just try to do what I like.”
Doyle said the number of 4-H’ers and entries in the state fair is down this year, but she’s looking forward to bigger numbers in the coming year. 4-H clubs begin meeting in the fall on Tuesday nights, but the program is also featured in classrooms during the school year.
“Carroll County has been so supportive of the 4-H program. It’s just wonderful,” Doyle said.
Carroll County Schools Superintendent Casey Jaynes offered his congratulations to all competing. “We wish you all the best at the state level of competition. We have amazing students who are pursuing their passion areas which will make us a #cctop10 district in the state.”
The Kentucky State Fair runs from Aug. 17-27 at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville. Tickets are available online.