You’d think I’d have had enough after a full week at the Shelby County Fair. Not so! I made arrangements to take our three oldest grandkids to the Auglaize County Fair last Tuesday for “Kids’ Day.” Guess I’m just a glutton for punishment! But, it was good: great weather, fun activities for the kids, even some rides “we” could share!! Yes, we did get through some of the livestock barns, but “Cotton Candy on a Stick” was a priority for William! Annaliese was really attracted to the puppet show; all three burst balloons with darts. (William is “good”: One balloon for each dart he threw!)

Now, a reminder for activities this week: Tomorrow (Tuesday, Aug. 11) is the Southwest Corn Growers’ Association Field Day at Washington Courthouse in Fayette County. This program runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is free. Nutrient management is the focus and will offer crop production details and updates, including information that can help you improve your farm productivity. The event is free and includes lunch.

Wednesday the 12th is the Manure Science Review at Mississinawa Valley High School in Darke County. Complete details on the speakers, topics, and continuing-education credits are in the event flier (go.osu.edu/MSR2015). Registration, which includes a continental breakfast and lunch, will be $30 at this time.

Next Monday, Aug. 17, there is a three-hour Fertilizer Applicator Certification Training at Botkins High School from 6 to 9:30 p.m. This program is for those who apply commercial fertilizer to 50 acres or more of cropland per year and who do not presently hold a Pesticide Applicator’s License. Let me know if you plan to attend.

A “new” Field Day in the area is “The Precision Agriculture Day: Combine and Drone Technology” which will be held Friday, Aug. 21, at the Champaign County Fairgrounds in Urbana. This event will feature presentations on precision agriculture, aerial imagery, utilizing field data, nutrient management, My John Deere and MyShed-Case IH. Some of the presenters include Dr. John Fulton, the new OSU specialist in precision ag technology; Ohio Farm Bureau; Integrated Ag Services; and a panel of farmers utilizing aerial imagery technology. Demonstrations from Case IH, John Deere, and Lexion dealers on combine setup for harvest will take place in the afternoon. Live drone flying demonstrations will also occur during the day.

For full details and a flyer, please visit http://go.osu.edu/agevents . While the event is free, RSVPs are required by 8/12 for a lunch count. Call the Extension Office at 937-484-1526 or email Bonnie at [email protected] to reserve your spot.

I will have to say that the kids were amazed by the number of people I knew at the fair! I started to hear, “Grammy, you know too many people!” Toward the end of the day, when someone would say “Hi,” Genevieve would roll her eyes and sigh, “Another one?! What can I say … I’m old and been around! It goes with the territory!