Two area educators are bringing an event back to this year’s Pottawatomie County Free Fair that begins next week at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center in Shawnee.
Charity Hobbs, a high school math teacher at North Rock Creek High School, and Kacie Jasper, the Pottawatomie County 4-H educator, are coordinating the Ag Day at the Fair.
It will start about 8:30 a.m. Friday, Sep. 6 when third graders from across the county begin arriving at the Fair.
Hobbs said it will run until about 2 p.m. so the kids can return to the their respective schools.
But it will remain open in the evening to the public as it will also remain open to the public on Saturday as well, she said.
The Ag Day will be located in the south end of the Otto Krause building at the Expo Center.
“Members of the 4-H and FFA will work six interactive booths and North Rock Creek VoAg instructor Josh Davis is helping line up those 4-H and FFA members,” Hobbs noted.
Hobbs explained the idea of an Ag Day at the fair came when she was talking with Davis who remarked to her that he missed the Ag Day they used to have.
“It was thought about last year, but it really didn’t take off,” she said.
“This summer I went to Josh and said I want to do an Ag Day at the school (NRC), but he suggested let’s do it at the fair.”
With that, Hobbs took the idea to Suzanne Gilbert, who she said, “Has such a heart for the fair. Suzanne said sure,” so Hobbs then checked with her principals at North Rock, Justin McDonald and Chad Brooking, since she would need to be out of school and they gave her the go ahead.
From there, she and Jasper began planning for the Ag Day at the Fair.
Hobbs has two children, Grace, a ninth grader and Gabe, who is in the eighth grade, both of whom are and have been in 4-H since they were third graders. They can remain in 4-H through their high school years.
Hobbs related as they began the planning, “We invited some community partners. These include Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom, State Game Warden Mike France from Pottawatomie County, Pioneer Library System’s Mabee Mobile which is bringing a 3D printer, a laser engraver to make things, there will be a program on ATV safety.
“All of them are coming to do workshops with the kids,” said Hobbs.
Jasper, who has served as the 4-H Educator in Pottawatomie County for 1½ years, said, “I am excited about our older kids having a chance to teach the younger kids about agricultural in Oklahoma.
Hobbs said the booths manned by the FFA and 4-H students are specific to agricultural production in Oklahoma.
“A 4-H member and two FFA members will man each booth,” she stated. “We’ve invited third graders so we can tie it to academic standards and third graders can join 4-H,” Hobbs added.
“We’re hoping we can get kids interested in Oklahoma agriculture and the wonderful leadership organizations, the 4-H and FFA,” Hobbs said.