Strawberry Fields For Heifer, aka Berries & Dairies at the Ag Corner

— from Ashley King —

AGCornerThe SJC Fair Agriculture Exhibit (a.k.a. the Ag Corner) will feature San Juan County Berries & Dairies!  Find us between the Beer Garden and the new Parks Office on the west side of the Main Building.

Presentations

Come experience instructive presentations, demonstrations, and Cooking With Local Foods!  Master Gardeners Alice Deane and Susan Mahoney will tell you all about Raising Strawberries and Bob Levinson will show you How to Improve the Nutrition of Your Produce.  WSU Livestock Specialist Susan Kerr will compare the quality of Local and Organic Produce and Meat. Take the Soil Carbon Challenge with Bruce Gregory (from the San Juan Islands Conservation District) and Sweet Earth Farm’s Amanda Zee.  Island Crops & Food Co-ops with Madden Surbaugh, Orcas Island Food Co-op and Anna Coffelt, San Juan Island Food Co-op will feature the sourcing and enhancing of local and regional crops by our co-ops.  Something’s definitely brewing on Friday afternoon, when ‘Kraut Pleaser’ Josh Ratza will tell you all about Fermenting Cabbage and Orcas Island Distiller Charles West will discuss the rise and demise (and revival) of Historic Cider Apples in the San Juans.

Come to the Ag Tent every day for Cooking With Local Foods presentations and get a tasty sample. We’ve got Berries!  Local chefs Gretchen Allison will prepare Skillet Cornbread with Ricotta & Strawberries and dynamic duo Jan Sandberg & Jen Black will preparePork Shoulder Kabobs with Berry Sauce.  And Cheese! ComeSample Local Cheeses!  And be sure to Wok It Up with Local Beef!

Best of all, 4-H Demonstrations will take place at the Ag Corner on Thursday, 2:30–4:30pm.

Exhibits

Check out the latest census and other economic data on Agriculture in the San Juans and learn how farms, farming, and farm crops contribute to the county’s economy.  Find out more about local groups involved in island agriculture:  Island Grown in the San Juans, San Juan Islands Conservation District, San Juan County Agricultural Resource Committee, San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild, and WSU Extension.  Local farms will display their products, from herbs to honey and veggies to wool.  And see the exhibits on our county’s Dairies (historic and contemporary) and the history and reuse of the Olga Strawberry Barreling Plant.

The Ag Corner is home to the Grains & Forage Department.  Bring your entries and come see all the grain and forage crops that can be grown in San Juan County!

Boyd and Lovel Pratt, Ag Corner Coordinators, 360-378-7172, or mulnocove@gmail.com

Full Schedule of Ag Events at www.sjcfair.org

See you soon at the Ag Corner at the San Juan County Fair!

**If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced, voluntary subscription. Otherwise, no worries; we’re happy to share with you.**