There is so much to experience during the Clermont County Fair! OSU Extension hosts a variety of events throughout the week, so be sure to check out the Pre-Fair and Fair Week Events packet for all of the details, guidelines and registration links.
Author: Kelly Royalty
2025 4-H Project Completion Requirements
School’s out and now it’s time to start preparing for 4-H project judging! The 4-H project completion and fair requirements for this year’s judging are now available.
📅 Mark your calendars! Project judging will take place on July 8 and 9, where members will present their hard work and demonstrate their knowledge to a judge. Be on the lookout for upcoming details on how to register for an interview time.
Until then, visit our website for additional information about 4-H project judging. We can’t wait to see all of the incredible projects this year—good luck with your preparations!
2025 Ceil Bee Scholarship Application
Applications are now open for the Ceil Bee Scholarship. Ceil Bee retired in 2006 after being one of the Fair’s strongest supporters and chair of many committees and projects over the years. This scholarship in her honor is a tribute to her dedicated commitment and service to the Bakery & Pantry Department. Applications are due by June 30, 2025.
2025 4-H Club Flower Display Contest
Grant’s Farm & Greenhouses is again donating all of the annual flowers you need to create your fair planters for the Club Flower Display Contest. Feel free to stop by the farm (5552 Bucktown Rd.) or the garden center (2115 S.R. 131) any time during business hours to pick out any annuals you need (flats, 6-packs, 4″pots, or 11″ baskets)! Please note: the Bucktown location may close earlier this year, so check before going after July 1. Tell the cashier at checkout that it’s for 4-H. All 4-H Clubs are encouraged to participate in the 4-H Club Flower Display Contest.
Club Flower Display Container Contest
Flower Container Drop-Off: Thursday, July 17th, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., 4-H Hall
Award Presentation: Thursday, July 24th, at 6:00 p.m. during the Skillathon Awards Ceremony
General Rules:
- Clubs are responsible for taking care of their flower displays throughout the week.
- Plants must be planted inside the container. It is recommended that packing peanuts or an empty milk jug be placed in the bottom of the container then filled with soil to reduce weight.
- Containers must be easily moved. Containers will be displayed at the entryway of buildings and barns around the fairgrounds.
- Flower containers should be the work of club members.
- The club name must be visibly displayed on the flower container.
- The fair theme should be incorporated into the overall design.
- Flower containers must be turned in to the Extension Office between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday, before fair.
- Flower Displays must be placed and finished by 7pm. Judging can take place anytime from 7pm, Thursday before fair until the Wednesday of fair.
- Flower displays will be judged on originality/creativity, overall design and incorporation of the fair theme. Awards will be given for first to fifth place as well as individual honors for the Most Creative, Most Colorful and Best 4-H Design. Designs turned in late will not be judged.
2025 Fair theme: “Growing My Community”
Thank you to the Grant Family for their generosity and support of the Clermont County 4-H Program!
Missing Bottle Rocket Launcher
We’re missing our bottle rocket launcher and need your help to find it. It may have been borrowed for project judging last year and not returned. If you’ve seen it or know where it might be, please let us know!
Let’s get it back in time for our next launch!
STEAM Night at Seipelt Elementary
Seipelt Elementary School was buzzing with excitement during its annual STEAM Night, where students and families engaged in interactive activities celebrating science, technology, engineering, arts/agriculture, and mathematics. Among the highlights were two engaging sessions led by 4-H educators, Kelly Royalty and Carlie Newman, who brought hands-on learning to life!
Kelly Royalty, 4-H/FCS educator, introduced students to the science of UV rays with a creative UV bracelet activity. Participants crafted their own bracelets using UV-sensitive beads that change color when exposed to sunlight, helping them understand the importance of sun protection in a fun and visual way.
Meanwhile, 4-H educator Carlie Newman wowed students with a physics activity that made scientific concepts more tangible and exciting. Through interactive demonstrations, participants explored surface area—sparking curiosity and critical thinking.
STEAM Night proved to be a fantastic opportunity for young minds to explore, experiment, and experience hands-on learning. All the activities empowered students to see science in action and inspired them to think creatively.
A big thank you to Seipelt Elementary for hosting such a fun and engaging event, and to all the educators, volunteers, and families who made the night a success!
OSU Extension can bring hands-on workshops and activities to your local events! Whether it’s a school function, festival, or organization gathering, Extension professionals can provide valuable learning experiences tailored to your audience. Reach out to your local OSU Extension office to explore partnership opportunities.
Buckeye Bookworms Book Club
Readers- are you looking for your next great book? Why not join our virtual Buckeye Bookworms Book Club reading “The Measure” by Nikki Erlick this spring. All meetings over Zoom on Thursdays – April 10 & 24, May 8 & 22 from 6 – 7 PM (EST).
Register at go.osu.edu/fcsbookclub.
Bird Flu: Health, Nutrition, and Food Safety in the Face of an Outbreak
A new factsheet was recently released addressing questions about the safety of eggs and milk during the bird flu outbreak.
Click here to read.
Live Healthy Live Well Webinar Series
Registration for our spring webinar series “Living Well: The Plate and Beyond” is now open, and we would love to have you join us!
When: Wednesdays March 5, 12, 19 & 26 from 12:00 – 12:30 pm (EST).
Topics Covered:
March 5 – “Nourish and Flourish: What You Eat Matters”
March 12 – “Culinary Connections: Food, Family and Friends”
March 19 – “When in Rome: A Guide to Eating on Vacation”
March 26 – “Eating Well at Every Stage of Life”
Register for one or more of these FREE webinars at https://go.osu.edu/lhlwwebinars.
Sessions will be recorded, and the recordings will be shared with all registrants, if you are unable to attend live.
Week 3 Message – Exploring the Heart of it All
Greetings!
With the cooler weather settling in (or at least some of us hope we will see some cooler temps soon), fall is the perfect time to cozy up with a good book—and your local library is the ideal place to start! Whether you’re looking for new releases, classic novels, or even attending library events, there’s something for everyone this season. Libraries offer a welcoming space to unwind, discover new stories, and take advantage of all the resources available to support your personal growth and well-being.
I hope you’ll take some time this fall to explore what the Clermont County Public Library has to offer!
We hope you will join us this Wednesday, November 6th at 12:00 pm for a 30-minute webinar: Take a Look Inside the Book – Reading and Brain Health. The webinar is free, but registration is required at go.osu.edu/lhlwwebinars.
Be Well!
Kelly and Margaret
Margaret Jenkins
Extension Educator
Family and Consumer Sciences
Ohio State University Extension, Clermont County
Kelly Royalty
Extension Educator
4-H Youth Development / Family and Consumer Sciences
Ohio State University Extension, Clermont County
Take a Look Inside a Book!
Today we are in Central Ohio – home of the state capital, Columbus. Central Ohio has a lot to offer visitors and residents alike and today we are going to explore the Columbus Metropolitan Main Library! This library is situated in downtown Columbus and hosts a variety of events open to the public. Currently, they are hosting a series of author talks of today’s most popular books, as well as toddler story times, a “How to Adult” series, business and grants resource advisors, and so much more. Even if you aren’t local to the Columbus area, you can still take part in their virtual events – check out the schedule here. Of course, there are also lots of books to be borrowed at the Columbus Metropolitan Library as well – they take part in the inter-library exchange program with other libraries around Ohio, so the next time you borrow a library book – look to see if it came from “CML”!
Libraries are great resources to any community and can increase our health and wellness at any age. For adults, reading can reduce stress levels – in some cases, more than walking, listening to music, or playing video games. Reading can also increase empathy for adults. When we read, we are immersing ourselves in another culture, time period, profession, or sometimes even in another world. This exposes individuals to different ideas and aids in understanding different life experiences, creating a more empathetic audience. Studies also support that readers are good for their communities – they often volunteer more than twice as often as non-readers.
Reading can also have a positive impact on our brain health. As we age, our working memory (the ability to hold thoughts in our mind for a short period as we engage with it) tends to decline in its ability. A study conducted in Illinois showed that a group of older adults who read for 90 minutes, 5 days a week, for 8 weeks showed improvements to working memory, when compared with a similar group who completed word puzzles instead of reading. Researchers suggested that the “magic juice” of the study was that the books participants read were engaging and readers were “immersed in a story.”
Of course, reading is also important for the brain development of our youngest readers and pre-readers. Infants can listen to the adults in their lives read to them and pick up on language as they prepare to say their first words. Research shows that the quantity of words matters when babies are learning language, but also the quality of the words – that is the diversity of the words they are hearing. For toddlers and preschoolers, reading can encourage children to think new ideas and increase understanding and critical thinking. When you are reading to children, stop and ask them questions about the story or see if they can connect the story to their own lives. This is an interactive type of reading called dialogic reading. Need some books to read to your child? There is always plenty to choose from at your local library, but also consider registering your child for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, where they will receive a free book every month until the age of 5. Learn more about this program here.
For additional information on Central Ohio parks, festivals, nature, tours, and historic attractions check out https://ohio.org/home/regions/central.
Call to Action: Visit your local library (or add your library card to apps like Hoopla or Libby) to check out a new book. Whether a physical book, eBook, or audiobook, aim to read for 15 minutes each day. If you are able, add a little more reading time to your schedule!
Writer: Jessica Lowe, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Pickaway County lowe.495@osu.edu
Reviewer: Lisa Barlage, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Ross County, barlage.7@osu.edu