In 2023, the Hamilton County Fair moved to McDonald’s Farm in Sale Creek over Veterans Weekend in November. The Master Gardeners have participated in the County Fair for many years, setting up demonstration tents to highlight environmentally sustainable gardening practices. Topics in these presentations have included, composting & mulching, companion planting, native plants & pollinators, rain barrels, raised beds, vegetable & herb gardening, and insect and disease identification, among others. We also build a soil tunnel, hold a bug race, and provide other hands-on activities to ensure that the kids are not left out of the action!
Each year, the Master Gardeners create a themed garden for the County Fair. Some of our past themes have been:
- “Garden Green” featuring Xeriscape gardens, native plants and trees, rain barrel collection systems and composting
- “Art in the Garden” where we created 6 totally different types of gardens: Fairy and Glass Garden, a Container Garden, a Funky Garden, a Cottage Garden and a Formal Garden
- “Treasure Your Trees” focusing on tree health, diseases, proper pruning, mulching and bonsai
- “Victory Gardens Past and Present” focusing on vegetable gardening and preserving food.
