The Johnson County Fair came to Gardner, Kansas last week, and alongside the traditional funnel cakes, midway rides and livestock exhibitions, there were a few surprises.
Here's four things we found that were unexpected:
1. There were no chickens.
Although the place was humming with moos, oinks and other animal sounds, there were no birds of any kind. The Kansas Department of Agriculture ordered the statewide ban to try to stop bird flu from spreading. The United States Department of Agriculture is preparing for a worst-case scenario of as many as 500 outbreaks of bird flu nationwide this fall.
2. The sandbox didn't have any sand.
You can't make a sand castle, but you can certainly have some fun with 60 bushels of No. 2 yellow corn in the fair's corn box. This type of corn is used in animal feed, corn chips and ethanol, according to Maribeth Finley of the Johnson County Farm Bureau.
3. The woodcarvers had power tools.
If you think a chisel is passé‚ try a chainsaw. Keith Gregory uses them to sculpt images of wildlife into large logs. “As a hand carver, I was always fascinated with chainsaw carving... I thought I’d give it a try one day and carved my first bear and sold it for $250 and thought, ‘Boy, I’m onto something,’” Gregory said.
4. 4-H was for everyone.
This year was the first for a 4-H partnership that paired local 4-H youth with 17 kids who have special needs, most of whom came from the Lakemary Center in Paola. Organizer Denise King said the exercise helps foster pride and self-confidence.
