OTTAWA – You can tell it’s heated up quite a bit at the Putnam County Fair when a fire truck parks next to the animal stables to give them a quick shower.
Volunteers from the Columbus Grove Fire Department visited the annual fair Wednesday afternoon, spraying water from a tanker truck over the buildings to cool the metal roofs and, with luck, cool the people and animals below when temperatures dip for the third time. times the 90s reached trading day Wednesday afternoon.
It was one of many ways people tried to beat the heat at the Putnam County Fairgrounds Wednesday afternoon.
Even the animals were a little tense, said 12-year-old Isabella Recker of Bluffton, who was sweeping the barn with her lambs, “Bob Ross” and “Spot Jr.” It is her second year showing at the Lamb with her club, Liberty Boys and Girls 4-H.
“They jump around and get a little crazy because they want to get back to where it’s cool,” Recker said. “They drink a lot of water, which is a real challenge. You can stand here for about five minutes, and they’ll drink everything.”
Recker’s family has been getting water from home since the goats got used to it, she said.
Beating the heat was the goal of many people who showed their animals at the fair. Most tried to do their chores when it was cooler and avoided the midday heat. Others sprayed water on their pigs or cooled their cows with foggers.
Recker said she didn’t mind working because the goat, sheep and lamb shed was comfortable and shaded.
Farming is a highlight of the Putnam County Fair, with everything from rabbits to horses to cows showcased as youth projects. This year’s fair also included an attraction to test people’s agricultural knowledge, the Wheels of Agriculture event and the Trivia tractor.
The Trivia Tractor, chasing a TV-style game show with room for three contestants, chugged back to the fair’s farming area and attracted a number of spectators in hopes of winning prizes from the free event.
Lydia Frey, of Archbold, was the big winner in one round, receiving a 10-point bonus for fastest answering “dairy” to a question about which food group was cheese. Even audience members could win, with one audience member taking home an award for successfully recognizing Kenny Chesney’s “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy”.
“We just heard him come over the track and thought we should see what was going on,” Frey said. “It was quite fun.”
The Putnam County Fair continues through Saturday.
Columbus Grove Fire Department volunteers sprayed the roofs of animal buildings at the Putnam County Fair Wednesday. The aim was to lower the temperatures of the buildings, which have metal roofs that absorb heat.
Participants in Wednesday’s Trivia Tractor were, from left, Bradley Pataki, Rudy Rodger and Lydia Frey, all Archbold. The tractor-pulled game show was part of Wednesday’s entertainment at the Putnam County Fair in Ottawa.
Reach David Trinko at 567-242-0467 or on Twitter @Lima_Trinko†