Great Expectations is more than a classic novel by Charles Dickens; it's also what we have for the Douglas County 4-H section of the Exhibit Hall at this year's Douglas County Fair.

The fair is scheduled for Aug. 3-7 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds Complex.

When you visit the Exhibit Hall, you may notice the changes that have been made to better serve the people of Douglas County. As part of the OSU Extension Service, 4-H is committed to our service mission statement that the “Oregon State University Extension Service engages the people of Oregon with research-based knowledge and education that focus on strengthening communities and economies, sustaining natural resources, and promoting healthy families and individuals.”

When you walk into the 4-H portion of the Exhibit Hall we want you to see not only what 4-H showcases, but what all of extension has to offer. We will still proudly display the 4-H exhibits as we always have, including the K-third grade Cloverbud section, but we will be expanding to include displays and demonstrations from the other extension program areas active in Douglas County.

Extension Service has a vision statement: “Extension leads Oregon State University's outreach mission by engaging with Oregon's people and communities to have positive impacts on community livability, economic vitality, natural resources sustainability, and the health and well being of people. Based on these positive impacts, the OSU Extension Service is recognized as one of America's top-5 Land-Grant University Extension systems.” Keeping this statement in mind throughout the week, extension staff and volunteers will be conducting 15- to 20-minute demonstrations and presentations for the visiting public.

Here are some events you can look forward to seeing in the Exhibit Hall this year:

• Steve Renquist, horticulture agent, will be covering New Pests in Douglas County, Waterwise Irrigation and Low Input Pest Control;

• Shelby Filley, livestock/forages agent, will be giving ranching tips on Fertilizing Your Pasture, Managing Weeds, Understanding Livestock Breeds and Getting the Most from Your Hay;

• Steve Bowers, forestry agent, will be talking about Firewood, Tree ID and Lumber Quality;

• Rainy Rippy, natural resources and small farms instructor, has planned topics on Tree ID and Insect and Diseases;

• Mandy Hatfield, nutrition education coordinator, will be educating the audience on the different food groups on various days of the week, and providing an opportunity for kids to dress up as their favorite food for a photo shoot;

• Master Food Preservers in conjunction with Susan Busler, extension faculty and MFP coordinator, will be doing a wide range of demonstrations on how to use and preserve our wonderful locally produced foods;

• Tracy Martz, 4-H agent and Teresa Middleton, 4-H education program assistant, will be having hands-on activities for kids such as Making Coffee Ground Fossils and Seed Science. 4-H will also be having tech demonstrations and the Fashion Review.

• The Master Gardeners will be present, providing information on an array of topics to help care for lawns and gardens.

We're excited about the changes and about the opportunity to share some of the many ways that extension can help you. Hope to see you at the Douglas County Fair.

Teresa Middleton is the 4-H education program assistant at OSU Extension Service of Douglas County. She can be reached by e-mail at teresa.middleton@oregonstate.edu or phone at 541-672-4461.