In recent years, there has been a slow decline in the number of entrees within the crops and vegetable barn during the Boone County Fair. This has been due to a slight decline in the number of vegetable entrees, but a very large decline in FFA entrees as well as crops. Many of our FFA and crops categories haven't had entrees in several years. This significant decrease in entrees has led to a barn with very little to offer the public and consequently, low participation in cooperative extension horticulture education during the fair. 

Starting in 2022 and extending into 2023, the Boone County horticulture program has offered a total of four classes focused exclusively on raising vegetables, especially pumpkins, and submitting entrees into the Boone County Fair. Three of these programs focused on raising large pumpkins, and one was on the process of submitting entrees. Additionally, information on crop and vegetable categories and historic submission numbers were communicated to the public during our other winter and spring classes. 

The target audience was twofold, current gardeners who don't currently submit fair entrees, and the overall fair's patronage. The goal was to gather more interest and bring more people into the crops and vegetable fair barn, where we keep a "Ask a Master Gardener Booth" throughout the fair. We hoped to generate interest and excitement by boosting numbers of current entrees and bring in new entrees which we could teach educational information about. 

During this process, we partnered with several community partners and gained an anonymous donor for the new Great Pumpkin Contest. This donor and the initial Great Pumpkin Contest were obtained and designed in 2022 by David Koester, the prior horticulture agent. In 2023, we partnered with the two Boone County Extension arts assistants who made two photo booths for the fair barn and set up a display on dye gardens. In 2023, we also gained the partnership of the Northern Kentucky Beekeeper's Association, which set up a display and had a beekeeper present at all times to answer questions related to beekeeping. 

The four educational programs that were offered had a total of 29 participants, which was considered quite low. However, the majority of these participants followed through by submitting entrees as well as recruiting others to submit entrees. The Great Pumpkin Contest brought in new growers, who primarily submitted pumpkins, but brought in their other produce at the same time. The total number of people that came through the fair barn increased to a total of 2,699 during the six day fair in 2023. A total of 23 entrees were made in the contest and the largest pumpkin weighed 334 pounds. In 2022, there were 20 entrees with the largest being 184 pounds. Many of the 2023 fairgoers came into the barn to get a picture at the photo booths and big pumpkins, and stayed to ask questions on flower gardening, vegetable gardening, judging criteria, dye gardens, and beekeeping.