By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
Abbie Hammer doesn’t remember much about being at the Racine County Fair as a six-month old.
Of course, that doesn’t keep relatives from telling the story.
“I heard stories of me being in the petting zoo,” said Hammer on Tuesday, on the fairgrounds for a round of 4-H judging. Hammer said her aunt had her wrapped in a blanket, and people would come up and ask what kind of animal her aunt was holding.
“She’d be like, ‘oh, I have a baby,’” Hammer explained.
Hammer was one of numerous youngsters whose artwork, photography, sewing and other projects had already received ribbons.
She’s been an entrant at the fair, officially, since she was in kindergarten. Hammer got her start a little younger than that, though, as her older sister was being judged and a local organizer asked the judges to look at Abbie’s work as well.
Hammer has been a yearly participant since then.
Hammer’s most visible entry this year is her fairy garden, which she calls a fairy farm. The entry garnered an “Outstanding Exhibit” ribbon, a step or two up from the blue first-place ribbons but just short of being named an entry to the Wisconsin State Fair.
“Everyone does fairy gardens,” Hammer said. “I wanted to be different, so I had the fairy farm idea.
“I’m very proud of it,” she added.
Hammer took her time putting the fairy farm together, though, using several different small flowers, a birdhouse shaped like a round barn, and road signs made from taking pictures of actual signs – and shrinking those photographs to the right size.
There’s also a small, 2-by-4 inch sign in the garden that reads, “Farm Sweet Farm.”
“My parents got me that,” Hammer said.
Hammer, a resident of Wind Lake, a member of the Burlington Back 40 4-H Club and a student at Muskego High School, also has entries in sewing, home furnishing and rabbit judging, among others this year.
She plans on exhibiting at the fair as long as she is age eligible.
“As long as I can,” Hammer said.
The Racine County Fair runs through Sunday. The schedule of events appears elsewhere in this edition.
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