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Junior Fair to Crown King and Queen on Opening Day Staff Report One of the most anticipated traditions of The Great Geauga County Fair returns Thursday, Sept. 3, when the Geauga County Junior Fair crowns its 2026 Junior Fair King and Queen on the fair's opening day. The coronation ceremony begins at 7 p.m. in the Youth & Livestock Center, located across from the Large Arena. The evening opens with a special performance by the Great Geauga County Fair Band, followed by the crowning of the 2026 Junior Fair King and Queen and their court. The Junior Fair King and Queen serve as ambassadors for the Junior Fair, representing more than 600 youth exhibitors throughout the year. They promote agriculture, leadership and the traditions of The Great Geauga County Fair while attending community events, visiting other county fairs and serving throughout fair week. This year's eight candidates — four young men and four young women — have demonstrated outstanding leadership and dedication through their involvement in Junior Fair organizations, including 4-H, FFA, GHPA and other youth programs. The county’s Junior Fair royalty program has earned recognition across Ohio. Earlier this year, 2025 Geauga County Junior Fair Queen Campbell Reese represented Geauga County at the Ohio Fair Managers Association Queen Contest, where she was selected as one of the top five finalists among county fair queens from across the state.
King Candidates
William Boehnlein, son of Rachel and Will Boehnlein, of Chardon, is a 2026 graduate of Chardon High School and Auburn Career Center. At Chardon, he earned varsity letters in wrestling and trap shooting — becoming the first in team history to shoot a perfect 25/25 — was a member of National Honor Society and graduated cum laude. He studied welding at Auburn, where he belonged to the National Technical Honor Society and graduated with honors. Now on the dean's list at Lakeland Community College, he is pursuing a degree in welding and manufacturing. An active member of Leroy Community Chapel and a Life Scout, Will began as a Cloverbud in the Feathers n' Fleece 4-H Club and is a nine-year member and past vice president of Geauga Caprine Kids 4-H Club. He has served as a counselor at Camp Whitewood, and his fair projects have included swine, ducks and both heritage and meat turkeys. He is especially proud of his first-place finish in Turkey Senior Showmanship and third place in the All Animal Showmanship Competition. When not working on his projects, Will enjoys teaching fairgoers about his animals, helping fellow 4-H members and stopping by Pritt's Concessions for his favorite corndog. Anthony Intelisano, son of Joseph and Shannon Intelisano, of Middlefield, is a senior at Kenston High School, where he plays on the baseball team, belongs to National Honor Society and has earned the President's Award for Educational Excellence three times. His volunteer work includes supporting Project Hope for the Homeless and day programs for adults
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with disabilities. Anthony is president of The Pygmy Connection 4-H Club and a member of the Junior Fair Board. He has shown pygmy goats as well as market and fancy chickens, and in 2025 exhibited the grand champion wether and best in class senior doe — though he says he is most proud of his overall commitment to raising and caring for his goats. His favorite fair foods can be found at the GHPA booth, and when not busy with Junior Fair duties, he enjoys spending time on the fairgrounds with family and friends, supporting the projects of his fellow 4-H members. James “Jimmy” Toth, son of Rachel and Jim Toth, of Burton Township, is a recent graduate of Berkshire High School and Auburn Career Center, and was proud to walk the graduation stage wearing his 4-H cords. An
avid runner, he competed with the Badgers' varsity cross country team and graduated with honors from Auburn's electrical engineering program. He will study pre-law at Kent State University. A 13-year member of Geauga Caprine Kids 4-H Club, Jimmy belongs to Junior Leaders, serves on the Junior Fair Board and has been a counselor at Camp Whitewood. His fair projects have included goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits, turkeys and pigs. This year, he restored his great-grandfather's vintage Speedex tractor and is excited to have it displayed in the antique tractor tent. Jimmy's favorite fair food is a gyro — specifically from the far booth by the grandstand — and he enjoys watching people display all they have learned and practiced during the year. See Royalty • Page B4
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Heritage Naturals Brings Chemical-Free Living to Geauga Submitted Hello to everyone, whoever reads this. We are excited to introduce you to our store. First, what is Heritage Naturals LLC all about? We carry all your organic and natural cleaners with no chemicals in them, from many different brands. We also offer personal hygiene products with no chemicals added, including Reign napkins. We carry organic cooking items, organic baking goods, Stutzman Farms and Janie's Mill products, snack items and candies. We also carry many different supplement companies, with our #1 best seller being Water Divine Minerals — minerals and all your vitamins in one kit. We also carry many different individual minerals and vitamins, such as Nordic Naturals, BioTrust, Enzymedica, Ancient Nutrition, Inspired Nutrition and Ultimate Longevity. We feel confident that if we don't have
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exactly what you are looking for, we probably have something that does the same thing for you. We have many testimonies on how balancing the minerals first, then cleansing the body internally, and having a clean diet will boost the metabolism and energy levels. Our mission is to help as many people as possible get their health stabilized naturally. Our staff is always happy to help you find what you need for your specific needs. Stop in and check us out; we will be happy to show you what all we carry. Now I want to take the opportunity to thank the community for supporting Heritage Naturals in any way — coming into the store, calling in your order for local delivery and for shipping. We really do appreciate your business! Thank you, and may the Lord bless you and yours! Owners: Daniel C. Fisher & Susan Fisher Staff: Melissa Sanders, Melvin Mullet, Kathryn Miller, Carol Miller, Martha Petersheim, Esther Petersheim
Royalty from page B3
Zack Vandevander, son of Robyn and Rich Vandevander, of Burton, is an honor roll senior at Berkshire High School, where he performs with the Badger marching, concert and jazz bands, the drama department, the thespian society and the Berkapella a cappella group. He was chosen to sing with the Cleveland Youth Orchestra Honor Choir. A 12-year member of Breeders & Feeders 4-H Club, Zach serves on the Junior Fair Board, belongs to the Ohio Farm Bureau and volunteered this year as a counselor at Camp Whitewood 4-H Camp. His fair projects have included steer, pigs and both breed and market rabbits, and he is especially proud of earning Best of Show twice with his rabbits. A fan of the GHPA booth — and a bowl of Dippin' Dots — Zach looks forward each year to seeing everyone's hard work, meeting new people and enjoying the fair with his family.
Queen Candidates
Aubrey Haefke, daughter of Steve and Alexandria Haefke, of Montville Township, began high school at Chardon and is now a senior at Berkshire. At Chardon, she belonged to the French and Spanish clubs, the Hilltopper Marching Band and National Honor Society; she now performs with the Badger marching and pep bands and serves as vice president of Berkshire FFA. Her volunteer service includes events for the Chardon Fire Department, the Chardon Chamber of Commerce and the Burton-Middlefield Rotary. She has been accepted into the Leadership Geauga Youth Institute, was selected to represent Ohio at the Ignite by 4-H Summit and is working toward becoming Ohio ambassador through the Youth in Agriculture Program. Aubrey served as the 2025 Geauga County Maple Festival Queen. A past member of Feathers n' Fleece 4-H Club, she is vice president of Geauga Livestock, a member of Junior Leaders and serves on the Junior Fair Board. Her fair projects have included market and fancy poultry, market lambs, antiques, photography and leadership, and she barrel races her horse at local rodeos. She proudly remembers mentoring a first-year 4-H member who went on to win grand showman at their first fair, and during fair week she enjoys browsing the historical buildings and small-business displays.
Campbell Hoar, daughter of Joel and Lindsey Hoar, of Burton Township, is a 2026 graduate of Berkshire High School, where she belonged to National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society and graduated in the top 10 of her class. She is a freshman in the Honors College at Cleveland State University, studying political science on a pre-law track. Campbell is vice president of Breeders & Feeders 4-H Club, president of Sew Sew Sweet 4-H Club and past president of Berkshire FFA. She is an active Junior Fair Board member, president of Junior Leaders and is serving her second term as president of the Geauga County Fashion Board. A former Camp Whitewood counselor, she has competed in swine, cattle and sewing projects, and counts earning Outstanding of the Day for her sewing at the 2025 Ohio State Fair among her proudest moments. In her spare moments during the fair, Campbell loves walking through the barns to see everyone else's projects — and, like many others, finds her favorite fair foods at the GHPA booth. Haylee Taylor, daughter of Frank and Amy Taylor, of Huntsburg Township, is a homeschooled senior who helps manage her family's Shorthorn beef cattle farm daily, skilled in everything from delivering calves to building hay wagons and grinding grain. She is active in the High School Girls Bible Study sponsored by Youth for Christ and enjoys art and reading. Haylee belongs to the American Shorthorn Association and the Geauga County Farm Bureau, is a 12-year member of Breeders & Feeders 4-H Club, belonged to the Junior Fair Board Auxiliary and has served on the Junior Fair Board for three years. At the fair, she shows market hogs and beef projects bred and raised on her family's farm. Her extensive volunteer service includes Next Step Geauga County, the YMCA Warming Center, the Geauga County Department on Aging, UH Rainbow Babies and Children and WomenSafe, and she is especially proud to have earned the 2026 Gold Medal: Community Service Award through Geauga County 4-H. During fair week, she loves connecting with people in her community — ideally over GHPA food or a funnel cake. Allie Wiseman, daughter of Rich and Rebecca Wiseman, of Burton Township, is a 2026 honor graduate of Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin High School and a freshman at The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute, studying agribusiness with applied economics. In addition to volunteering at her church and with Harvest Workers, Allie works at Geauga Feed and Grain, where she loves helping other 4-H members find the best nutrition for their projects. She is president of both Geauga Livestock and Feathers n' Fleece 4-H clubs and a member of the Junior Fair Board, where she served as vice president. Her fair projects have included market and fancy chickens, market and fancy turkeys, market goats, market lambs and breeding ewes, and she runs sheep and goat clinics for less-experienced 4-H members. She has also competed in baked goods with gingerbread houses showcasing important fairgrounds buildings. While proud of her many championships, what stands out to Allie is the growth she has made over the years in producing the highest-quality animals possible. When she gets a break during the fair, she walks the grounds to see everyone's accomplishments — always with a stop at Tex's for their world-famous ice cold lemonade. The Geauga County Agricultural Society invites fairgoers to attend the ceremony and celebrate the accomplishments of these exceptional young leaders. The coronation recognizes not only the newly crowned king and queen, but also the dedication, hard work and commitment to agriculture and community service demonstrated by all of the candidates.
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Flockmasters 4-H Fosters Families, Friendships By Ann Wishart ann@karlovecmedia.com
For Geauga County 4-H members, summer is anything but relaxing. With The Great Geauga County Fair approaching Sept. 3-7, hundreds of young exhibitors are busy preparing livestock and completing project work that will be judged during fair week. Long before the fair begins, however, club members are already putting in the work. During the Flockmasters 4-H Club's July 9 meeting at the Geauga County Fairgrounds Youth Building, members presented educational demonstrations covering topics ranging from poultry breeds and tick-borne diseases to raising chickens on a non-GMO diet. Although fair week was still nearly two months away, several members admitted they were nervous about speaking before the large group. About a dozen members stood, one at a time, before the membership in the Geauga Fairgrounds Youth Building and explained their projects, complete with poster-board art and a laptop. Thirteen-year-old Alexis Toot, of Auburn Township, explained the differences between Cornish Cross and Red Ranger meat chickens using a hand-drawn graphic. Not all chickens are the same, she explained. Cornish Cross chickens are less active, grow quickly, require only 2 to 3 square feet of space and typically reach 6 to 9 pounds in six to eight weeks, Alexis said. Red Rangers mature more slowly, reach-
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Flockmasters 4-H Club member Clair Wilson, with Darla, a pig she will show at The Great Geauga County Fair in September. Clair, 15, also raises sheep.
ing 5 to 7 pounds in about nine to 12 weeks. They require 5 to 10 square feet of space and are moderately active, she said. Twelve-year-old Alec Gottron, of Rock Creek, discussed the life cycle of ticks and the diseases they can spread to pets and livestock, while another member explained the benefits of raising chickens on a non-GMO diet.
A Flock That Continues to Grow The audience for the presentations was impressive. Nearly 70 members filled the room, doing their best to remain quiet during the hourlong meeting while club leader Amy O'Reilly and several parents occasionally reminded younger members to be respectful.
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Caden Klingman, 18, sits on the Geauga County Junior Fair Board, is a member of the Fockmasters 4-H Club.
Leaders of the Flockmasters 4-H Club in Geauga County are, from left, Amy O’Reilly, Chessa Gottron and Meghan O’Reilly.
This year, Flockmasters boasts 67 members, ranging from 6- to 8-year-old Cloverbuds to 18-year-old senior members, many of whom sat at the front of the room conducting the meeting. O’Reilly agreed the club has grown substantially since she began serving as its leader 30 years ago, when her own children were involved. “It did get huge. It kinda ballooned,” she said. Although some have suggested dividing Flockmasters into multiple clubs, O'Reilly said members prefer to remain together and instead find creative ways to accommodate the growing membership. “There are too many relations. Many families live very close (to each other),” she said, noting neighbors, cousins and classmates gather monthly through the club and spend five days together during the county fair, creating friendships that often last generations. Flockmasters has been active for more than 50 years, so there are family relationships within the group no one wants to break up, O’Reilly said, adding it is a multi-generational club with adults and some seniors having club roots. “We have grandparents helping their
grandchildren with projects,” she said. The Geauga County branch of The Ohio State University Extension Office oversees the county’s 42 4-H clubs, and its website lauds the program for giving youth a chance to “learn by doing” and “making the best better” while the members meet new friends who share interests. Members learn new skills and how to create projects, enjoy field trips and events and engage in the community, according to the website. “As a 4-H member, you decide what you want to learn and do as you explore your project. Moving at your own pace gives you important skills in setting and working towards goals,” the website said.
Plenty to Learn
Claire Wilson, 15, of Thompson Township, is in her third year raising hogs and sheep. The daughter of Eric and Kristin Wilson, Claire attends Berkshire Schools. She said her family had little experience with farmstock when they first decided to raise sheep for meat before later adding pigs. “We were friends with pig breeders and See Flockmasters • Page B9
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Junior Fairboard Gives Geauga County Teens a Hand in Running Their Own Fair Long before the gates open on The Great Geauga County Fair each September, a group of teenagers is already deciding how the Junior Fair will run. The Geauga County Junior Fairboard, made up of representatives from seven youth organizations across the county, plans and organizes the Junior Fair portion of the fair, from picking judges to helping run the show tables. The board draws members from 4-H, FFA, the Geauga Horse and Pony Association, Farm Bureau, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Grange. Its stated purpose is to promote the interests of Geauga County youth through educational exhibits and activities at the fair, coordinating the work of junior exhibitors for the benefit of youth countywide. The board meets year-round. Members help select judges and prizes and work the show tables during fair week, among other duties. To join, a youth must be at least 14 years old or a freshman in high school. Candidates complete an application and go through an interview process before being notified of their selection, according to the fair's website. The 2026 Junior Fairboard is led by President Ben Joles, Vice President Jack Patterson and Secretary Campbell Hoar. Thirty-four Geauga County youths serve on the board this year, representing schools and organizations from across the county. See Junior Fair • Page B9
GEAUGAFAIR.COM
The 2026 Junior Fairboard members
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Junior Fair from page B8
2026 Junior Fairboard Members Aubrey Haefke, Alden Peterson, Allie Wiseman, Anthony Intelisano, Benjamin Joles, Benjamin Lane, Brooke Mester, Brooklyn Whitely, Calla Haar, Campbell Hoar, Campbell Reese, Catherine Toth, Cheyenne Humes, Danielle Lane, David O'Reilly, Dominic Matthews, Gracelynn Forbes, Hadleigh (Fern) Humphreys, Hallie Benesh, Hayden Forbes, Haylee Taylor, Helena Haar, Henry Nyzen, Isabelle Armstrong, Jack Patterson, James Toth, Lexie Yingling, Lilyanna Lane, Lola Bonner, Margaret Zallar, Mason Stewart, Meredith Canfield, Parker Reese, Sarah Turpin, Selah Rose Milko and Zack Vandevander. Board members have described the workload as significant, but worthwhile. In a past interview with the Geauga County Maple Leaf, one longtime board member said fair week felt like “another holiday,” noting the added responsibility of juggling board duties with her own livestock and showmanship projects. Beyond the fairboard itself, Junior Fair members who have participated in the Geau-
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asked if they had extra pigs,” she said, recalling the family’s decisions. “We had no idea what we were doing.” Claire joined 4-H to learn more about the animals they had acquired. “I decided to show (them). We said if we’re going to do it, do it all,” she said. Unlike exhibitors who know they are going to sell their animals to be slaughtered, Claire named her hog. “My pig, Scarlet, bites me, sometimes,” she said, adding, however, that does not change their relationship. “I don’t know anyone who can raise a pig and doesn’t like it,” Claire said. “They’re such characters.” Adah Michelson, 15, of Mantua, has participated in 4-H for six or seven years while being homeschooled. She raises pigs, meat chickens, turkeys and meat ducks. “I recently joined Geauga Prime Time 4-H. I’m learning more about animals and a lot about the community and I love that,” she said.
One Last Fair
For 18-year-old Caden Klingman, this year's fair marks the end of his 4-H career. “It’s kinda sad. I’ll miss all the people I
GEAUGAFAIR.COM
Junior Fair officers for 2026 are, from left, Vice President Jack Patterson, Secretary Campbell Hoar and President Ben Joles.
ga County Junior Fair Livestock Sale for at least four years may apply for a scholarship toward a four-year college, two-year college or vocational school. Recipients are chosen based on years of 4-H participation, offices held, extracurricular activities and community service, and an interview may be required. Junior Fairboard applications and other forms are available through the fair's website, geaugafair.com. get to talk to, and the sale,” he said. This year, he will be showing one of his five turkeys and three of his six meat chickens. Caden, who lives with his parents, Dan and Kristin Klingman, in Claridon Township, said his sister and some cousins have taken the 4-H road, as well. “My whole family has been in 4-H,” he said, adding that includes his father and uncle. Caden admitted he will miss the club and its activities. A member of Flockmasters since he was 6 or 7 years old, Caden began showing sheep before switching to poultry. “Turkeys and chickens are easy to take care of and they are fun to raise,” he said. “When I had sheep, they walked me more than I walked them.” He said poultry also is less expensive and less time-consuming to raise than sheep. Unlike Claire, Caden doesn't give his birds names. “It’s hard to tell them apart, anyway. They’re all white,” he said. Caden plans to attend technical school after graduating, having had exposure to welding at Berkshire Schools Career Center Campus in Burton Village, but he hopes to remain in the area and stay connected to Flockmasters. “There’s a lot of new kids — they all just want to raise animals,” he said.
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Auburn Beekeeper Turns More Than 40 Years of Buzz Into Family Business Staff Report Beekeeper Gene McCune leans on hives at his Auburn Township property. McCune, founder of McCune Family Apiaries, said he lost about half his roughly 200 hives to mites over the past winter — still better than many beekeepers fared. Long before honey stands and flavored jars became a fixture of Geauga County life, Gene McCune just wanted a hobby. About 40 years ago, McCune planted 30 blueberry bushes on his property and figured a hive or two would help pollinate them. He was wrong about how small that hobby would stay. "I went from five hives to 10 hives to 50 hives to 100," McCune recalled. "It's a passion." In 1989, he formalized that passion as McCune Family Apiaries, favoring the gentle, productive Carniolan honeybee over Caucasian and Italian varieties. Today the operation, one of the largest beekeeping outfits in Northeast Ohio, keeps roughly 200 hives spread across 15 locations, including several rows of wooden boxes in McCune's own side yard. Beekeeping has gotten harder since McCune started, not easier. Parasitic mites arrived in Florida in 1987 and reached Geauga County within five years. McCune still remembers the winter that nearly wiped him out. "By 1993, I had 125 hives. I came out of that winter with two hives still alive," he said. Modern beekeepers haven't beaten the
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Beekeeper Gene McCune leans on hives at his Auburn Township property. He is the founder of McCune Family Apiaries.
mites; they've only learned to manage them. Forty years ago, McCune said, a beekeeper might expect to lose 10% to 15% of hives each winter. Today, it's far worse. "Forty years ago, you would expect to lose 10-to-15%. Now it's 35-to-50%," McCune said, adding that the mites now spread several viruses through the hives as well. Winter of 2024 was especially brutal indus-
trywide, with some beekeepers losing up to 80% of their colonies. McCune, who lost about half his hives, still counted himself fortunate. "This was a sad winter. It was the worst die-off in 20 years," he said. The hives that survive stay busy through the seasons. Drones gather pollen from daffodils and maple blossoms in April; McCune splits crowded hives in May, the height of
dandelion season, and grafts new queens into any hive that comes up queenless. He has one request for his neighbors each spring. "I ask my neighbors not to cut their grass until the dandelions have a good thing going," he said. By fall, the bees turn to a nearby field of goldenrod to top off their honey stores — good news for customers who swear the local honey helps with seasonal allergies. When the combs fill up, McCune extracts the honey raw and unfiltered in his workshop, then infuses some of it in stainless steel tanks labeled wildflower, sweet heat, lavender and bourbon barrel. "(In 2024), I processed more than seven tons of honey," he said. McCune Family Apiaries honey is sold through local retailers, including an outlet in Burton — home to the Great Geauga County Fair, set for Sept. 3-7. Fairgoers can see the fruits of a beekeeper's year on display in the fair's agricultural exhibits, where local honey and apiary products are entered and judged each season. Despite the mites, the losses and the sticky, stinging nature of the work, McCune isn't slowing down. "They're good producers and they're gentle," he said of his Carniolan bees — though he admits he's been stung thousands of times over the years. Article compiled from Geauga County Maple Leaf archives
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