(Tom Jirik wrote columns in several newspapers in Iowa from the late 1980’s to the mid 1990’s.  This column originally appeared in the The Boone Today) 

The boar was big.  The weather was hot.  The new tractors were nifty.  And the funnel cakes were delicious.  So were the ice cream cones, the “Grater Taters,” the corn dogs and the turkey drumsticks.

I didn’t even have to tell you that I was at the Iowa State Fair last week, did I?

I spent a couple of evenings there working at the Iowa State University booth.  My co-workers and I explained and re-explained the wonders of earthworms and soil bacteria to hundreds of state fair goers.

Did you know there are millions of earthworms in a healthy acre of soil?  Millions!  And they’ll never outnumber the bacteria that live down there.  In fact, there is a special variety of bacteria that produce “geosmin” the compound that gives soil it odor.  Soil, it really is fascinating stuff.

Kids couldn’t resist the microscope.  “What are those things?” They asked.

“Bacteria,” we explained.  The best part was letting them smell the bacteria.  Some came back for a second whiff. Some even brought mom and dad over for a sniff.  Others were less impressed with the earthy odor.  It’s amazing how kids can wrinkle their noses like that.

There were people of every shape and size.  There were several visitors from out of state and a few from out of the country.  We even explained things to a few people who were wearing “Hawkeye ” shirts.  We’re prohibited by law from discriminating, you know.

Between shifts I had a chance to look around.  The bunnies were cute.  The Belgians and the Percherons were magnificent.  And that butter cow, wow.  I’ll bet you can’t do that with margarine.

Here are some observations for those of you who didn’t make the fair this year.

Bart Simpson is in.  At least 50 percent of the people at the fair this year were wearing “Bart” T-shirts.  I don’t have one.  I do have one now that is emblazoned with a cow, and the slogan:” Don’t have a Bart, man!”

Fanny Packs are in.  These zippered belt pouches were almost as prevalent as “Bart”.  I heard somebody say they look like “love handles with zippers.”

Eating is in.  Corn dogs.  Turkey drumsticks.  Funnel cakes.  You name it.

The Big Boar in big.  Really big.   “Big Daddy”, an Indiana Duroc weighed 1,212 pounds.  That’s 65 pounds more than the record-setting winner last year.  Incidentally, of the hundreds of contests at the Iowa State Fair, the Big Boar Contest was one of the most competitive this year.  Delta-King, the second-place winner weighed 1,211 pounds.  (Wouldn’t “Big Daddy” and “Delta King” be great names for a pair of tag team wrestlers?)

I was at the state fair for parts of three separate days.  I didn’t even get inside of all the buildings.  I somehow missed the ostrich.  I only had time to climb into one tractor.

I can hardly wait for next year.