For fairgoers who love to cook, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is giving away free recipe cards. The department is sponsoring a booth at the Lawrence County Fair with a variety of recipes that includes selections for game fish and venison. The display is inside the main commercial exhibit building and provides literature with facts about agriculture as Pennsylvania’s number-one industry.

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The best time to look at fruit, vegetable and flower entries at the fair is at the beginning of the week. By Thursday night, flowers submitted Saturday were wilted, a blue ribbon pumpkin was squished and rotting and other vegetables were beginning to shrivel inside the barn on the midway.

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The Penn State Master Gardeners also are strategically located at the entrance of the barn, offering gardening tips and information about membership to their productive organization. Anyone who loves to garden may stop and chat.

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Members of Lawrence County Granges are quilting and making apple butter as usual this year. Those who stop by may buy some of the thick, tasty toast spread, which is made daily on the fairgrounds in a cauldron over an open fire. The Granges also are selling fresh vegetables, baked goods and cookbooks.

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Like kettle corn? Or don’tcha know? Fairgoers can find out whether they like the sweet salty treat by stopping by at the Smoky Mountain Hillbilly Kettle Corn booth on a side street off the midway. The concessionaires there have been offering free samples all week.

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Melissa Hart, this area’s former congresswoman, was seen walking around the dairy barns Wednesday night during the annual cheese auction. Hart, who lost the last election to Democrat Jason Altmire, has said she plans to try to regain her seat next year.