The Greene County Fair is next week and there’s a new individual with the Greene County Extension Office that is helping out.

Rachel Blum is this year’s summer assistant and she is a Harlan native. She was involved in 4-H and FFA, where she showed cattle, pigs and sheep. After graduating from high school, Blum attended Des Moines Area Community College for agriculture business. Then she transferred to Iowa State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a minor in agronomy. 

Blum moved to Greene County with her boyfriend this past October and was an associate with the Adel-DeSoto-Minburn School District. She then applied for the summer assistant position with Greene County Extension. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio she wanted to be the summer assistant to help gain more experience before she goes back to ISU for elementary education.

“(4-H and Youth Coordinator) Sam (Hardaway) has let me teach some workshops, so being in front of kids, (and) learning with the kids. I’m just as new to the fair as they are, so learning and growing with them is the best.”

Blum describes her expectations heading into her first Greene County Fair.

“What I’m looking forward to most is probably learning and growing at the fair. Learning the way they do it compared to what I’m used to. I love to learn.”

The 2023 Greene County Fair is July 11th-17th.