SUMMIT STATION - As the sun pounded the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds on Saturday afternoon, Ian Lengel, Pine Grove, was juggling lemons, but had no intention of making lemonade.
With a copper penny from 1978, a carpenter's nail made of zinc and a few alligator clips, he used two lemons to power a digital clock as big as a box of stick matches, proving they're good conductors of electricity.
He and members of the Schuylkill Stampede 4-H Livestock Club demonstrated how electricity can be conducted through a variety of unexpected mediums, including potatoes and peas, at a new event at the fairgrounds.
The event was a fundraiser for "AgSTEM," a group of families determined to bolster agriculture education at the Blue Mountain School District. Called "AgSTOCK," it included displays and activities run by groups including area 4-H Clubs and The Walk-In Art Center of Schuylkill Haven.
The event was co-hosted by the Schuylkill County Fair Association and Jefferson Grange 1384, Auburn.
AgSTEM, which stands for Agriculture Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics, was formed in 2010 in an effort to raise funds to supplement those classes at Blue Mountain, according to Alicia Keller, Orwigsburg, AgSTEM community liaison.
The event started in the morning and more than 200 people were there at noon.
"We're slow and steady today, but it's a nice show," Keller said. She said she expected "about 1,600" throughout the day.
"I think it's wonderful and I hope more people get involved. We think it's important to give children a good introduction to agriculture, making sure they know where our food comes from and how it gets here and all the people behind it," said Heather Gruber, Auburn, leader of Schuylkill Stampede.
People with stands included Darla Romberger, Pitman, who was crowned the 2012-13 Schuylkill County Dairy Princess in June.
"We're doing milk moustache photos for children by our 'Got Milk?' sign and we can print it out right here," Romberger said.
Nena Mazzei-Schmidt, the executive director of The Walk-In Art Center, was there with her assistant, Michelle Halabura, Orwigsburg.
Halabura is related to the family who runs Halabura Tree Farms, Orwigsburg, and she arranged to have a display of fir trees brought to the fairgrounds. Nearby, they set up a large plastic canvas and encouraged children to paint a mural featuring trees.
Blue Mountain school board President Mary Jo Moss, Orwigsburg, said she arrived at the fairgrounds just after 2 a.m. Saturday to help volunteers start the pig roast.
"You have to cook them for 12 hours," Moss said.
At 5 a.m., she gazed in wonder as baby chicks hatched.
"This is a great event. A lot of work went into it. We didn't have a fundraising goal. The most important thing we're doing right now is raising awareness," Moss said.
While enjoying the afternoon surrounded by rabbits, goats and other animals, a few area children got the opportunity to practice the fine art of chicken hypnosis.
"You ready?," Tyler Noecker, 11, of Orwigsburg, asked Angel Yeager, 13, of Cressona, as they took hold of a black and white hen.
After a few quick, yet humane, moves, the two children had the chicken on its back, still as a statue yet calm as a sleeping baby.
AgSTEM encourages children to learn more about agriculture and science. There wasn't a stand at the event offering demonstrations about how to hex local fowl. The children said they learned about on the Internet.
According to Rogue Turtle, a survivalist website at rogueturtle.com, it's a technique used to calm the bird before it is butchered.
"A chicken can be hypnotized, or put into a trance by holding its head down against the ground, and continuously drawing a line along the ground with a stick or a finger, starting at its beak and extending straight outward in front of the chicken," according to the site.
"And if you tap its foot, it will snap out of it and get right back up," Noecker said, then he did just that.
One of the ways the organization raised funds was through a pig roast held Saturday afternoon. The food for the dinner was donated by state Sen. David Argall, R-29, state Rep. Mike Tobash, R-125, and state Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-124, according to Keller.
The master of ceremonies for the dinner was Schuylkill County Commissioner George F. Halcovage Jr.