Bear River senior Claire Newman's agricultural mechanics entry at the Nevada County Fair is the epitome of the 2010 fair theme, “Rooted in Tree-dition.”

The oak barrel fountain is charmingly rustic with a vineyard-themed, welded-iron stand and a handcrafted wagon wheel.

It's no wonder Newman won both the Best of Show award and a “Proud Tradition” award.

“That award is given at the discretion of the judges to the best of the best in a particular division,” said fair publicist Wendy Oaks. “It's absolutely not automatic; they don't have to give one. It's quite an honor.”

Newman learned how to fashion an authentic wagon wheel from Tim and Betty Mylrea, who own Wagon Works Farm in Lincoln. Newman, who also shows pigs, buys her swine from the Mylreas, who also renovate and rebuild old wagons.

“I asked them to show me how to make wagon wheels because I really wanted to learn the art,” Newman said. “I thought they threw the pieces of wood together, but it's really a unique craft.”

Creating the wheel, which is banded with iron, took her nearly a week, working a few hours a day, she said. All of the wood she used came from the Mylreas' farm.

She also used antique tools, including her favorite, an 1875-vintage “traveler” that she used to find the circumference of the wheel, and a tenon cutter that milled the tenons — the end of the spokes that are driven into corresponding holes, or mortises, in the rim.

“It was a lot of fun,” Newman said. “I would never have known a lot of these (tools) a month ago ... I've grown a whole new appreciation for the craftsmanship” that goes into making a wagon wheel.

Newman also gained an appreciation for the perseverance of the pioneers who crossed the country in covered wagons and who would have to repair any wheels that broke along the way, she said.

Newman's award-winning entry came as a result of valuable instruction from the Mylreas and from her agricultural mechanics teacher, Danny Kemp, who retired this year and was inducted into the Nevada County Fair Hall of Fame.

She also credited BK Powder Coating of Grass Valley, which donates shop time every year for students in FFA — formerly known as Future Farmers of America, a national agriculture education program for middle and high school students.

Steady hands

Newman will be a senior this year at Bear River High School, and will finish with four years in FFA. This is her third year in ag mechanics, she said.

“We really focus on working with metals,” she explained. “Ag mechanics is great for kids who are not that academic, who like to work with their hands ... It's a great career path, with lots of possibilities.”

The program acts almost as an apprenticeship, giving students hands-on experience in potentially lucrative fields, Newman said.

Each year, students in the program learn more sophisticated welding techniques, completing projects of increasing complexity.

There are a fair number of girls in the program at Bear River, “more than you'd expect,” Newman said. “Mr. Kemp always said girls are better welders, because they have steadier hands.”

When she goes on to college, Newman plans to major in agricultural business and possibly plant science, because she is interested in marketing.

“But welding is something I'll always try to keep,” she said. “It's a great skill to have, it's so handy —and you can make some amazing pieces of art. People don't realize how talented you can be with a piece of metal.”

To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4229.