Thinking green earned some young Powegians a big prize: a best of show ribbon from the 2010 San Diego County Fair.

Poway businesswoman Joan Bradley received 500 pens that would not work.

She was about to throw them away when she suggested to her neighbors, Noah and Austin Adams (ages 8 and 6, respectively) that they could build a “porcu-pen” and enter it into one of the fair’s art exhibits.

Using a styrofoam ball, glue and the pens, the boys — along with Bradley’s grandsons, Josh and Seth Bradley and Eli Tubbs — got to work.

They ended up with a first place blue ribbon for their creation, plus a best of show ribbon in the recycled materials art category.