Vegetable Rules & Regulations

[wellie]

Moderators, please feel free to relocate my thread if you want to.

With having moved home last year, and not taken part in my new Village Produce Show, because Trousers and I were completely @rse about face, I got to thinking....
An integral part of being part of a community, is to take part, and actually, I'd seriously love us to take part in our local Village Produce Show this year. There's Fruit'n'Veg, Crafts, Floristry, Photography, Cookery, Preserves, Cut Flowers, OOH! just what ISN'T there Children! Something for everyone.....

And actually, it really is great fun JUST to take part, because it's all about your own community, your hamlet, your village, your town, or your city.
It can only be fun when people, you and me, everyday folks integrate with each other.
And to be perfectly honest, local shows are now completely dying out because people like you and me won't, or don't, take part.
Have we been told too often by the Government that we can't play sodding CONKERS anymore? or wot!
Get out there with your Local Produce in your own Village Shows, and if you haven't GOT a Village Produce Show, my advice, seriously, would be to ruddy well start one......!

I'd like to start this Vegetable Show thread, if I might, to inspire any of you.
I'd hope that it won't be entirely about growing stuff to show, but making you aware of how you can grow your crop to a higher standard, if you so wish to.

Anyone who thinks this is a good idea, please raise their hand.X. and if I'm allowed to, I'll start others for Herbs, Fruit, Preserves, etc. etc.
Just hold me back children!!X
We shouldn't just grow gorgeous stuff in our own gardens or allotments, we should be proud of it too, me thinks....

[SarzWix]

I won't be entering the Show this year (as it's the same weekend as Grapestock ) but I'm still having a go at some 'giant' red onions
They're already a bit 'precious' - about half of them have fallen by the wayside already, and they still look like grass...

[sewer rat]

Ha, not only will I be entering our local show - and it's the very first one we have had - I am chief organiser - in fact to be honest, I am the sole organiser currently though that will have to change pretty soon. Have just typed up the schedule for the veg classes. Will do the cut flower classes tomorrow night, and the rest of them over the weekend. Have booked the hall (August 14th), am awaiting the imminent arrival of the RHS guide to organising a show), and have drafted letters to local worthies and businesses re sponsorship of trophies, classes etc.
The show will have classes for flowers, fruit, veg, home baking, preserves, floral art and kids classes, as well as incorporating the best kept garden competition

[HeyWayne]

I've been meaning to enter our village show for the last two years, but time, weather, family and experience have all conspired against me.

I'm meaning to enter this year too - but those darned conspiricists!!

[zazen999]

I'm on t'committee. I'm sticking to doing a seed swap on the day, and something else which I can't quite put my finger on.

Thanks for the reminder though - we've got a meeting tomorrow evening that I had forgotten about. Or perhaps it's next week. I think I'd best check my diary and notes.


*remembered - it's the faceache page and arranging for it to go into the weekly gardening paper. Nothing too stressful then, phew!

[Flummery]

Yep, I enter ours. I've entered with patchwork quilts since we came here and once I'd got the veg plot up and running I entered a few things for that too It's loads of fun. You don't win anything here but a round of applause. Overall highest point scorer get a shield or cup though.

[elsie-scot]

One of my new neighbours was telling me about our village horticultural show and said I should enter. He does grow his carrots in tubes, but last year they didn't grow too long, so he didn't enter, and someone won with wonky carrots - so hope for me He also said that there is a new garden category and since so far there is only us and antoehr couple moved in, then we have a chance!

[sarraceniac]

I just want to say 'well done' to Sewer rat.

I remember going to a Scarborough show about 25 years ago, although I live just outside Scarborough. It was really pleasant to see the produce although at the time I wasn't really bothered about 'green stuff'.

When I became interested in GYO etc. I contacted Scarborough Borough Council and asked 'When is your next Flower/Fruit/Veg show?' 'There won't be any more', said SBC. 'We couldn't get enough sponsors.'

'Why do you need sponsors?'

'Because people won't show unless there are really good prizes.'

Oh dear. So I tried my Parish Council.

'No. We did try it but it leads to people falling out over who the winners should be so we stopped it.' AAAAAARGH.

Keep it up SR. Nil illegitemus carborundum.

[Paulottie]

I have been entering and winning it (sorry to blow my own trumpet) since I arrived...I do find it can bring out the best and the worst of sour grapes in a community.

Unfortunately it is difficult to get the support and we have a real fool running our society now very dumbed down...took all but one cup away from veg show to have a 'GARDEN' competition every other year with . I think it a dreadful shame.

[wellie]

Thanks for your posts so far....

..... I PM'd Sewer Rat last night to ask for his help on this thread, as I can see 'He The Man' that we need to steer us all in the right direction! and I'm hoping that he will be able to find the time in amongst his already busy schedule, pretty please?

Personally, I'm kind of 'fired up' this year, because the same bloke has been winning hands down for completely 'Ever' and is cheesed off because he's got no competition any more in this Village Show. So I'm seeing that as a challenge, and I shall indeed, do my best to take one or two points away from his 'Dead Cert' Victory. Little by little, very friendly-like, I shall rob him of points. And what do points make children? Yes indeedy... Prizes.

So. I'm going to get my Thinking Cap on for the various categories, and decide what I'm good at and what I'm not good at. And progress from there!

[sewer rat]

As Wellie asked me sooooo nicely, I shall do my very best to assist with any issues that this thread comes up with, whether it is with actaully running a show, getting sponsors, putting together schedules, possible classes for shows (all classes not just veggies) and what judges may (or may not !) be looking for.
However, there are bound to be grapes with more formal show experience than I, and any hints and tips on showing specific veg would be most welcome.
Thanking you all in advance

[wellie]

I've been pondering this subject with some seriousness now for the last week, and Sewer Rat's date of Auguest 14th is almost as sensible as the show I took part in previously, because that one was mid-end August.
Which is why I cannot get my head around why on earth one would remotely want to stage a Village Produce Show as early as 3rd July.

It's absolutely Bonkers, with a Capital B, or Muppetry, with a Capital M.

What posesses people to think that you could remotely have something ready, so soon, my life already? I've only just put my Christmas Decorations away and hidden all the chocolate Easter Eggs in the garden for me to find?!
I haven't even seen sight of The Show Schedule yet, so not sure whether it's a Victoria Sponge with 3 eggs (recipe provided), a handful of two ample Dumplings (own recipe) or whether there's sufficient time to grow a lettuce leaf!

Last years' Produce Show was way too early for me as it was, and now this years' one is a whole week earlier still!
I can only summise that Storming Norman is on't Committee this year, and has brought it forward on purpose, trying to unsettle me?

[sewer rat]

Hi Wellie
Couldn't agree more about the 3rd July being tooooooooo early, at least for veggies, though flowers have more chance of making it. The earliest show up here is the last Saturday in July, then there is one every weekend (including mine now ) til mid September.
Maybe Stormin Norman has gone and got himself a big heated greenhouse and has already got his veggies well underway, hoping to pull the rug from under your ultra competitive feet !!

[Rabidbun]

Ours is 3rd July as well - only four categories though for produce:

Four courgettes
Bunch of five carrots
Plate of five tomatoes
Most amusingly shaped fruit or vegetable

So will see what will have grown by then.

[davejg]

I am Just bgetting back into veg growing after a few years, having read this thread i am now going to look up my local shows. Our early shows years ago were for sweetpeas with a few early veg classes.