Want to enter produce in local fairs

[sparkles2307]

I'm a budding wannabe expert on growing yummy things for my family to eat, but I realized last summer that I also want to give the world of fair entries a whirl.

So, I'm confident that my tomato growing skills are enough but I always have pathetic corn. The stalks either get 2ft tall and tassel out without cobs on them, or they grow to 12 ft tall and have lots of ears with poor pollination rates. I've never had the soil tested but my FIL tells me we're too acid for maple trees....which is why no maples grow for about a ten mile stretch around us. And we're too something else for oaks, I cant recal, but we actually know of the only 2 oak trees that are growing within ten miles, and they arent close to our house at all. We usually mix old manure into the soil in the fall, and again as soon as the soil thaws. I also have terrible luck with anything cucumis....anything. basically I'm just looking for some advice and tips so I dont make myself look like an idiot in front of the fair!

 

[lesa]

I would say if your tomatoes are great- enter them! I presume you are not trying to grow your corn in one long row?? It sounds like you are adding organic material to your soil...Do people around you grow corn successfully? Perhaps a call to your local cooperative extension would be helpful? Mine is currently listing the most successful plants that were grown in my region last season. Good luck!

 

[journey11]

I agree, go with your specialty. You could also enter canned goods like salsa made from your own tomatoes. Or if you grow nice berries or apples, enter a pie.

ETA: Definitely get a soil test done by your ag. ext. agency (usually the same guys are in charge of the county fairs too, btw). They'll tell you what to add to fix any problems your soil has. Fall is the best time to test, but spring is ok too.

 

[vfem]

If you feel confident do it! I was excited to enter my jams and salsa last year. I didn't win though, but I got great feedback to try again next year.

I did get an honorable mention for my smokey black bean salsa... I may try the same one again next year anyways.

 

[sparkles2307]

Thanks guys!

No, I plant several short rows to aid in pollination as far as the corn goes. The neighbors have TONS of corn, and DH's field corn growns really nice too, a mile away. Just my sweet corn suffers, no matter what kind.

The neighbors all (I'm talking 1/4 mile to 8 miles away) all have the best melons ever! HUGE cantaloupe type melons. So many they throw them away for the deer to eat. My melons and cucumbers have curled up brown leaves, grow 3 ft vines, and set maybe 2 fruit per plant, and the fruit grow about 1/2 way then stop.

 

[thistlebloom]

I ditto what journey said about having your soil tested, could be your soil and not you .

 

[curly_kate]

I would LOVE to enter produce in our county fair, but it's at the end of June. I have no idea how people grow the tomatoes, corn, etc, that they enter. At that point, mine are nowhere near ready! I have toyed with the idea of entering a baked good or salsa tho.

Oh, it's so nice to think about June right now!!!!

 

[sparkles2307]

Oh, it's so nice to think about June right now!!!!

ditto!

 

[hiker125]

I am with Curly Kate. How do folks get those veggies so huge so early? Now if the fair were in early August.....

 

[sparkles2307]

Around here there are so many little counties that fair season starts mid-June and lasts till mid or late-August. They all schedule around each other so that attendance will be higher since we can all go to all of them (theres no admission for our little fairs, and they're all within decent drive time of most of the little towns).