Entering a Local Produce Show

A local produce show takes entries from growers who live in or near the parish, pay a small fee per class, and bring the exhibit to the hall between set times on the morning of the show. The schedule lists every class, the number of items each class allows, and the points awarded. You read the schedule first, then you decide what to enter.

What are the entry conditions for the local produce show?

Most shows publish a schedule six to eight weeks ahead. It names the classes, the number of exhibits allowed in each, and the closing date for entries. You fill in an entry form with your name, your address, and the class numbers you intend to enter. The secretary checks the address against the show's catchment, which is usually a set of parishes or a radius in miles. If you garden on an allotment inside that boundary, you enter under the allotment address, not your home address.

Fees run per class, often fifty pence to a pound, and you pay when you hand in the form. Some shows ask for the fee on the morning instead. The schedule states which. Late entries are accepted only if a class is short of exhibits, and the judge's decision on eligibility is final.

Exhibits must be grown by the exhibitor. The schedule says so in one line, and stewards can ask how a particular item was raised. For flowers, that means cut from your own plants, not bought. For fruit and vegetables, it means from your own plot. A jar of jam or a loaf of bread is judged under its own class and follows the same rule about who made it.

If you are new to this, the local produce show entry conditions are worth reading before you fill in anything, because the rules on staging, timing, and number of items differ from show to show and the schedule is the only document that counts.

How does the bench work in the hall?

The bench is the long table, or run of tables, where exhibits are placed for judging. It is not a display shelf. Each class has its own section of bench, marked with a card showing the class number and the number of items required. You find your class, place your exhibit, and leave the hall. Stewards check that every exhibit carries the right entry label, usually a small card with your exhibitor number and the class number, folded so the judge cannot see the name.

Judging happens before the public is let in. The judge works along the bench, class by class, and writes a placing on a card that is turned face down until the hall opens. Points are awarded for first, second, and third in each class, and sometimes for highly commended. The cards are then turned up, and the hall opens.

Staging rules matter. A vase of flowers sits on the bench at the height the schedule states, often with the vase provided by the show or brought by the exhibitor. Vegetables are laid on plates or boards, again as the schedule says. A class for three onions means three onions, matched in size and shape, with the tops trimmed and the roots left on unless the schedule says otherwise. A class for five beans means five beans of the same length, laid in a row. The judge looks at uniformity first, then condition, then colour.

After judging, exhibits stay on the bench until the show closes. You collect your vase, your plate, and your cards at the end. Nothing is removed early, because the public walks past the bench and the placings are part of the show.

How should I cut and prepare flowers for the local produce show?

Cut in the early morning, when the stems are full of water, or in the evening after the heat has gone. Take a clean bucket of water to the plot. Cut with a sharp knife or bypass secateurs, on a slant, and put the stem straight into the bucket. Do not let the cut end dry on the way back to the house.

Condition the stems for at least twelve hours in cool water, in a dark place. Strip the leaves that would sit below the water line, because they rot and cloud the water. For hollow stems, such as dahlias, sear the cut end in boiling water for a few seconds, or singe it with a flame, then return the stem to cool water. For milky stems, such as poppies, singe the end to seal it. For woody stems, such as chrysanthemums, crush the last inch with a hammer to open the wood to water.

Choose flowers at the stage the schedule names. A class for one bloom usually wants a bloom fully open but not past its best. A class for a vase of mixed flowers wants a balanced arrangement, with the tallest stems at the back and the smallest at the front, and no two flowers of the same colour next to each other if you can avoid it. A class for three spikes of one cultivar wants three spikes of the same cultivar, matched in height and stage.

Stage the vase on the morning of the show, not the night before. Fill the vase with clean water, arrange the stems, and check the height against the schedule. If the schedule says the vase must not exceed a certain height, measure it. Wipe the outside of the vase. Remove any damaged petal, any leaf with a brown edge, and any stem that has bent. The judge sees what is on the bench, not what was in the garden.

What do judges look for on the bench?

Condition first. A flower with a fresh stem, clean petals, and no bruising beats a larger flower with a damaged leaf. Uniformity second. Three carrots of the same length and girth score above three carrots of different sizes, even if the largest is bigger than any of the matched three. Colour third. The colour should be true to the cultivar, not faded and not artificially darkened.

For vegetables, the judge looks at shape, size, and freshness. A class for one cabbage wants a firm heart, trimmed outer leaves, and a clean stalk. A class for a collection of vegetables wants a range of kinds, each in good condition, arranged so the judge can see each one. For fruit, the judge looks at ripeness, skin, and uniformity. A class for five apples wants five apples of the same cultivar, matched in size, with the stalks left on.

For preserves and baking, the judge looks at appearance, texture, and taste. A jar of jam is judged on colour, set, and flavour, and the jar must be clean and filled to the level the schedule states. A loaf is judged on shape, crust, crumb, and flavour, and it must be baked by the exhibitor.

How do you prepare for the next show?

Keep the schedule from this year. It tells you what the classes were, how many items each asked for, and what the judge placed. Write the placings in a notebook next to the class numbers, and note the cultivar you entered. Next year, when the schedule arrives, you will know which classes suit what you grow and which cultivars have done well on that bench before.

Sow and plant with the show in mind. If a class asks for three onions of the same size, sow a row and select three matched bulbs. If a class asks for a vase of mixed flowers, grow a range of heights and colours. If a class asks for five beans, sow more than you need and pick the five that match.

Cut and condition the day before, stage on the morning, and hand in your entry form before the closing date. The bench does the rest.