Exhibiting is an excellent way to learn more about quality
and handling of garden
vegetables, whether you do it on your own or in 4-H, FFA or
garden club competition.

Related Stories: ø Crop-by-Crop Pointers ø Assuring Peak Quality ø Moving Veggies to Show ÿ

While setting up exhibits, we can meet others with similar
interests and learn from
them. Win or lose, we can learn from the experience and accept
the challenge to improve.

The show or fair committee normally sets up the rules and
classes. Followed the rules
carefully. The most common automatic disqualifications —
incorrect number for the class,
improper preparation of the vegetables and mixing types within
a single display — are all
rules violations.

How many
vegetables?

Read the premium lists carefully so you know the right
number of specimens for each
class. Each committee sets its own requirements. The fair
catalog should clearly list the
number of items required for any display.

In general, the larger and heavier the product, the fewer
items required. Large
watermelons, pumpkins and winter squash are often shown as
single specimens.

Smaller vegetables are shown in groups of three to six and
root crops in groups of
eight to 12. Highly productive and uniform crops such as snap
beans or cherry tomatoes
require an even larger sample — usually 18 to 24.

Leafy vegetables such as cabbage or lettuce are shown as
single heads. Displays of cut
leaves, such as for chard or rhubarb, usually call for six to
12 stems.

Factors Judges
Consider

Because fairs and shows cover a wide range of dates, it’s
hard to have vegetables at
peak maturity at the show. Ideal maturity is desirable,
however, and will win over
immature or overmature products. Never exhibit overripe
vegetables.

It’s helpful to know what judges look for in the display.
The judge may lift and
examine products on all sides, so you can’t hide
imperfections.

Always show crops at their best. Some grooming is important
but shouldn’t make the crop
look unnatural. Here are the main things a judge looks
for:

Quality. Quality
means the vegetable is at
its best and in prime eating condition. In some vegetables,
that may be at a fairly young
stage, such as in summer squash, beets or green beans.

In others, such as tomato, watermelon or eggplant, it means
fully developed fruits at
the peak of maturity. The inherent quality of a vegetable
includes color, shape, texture,
taste and size.

Condition. An
important part of this is
cleanliness. Such items as tomato or pepper are seldom a
problem, but root or leaf crops
may present problems in cleaning.

Use a soft cloth or brush and lightly remove any soil.
Washing may remove the waxy
“bloom” on some vegetables and may give others an
unnatural “scrubbed”
look.

Vegetables must be free from blemishes, too. Caused by
insects, diseases or poor
handling, such damage is a serious fault.

Uniformity. This
is a measure of the
gardener’s ability, since it’s hard to grow a large number of
vegetables that look like
“peas in a pod.” The more you plant, though, the more
likely you will be able to
have uniform displays.

Size is important. Besides being the same size, they should
be typical of the variety
— not too large or small. Uniform ripeness is important,
too.

Select shapes as identical as possible as well. Color, too,
is obvious and important. A
single item off color is a serious fault.

Typical of
variety. All vegetables in the
same exhibit should be the same kind and variety. Mixing types
or varieties is usually an
automatic disqualification. All entries should be typical of
the variety.

Some shows require that the variety be listed with the
display. This is often helpful
to the judge, especially in the case of very new or unusual
varieties.