It’s fair season! Do you have one nearby? Do you go?

Visiting the Virginia State Fair was one of the joys of my youth, second only to the time we went to the Iowa State Fair and saw Roy Rogers live!

However, as an adult living in a bustling city, I lost touch with fairs until I discovered a delightful county fair in Montgomery County, just a hop away from D.C.

I was surprised – with the skyrocketing land prices in the county, how does agriculture thrive? Kathy Jentz, the editor of Washington Gardener, enlightened me about MoCo’s vast agricultural reserve, spanning 93,000 acres, which guarantees that farming will remain a part of the county’s identity. She also mentioned a rise in urban farming and backyard gardening participation.

Celebrating Farm Animals

This fair, established in 1945, was primarily for 4-H members to proudly showcase their livestock, gardening, and domestic skills. To this day, it serves the same purpose. Though, nowadays, I find it hard to detach from the eventual fate of those pigs and cows. I will confess, the pig races, especially the children’s reactions, are still a treat to watch.

These practices might seem a bit old-fashioned in today’s digital era, but it’s heartwarming to know they persist. Kathy pointed out that even with urban expansion, the fair’s participation has remained consistent. Some youngsters still grow up on farms and join 4-H, even near the Washington Beltway.

Fun at the Midway

In my younger days, I was quite the thrill-seeker, hopping onto the scariest rides. But now? I’m good just watching from the side. Go ahead, I’ll watch your bags!

Grandstand Attractions

I regret missing the lawn-mower race. And, what in the world is a “Touch-a-Truck Event”? Apparently, there’s more than one kind of truck event – the more, the merrier, I suppose.

The Vegetable Showdown

Looking at the tomato entries, I was curious about the judging process. Kathy, drawing from a judge’s insights, provided some tips:

• Watch out for damage from diseases or insects.
• Uniformity is essential. For instance, if you’re submitting five carrots, they should be roughly the same size and shape.
• Size isn’t everything.
• For vegetables like beans, trimming the stem ends is allowed.
• If entering cabbages, keep the outer leaves intact.

Kathy shared her experience of entering cherry tomatoes, which unfortunately didn’t win and had to be composted due to a fly infestation. She then decided to switch to flowers.

The Blooming Contest

Kathy also took a shot at the flower competition. She recounted her win in the Aster category, even though the flowers were wilting when she submitted them. Their rejuvenation within 36 hours worked in her favor. I’m still intrigued by the criteria used for judging individual flowers.

I recall assisting with flower arrangements and potted plants entries for the Takoma Horticulture Club in the ’90s.

Why Not Join the Fun?

Kathy mentioned that many fairs are desperate for more entries. Participating is simple and often free, and there’s even a chance to earn a little cash from the ribbons won. Kathy’s successes even led her to indulge in some funnel cake.

She found out she could enter fairs outside her county and did so upon invitation, though she felt slightly guilty about competing outside her home turf.

It seems there’s a need for someone to use social media to inspire more gardeners in my county to participate. Perhaps, that someone should be me.