The Competitive Edge

Durham Fair 2011 sets a new standard for our gardening and growing-our-own aspirations

The Durham Fair http://www.durhamfair.com/ is a showcase for all things agriculture, gardening and horticulture, homegrown goods and crafts, canning and pickling and award-winning livestock. 
 The New Farmers plan to compete next year.  Here are award-winning tomatoes:


Blue-ribbon tomato display - Durham Fair 2011

Awards also go to every imaginable vegetable that can be grown in Connecticut soil: Beets, Broccoli, Peppers, Swiss Chard, Celery, Potatoes, Eggplant, biggest Squash, and on. Requirements include that the vegetable be grown non-commerically in Connecticut.

checking out the competition

Other competitions in which New Farm hopes to compete include
Best Honey - all local apiaries, dark and light varieities
 

Various entries in the Honey Competition

  Our apiary is looking good this year with two nucs filled already.  We are hoping that both hives will winter over nicely.  Either way, the honey competition might be a couple years off for us. 



 Canning Contest - Must use all homegrown main ingredients.  Fruit: There were amazing blueberry, raspberry and strawberry jams, peach jams, and apple butters
Chutneys/Relishes: Also competitions for the best relish and chutney.  Orginiality was awarded here, again all ingredients must be homegrown.  I think our Apple-onion Chutney from the previous post would win as there was nothing else like it. 

Pickling Contest - our neighbors orginial recipe pickled peppers (with Italian fyring peppers) could win this category.  New Farm could enter as well, but details will be withheld for competitive purposes.

Pickling Competition - requires every ingredient to be homegrown

Best Eggs - Looks for uniformity in shape, size and color. White, light brown, brown and colored competition.  Brightness awarded in the colored category.  Our Aracona hen's eggs could compete. 

Look for us next year.